Thursday, July 3, 2008

I wonder if...

there's any truth to being gay as some kind of a trend. With all these actors and musicians coming out and not having any real backlash other than instant upgrade in fame one would think so. Along with the fashionable men or metrosexuals growing in fast numbers now that society has accepted such a term for a more hygienic and snappy dressed man to an almost effeminate proportion.

One could also hope that at some point it won't only be kissing girls that would be a common trend among drunk heteros at bars and clubs. Wouldn't it just be crazy if one day men follow suit? Perhaps this is more wishful thinking than anything. Women do have a sexual ambiguity to them that enables them to partake in such acts without the consequential jeers from their peers because what man would refuse to see such a thing? Not only would their gal pals join in, but the opposite sex would chant them on in a cromagnon-esque styled hoorah.

The song this week breaches on the subject slightly from two sides. One is about what we just talked about (gay trend), and the other is pure sexual curiosity storytelling. Katy Perry reminds me of KT Tunstall, only infinitely more fun! She first gained notoriety for her song "Ur So Gay" (which is an absolute genius of a song that pokes fun at metrosexual men). On April 29, 2008, Katy Perry released her first official single from One of the Boys on the iTunes Store. The song was co-written with Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis and debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #76, climbing to #1 as of June 25, 2008. It has peaked on iTunes Top 100 at #1, as of June 3, 2008.

The music video for the song was released on May 21, 2008 on MySpace. The song has generated controversy due to its popularity with children and its depiction of sexuality, homosexuality, and/or promiscuity, though as Slant Magazine concludes, the song, "isn't problematic because it promotes homosexuality, but because its appropriation of the gay lifestyle exists for the sole purpose of garnering attention—both from Perry's boyfriend and her audience."

As far as the video becoming popular with kids, as long as what they're getting from it is that being gay is ok, and that sexual curiosity is normal, I have no qualms or problems with it. But then you get these parents who would complain about the contents being featured on Myspace, when they should really ask themselves whether or not they're even doing a good job being parents letting their underage kids wander around Myspace, supervised or not!

Do you agree with Slant that perhaps this "gay trend" is being used not as a way to give us more exposure (we're here, we're queer, get used to it), but rather just as another tool for self gain from people who would otherwise be nobody's for lack of a better imagination and inventiveness? Makes you think about the women we talked about earlier who snog each other at the clubs and scream, "I Kissed a Girl"

8 comments:

Tuffie said...

*ring, ring*

hello Day Old Times?

yes, my friend Rhymes would like to cancel his subscription

why?

he's decided to go with Yesterday's News Today instead

___

so over this song already, it's been gay'ed out to high hell in DC for weeks

o_O

Basilio Bocalan said...

comment about the blog not the music, betch!

FRIENDSHIP!

ArrBee said...

I'm with Tuffie here. If you were gonna pick a "kissed a girl" song, you really should have gone with this one ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gryUQvkrSso&feature=related

Basilio Bocalan said...

I unfortunately can't view YOUTUBE stuff at work...

And since I can't see what you got there...the only other "kissed the girl" song I know is the one by Jill Sobul (sp?).

Lyrically this song is competent as far as what most straight folks discover when experimenting with same sex activities...that there's no harm, it doesn't make you gay, and for the most part they like it.

I need more comments on the issue of "gay trend"...the music was just the backdrop.

Anonymous said...

Straight guys do alot of "gay" things. When I used to play sports in school a favorite pass time of guys was to get the someone(the victim) to talk. While the victim's head was turned another person would get on the locker room bench, pull down his pants, and expose his dick so when the victim turned around they would get a face full of man meat.

Running around the locker room slapping boys asses and hitting them in their "junk" was also another game.

Guys do loads of gay shit but it is masked in super masculine adoslesent activities.

Dirty said...

Ugh! THat katy perry song is like the Macarena...hot for the first month
...
but needs to fade awaaaaa....y :-P

Basilio Bocalan said...

DAMNIT! THE SONG IS FOR AMBIANCE PEOPLE!!!

FOCUS ON THE F*$%#ING ISSUE OF "GAY TREND"...THAT'S WHAT I WANT COMMENTS ON!

*composes himself*

That is all...FRIENDSHIP!

Dirty said...

LMFAO! I luv ur reaction! *tee hee*