[Note:\u00a0 this post was penned prior<\/b> to last week\u2019s provocative, public dance by Miley Cyrus. In other words, the lines were already blurry.]<\/p>\n
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Everybody get up!<\/i><\/p>\n
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I’m up. I’m dancing like any good un-retired disco queen of the late ’70’s. I love, love, love the beat of this song. It’s being called the song of the summer by media. I’ve watched the Robin Thicke\/Jimmy Fallon version of Blurred Lines on YouTube an embarrassing number of times. This version uses school instruments and has a PG-rated solo. It’s a super fun vibe. The band is smiling, jamming, rocking, kidding around and having a terrific time. Then I read the original lyrics on several popular lyric websites.<\/p>\n
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Hey, hey, hey.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
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Prude would never be a word used to describe me. Each day less and less things make my chin drop. But some of those lyrics… oh, my! Now I know this isn’t the first rap song to use offensive (to me)<\/i> words but it\u2019s the first nasty rap I really have fun listening to. I want to buy it so bad.<\/p>\n
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You know you want it.<\/i><\/p>\n
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There exists controversy over whether or not the song is “misogynistic” or “rapey”, and when I read the words rapper TI sings, I wonder who really resonates with this sex slang. Why does any song any where in any language need to say what he says? This is where I get really confused. And then there is the original music video with nude dancers. They chose to do a remake on that one. Wonder why?<\/p>\n
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If you can’t hear what I’m trying to say.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
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Why add the obscene? Life can be sad and hard and even cruel all on its own. Why throw more violence and crass images into the universe? But I love the bounce of this song. Perfect for car dancing but I don’t have it on \u00a0my iphone because I can’t justify some really bad lyrics in part of the song.<\/p>\n
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Maybe I’m out of my mind.<\/i><\/p>\n
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This isn’t about nasty rap; it’s about me trying to convince myself that if the beat is good, I can overlook the really negative message of the words. There is a disconnect with the fun loving, smiling men wearing wedding rings, everything-is-alright-then group singing this terrifically fun song. I actually had that argument in my head. They all look too nice and happy for it to be wrong!<\/p>\n
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Can’t let it get past me.<\/i><\/p>\n
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So now I wonder how many other things I excuse the nasty because I like the beat? Books, movies, TV shows, gossip, certain friendships, idle thoughts. Apparently I have selective vision, only focusing on the good and fun stuff when the obscene side is right there as well. It’s just a song, right? No big deal. What’s the real harm in buying the tune and ingraining the lyrics in my head?<\/p>\n
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Maybe I’m going deaf.<\/i><\/p>\n
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After 50 plus years I can recognize the little voice that whispers “good choice\/bad choice. Sometimes I listen to the voice and sometimes I conveniently ignore it. This time I’m hearing the old adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” I combat that one in my head with “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” I really, really \u00a0like this song…sort of.<\/p>\n
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I hate these blurred lines.<\/i><\/p>\n
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Respectfully,<\/p>\n
CB<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[Note:\u00a0 this post was penned prior to last week\u2019s provocative, public dance by Miley Cyrus. In other words, the lines were already blurry.] Everybody get up! I’m up. I’m dancing like any good un-retired disco queen of the late ’70’s. I love, love, love the beat of this song. It’s being called the … <\/p>\n