If you don’t know who Katy Perry is, she is the chick that has made a hit out of kissing a girl (even though Jill Sobule did it many years ago, and unlike Perry, didn’t seem to have any issues with it) and then telling the world about it. As much as I wanted to like the song “I Kissed a Girl” (currently #2 on iTunes) by Perry, I initially didn’t feel like it was a good message. She sings about how it feels “wrong”, and even worse, she says that kissing girls isn’t what “good girls do”. However, after looking at the song from a different perspective, I figured that maybe she didn’t mean that at all; in fact, perhaps what good girls don’t do, is cheat on their boyfriends… and in that case, this song is playful, and not grounded in hate at all.
However (and a HUGE however), after checking her out further, and really trying to give her the benefit of the doubt with her “experimentation” with homosexual kissing, I found something that really makes me scratch my head and wonder if there is some problem that Katy has with gay people. She has a song called “Ur So Gay”, which has been called the “ultimate kiss-off” to a boy that was too “full of himself” to give her the time of day. In the song, she describes everything “wrong” with him, building to the conclusion that he must be gay, even though he doesn’t like boys (which, is the actual only ACCURATE use of the word gay… that which is glaringly absent from her song).
While many will see this accurately as a joke, the underlying message is too clear to ignore; Katy sees being gay as wrong, abnormal, and most importantly, as an insult that she uses to make herself feel better for being dissed. What’s wrong with that, some of you may wonder? Well, the underlying message is hate speech, and here again, I can’t believe that we have yet another example of someone using the description of a person’s sexual orientation as a slur of any kind.
Katy dear, this is 2008. We need to stop using gay as an insult; being gay is normal. If you use “gay” as synonym for bad, negative, horrible, stupid, or any of the many other derogatory words it has been used in place of to place insult, then you are propagating and continuing the underlying bigotry that is so fervent in this country. Continuing this form of “hidden” bigotry is just intolerable, and I for one feel like I must continue to speak out against it.
“Artists” like Katy Perry should be confronted with the fact that their “silly, harmless jokes” are grounded in hateful, shameful, and derogatory feelings that only further the bigotry against gay people in this country. It isn’t “cute” or “funny” that she kissed another girl, it is normal; whether or not she can deal with her homosexual feelings is her problem, not ours.
If you don’t see this as a big deal, ask yourself: would it be cute or funny if she wrote a song about how weird it was for her to kiss a black person?? How do you think that would that go over? Additionally, if she were to write a song about how awful a boy was because he was so “stereotypically black”, how would that sound? Well, I know how it would sound, in one word: RACIST. So I want to know why is it okay to apply that same sentiment to gay people?? Clearly, it isn’t, and I honestly can’t believe that this type of message is still put out there; yet here it is.
Shame on you Katy Perry. Grow up. Become more than that stereotypical playground bully. Gain some intelligence (clearly, that is lacking, because being gay means “liking boys” if you are male, and she doesn’t seem to put two and two together in her song) and perspective, and realize that, even in a “joking” manner, that using the term “gay” to insult someone is causing harm to the gay community in perpetuating the very hate and indifference we are fighting so hard to get rid of. I always cling to the hope that people can be better than they are, but it is people like Katy Perry that continually let me down. Unfortunately, there are people out there that are just waiting to gobble this crap up, and morons like Perry are ready to give them more. I have to ask myself, can there truly be a time when we can all stop the name calling, and just see each other as equal? Can their truly be a time when gay people can be treated as the normal people that we are, and not continually insulted and have our lifestyle continually used as a form of degradation? Little things like this really make me wonder if people are truly capable of that at all, unfortunately.
Sigh. Hopefully, she will fade into the distance soon, and people will rightfully forget about her ignorance; even though it is bound to pop up somewhere else.
You forgot about your girl Winehouse, as well.
http://socialitelife.celebuzz.com/2008/06/09/video_amy_winehouses_racist_song_and_apology.php
AHHHH!!! I hadn’t heard about that, and now I wish I hadn’t! What is it with people?!?! Stop the hate! Is that so hard?! Gah.
Or she’s just cashing in on the gay thing a la t.A.T.u…
Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday James! I don’t know who Katy Perry is, and from your description, I am not rushing out to buy the cd. She sounds pretty stupid. And you ARE right, it is 2008. We are beyond that now.
I did pick up the new Cyndi Lauper (love it!) and am ready to buy the new Fratellis CD when it comes out on Tuesday (I love Mistress Mabel) but then I am a Fratelli fan. Did you hear Newton Faulkner? I love the song “Dream catch me” It has been out in the UK for a long time but just came out in the US I think in April. You can see it on youtube.
Stay cool, Duane!
great post Duane….
Duane, I remember when your mom would not let you listen to that jill sobule song. so very very long ago
I am really disappointed by Amy…
What is YOUR problem? You are telling Katy Perry to stop being a hater and stop insulting people, and what are you doing? Do you read what you write? Yes, i realize being gay or bysexual or straight is normal, but when you first think that you could be gay or by, you are normally confused! Have you ever wondered if maybe she is just confused and doesn’t know how she should act? A lot of the time when people are confused, they act in a way that they normally don’t. maybe she doesn’t mean what she is saying, or maybe she is just trying to get a new song out there for those of us who don’t know what to do and in a way, she is letting us know that there is more people out there who are like us and that we should just be ourselves. Ever thought of that? Probably NOT!!!
geez.
how do you know that she doesnt like lesbians.
have you asked her?
didnt think so.
for all you know she is a lesbian.
dont get your panties in a twist.
I couldn’t agree more. Great post.
rachael, when you say,
are you saying that I am insulting her in the same hate-speech fueled bigoted manner she is attempting to insult some boy who blew her off?? Because I don’t see how you arrived at that conclusion. If Katy Perry is just “confused” as you put it, it isn’t acceptable to just say, “oh well, she didn’t know” and let the fact that she is using hate speech and fueling anti-gay propaganda in her song. Using that “well I didn’t know any better” excuse really doesn’t hold water when you are over the age of 5.
singapore, huh? I didn’t say anything about her liking or disliking lesbians; what I did say, was that she was using the word gay as a slur, and in doing such, was fueling anti-gay hate speech. I don’t care if she is a lesbian or not (I seriously doubt she is), but if she is, perhaps she could employ a little more tolerance for her own community, eh?
Your viewpoint is articulated in your post, which is appropriate since it’s your view. What you don’t stop to consider is her viewpoint. Her parents were pastors, so she was probably brought up in a conservative household (unfortunately a lot of children are brought up believing homosexuality is wrong). Also, I would say that a lot of heterosexual girls are uncomfortable kissing other girls, even though it’s not wrong. It’s just that they have never had the experience. So, perhaps we should view “I Kissed a Girl” as a song about how exciting it is to experiment, beyond one’s comfort zone.
I really don’t think her song is fueling anti-gay propaganda. If you want to know the real issue it is parents, bible interpretations and how children are brought up. Last year I took a moral philosophy class (in Kansas). Our teacher polled us on our beliefs and almost all the people who were practicing Christians and were heterosexual believed that homosexuality was immoral! It was unbelievable. I really do not think a silly song is going to aggravate the problem.
duane calm down u dont kno anything about her, u can’t just judge a person if u never have met her before, or kno her personally. She might a better person than u think she is if u did get to kno her. my advice is never judge a person before u get to kno them b/c u sound more like a hypocrite 2 me right now, no offense.
Jessica, it isn’t I Kissed A Girl that I have a problem with; I gave her the benefit of the doubt for that one in my original argument. However, if you think that her ignorance of growing up in a conservative household justifies her using the word gay as a slur, then I cannot agree. She is propagating that very hate speech and philosophy that you identified as wrong, and I for one am appalled that the song was even made, let alone put on her record. She can kiss and tell all she wants, but calling boys gay and meaning it as an insult is where I draw the line.
none ur business, how is hypocritical? I am saying that I am against her hate speech, and calling her a bigot for using it. I am not judging her in any way; I am judging what she is saying, and has put out as a representation of herself. If she doesn’t believe that gay is synonymous with bad, awful, and a slur, then she shouldn’t be using it as such. I frankly don’t care who she is; however, she is using gay as a slur, and that makes her a bigot in my book.
My sister’s and I don’t really see I Kissed A Girl as hate slur or having anything to do with being gay or anything concerning it for that matter. Sometimes girls kiss other girls. It’s just the misadventure of growing up and even if it’s one time people will say it’s wrong or have their big speech or soap box rant on morality. But theres alot of times that experences like that are just purely innocent. I don’t think Perry has a problem with homosexuality. She states in the song that girls are kind of wonderful in many ways and I have to agree. It’s not what good girls do could just be a stab at her conservative parents, and it felt so wrong it felt so right is kinda like saying it feels good to be bad.
I think she just made a a song about a controversial topic and that has everybody on their soap box, but its a good song and its catchy.
there is no underlying message for or against gay people with this song.
the only message is “Look at me!”
Katy Perry is a phony just using whatever phrase or fake subversive slang she can to get attention. You can cite Jill Sobule or t.A.T.u. or whatever, but really she’s just trying to be an American Lily Allen who is tongue and cheek and ‘cute’ while also being somewhat filthy.
thing is, Lily pulls it off because she’s actually kinda nuts and kooky and weird. Katy merely sees those quirks as something she wishes she could be and is putting on an act.
You know, Perry kind of reminds me of Diablo Cody in this regard. Showy hipsterisms that fail to ring true, catchphrases in place of substance. I especially hate the way Perry tries to incorporate net culture into her songs even though its clear she has no idea what she’s talking about.
Will, thanks for your comment, but please know that I gave her the benefit of the doubt for the kissed a girl song. However, the point was in her Ur So Gay song, which is using the term gay to describe someone in a negative way. The use of that word is rooted in hatred, regardless if she feels that hate or not; if she uses it that way, she is perpetuating it.
Goon, that’s an interesting perspective. If she is doing it all for a show, though, why the need to put down the gay community? That’s pretty much what I was pondering in the whole post, really, is why she felt the need to use negative stereotype reinforcement of the gay community to work out her frustrations. I just wish people could stop that, you know?
“why the need to put down the gay community?”
i dont even think she’s trying to put down the gay community. if she was i doubt Madonna would have endorsed her (not that i think madonna is a saint) - its hard to explain to gay people, but i mean, my gay sister understands it even though she doesnt condone it, how like the word ‘retard’ it gets thrown around without intent to hurt, even though for some people it does. its all about context. i think Perry is clumsy, but whatever. she’s going for irony throughout that entire song but she stumbles.
i mean think of it like this. a couple times i have called an overly macho person a ‘faggot’, ironically, because its the only term that gets them upset. they then yelled back, ‘well suck my dick’ and i say ‘well, drop your pants then’ - it simply confuses them that they can call other people gay and it doesnt make them mad, but it hurts them in return. just being honest, i get a sense of satisfaction at hitting them with their own game and seeing how they like it. confusing them sometimes is the only way to make them think about what they’re saying and the real reason it hurts their feelings.
anyways, if i were to take offense at perry’s use of the word, it would not be in trying to figure out if her use of it is a statement on gay lifestyles, but would be that her sense of ‘gayness’ in her other song, ‘i kissed a girl’, is essentially a promotion of girls gone wild style antics, the faux-lesbian chic that makes people think that homosexuality is just a phase, a choice, clearly unnatural. the whole ‘whoo i got drunk and kissed a girl to tease my boyfriend’ thing probably undermines the gay community to me a lot more than ‘lol irony’ style use of the word ‘gay’.
Goon, I understand what you are saying, but even using retard as a derogatory slur is harmful. My main reason for questioning Perry, is because she has not one, but two songs about something related to being gay; which made me wonder what was up, you know? As Christina Riche said it best in the movie the Opposite of Sex, straight people just don’t spend that much time thinking about man on man action. LOL, my point in writing this was to vent my frustration about the clear use of what can be called hate speech; whether it is ironic or not.
i hate this song, payola, the majors that back her, her religious undertones, her fake rebellion, the millions dropped for her to be on radio, and a headlining spot on the warped tour. i think she’s a fake and full of hate, “ur so gay” is totally offensive. “i kissed a girl” is completely unoriginal. i think it’s convenient that her people announce in a full press release a “promise ring” just days ago, given to her by the lead singer travis mccoy of gym class heroes. share an agent, do ya? sounds similar to the tom cruz gay rumor coverups with a marriage to kay holmes. i’m sure it’s in response to questions about her being gay herself. i want someone to ask her about her stance on gay marriage, her beliefs about pre marital sex, her concepts on feminism, and jill sobule, but they shut down interviews like that to protect her. i totally think that this is a pathetic attempt from the major label that she’s on to make some money. i don’t hate katy perry for being a pathetic lyricist with anti-gay messages only, i hate her lyrics for punch lines like “until you get me a diamond ring” and “i saw a spider and din’t scream”. this is not just anti-gay, it’s pro stereotyping. and katy, it’s okay that you’re gay, but u make a shitty female role model. thanks for posing in penthouse, you christian sellout. there’s nothing i hate more than people who try and mask their agenda and message. do you know what mine is? i hate your songs.
Duane,
I really appreciate your viewpoint about this song, because my initial reaction was exactly the opposite. I’m gay, too, but the sad truth is that I think this song is progress for some people in our generation. For one, I don’t think this song is going to “persuade” anyone to be more homophobic, which it seems you’re implied. But for people like me who live in rural areas of Ohio and otherwise in the MidWest, a catchy song like this is necessary for people who barely understand the idea of homosexuality. The fact that a song can become popular at least introduce the idea of homosexuality to some people. I think talking about it in general is beneficial to society’s homophobia; if we can at least unearth the issue at every possible corner, we can have people moll if over and come to their own conclusions about issues like gay marriage and gay adoption.
I don’t think you should go jumping down Katy Perry’s throat. After reading a number of articles about her career thus far, she’s cited influences like Queen(gay lead singer) that had led her to have more respect for the gay community. We need straight people like her who are willing to “experiment,” which, to me, means being OPEN to the idea of homosexuality, so that people can think it’s okay, at least to a certain extent. We need to take baby steps, Duane, and while I long for your vision of a homophobia-less world as well, we can expect the world to take a giant leap overnight to come to its senses.
Thanks.
Zac
I just think her song is playful. I’m not offended at all by her music.
The whole situation with the song feels odd - it’s mostly the straight people who attack her about this. Both “Ur So Gay” and “I Kissed A Girl” are very popular in the gay community, I’m not offended as gay and not a single one of my gay friends have been offended either. To me, “Ur So Gay” isn’t about mocking gay people, rather the so called “metrosexual” guys. The word “gay” has nothing to do with sexuality in the song, it uses the stereotype itself of a gay man. It has nothing to do with the people behind the stereotype.
Oh Duane.
Who would have thought you’d get so much backlash for disagreeing with anti-gay slurs.
I heard this song (I kissed a girl) yesterday and I really liked it… but like you, something made me uncomfortable. So, I did some research and I found an interview she did. http://www.thenewgay.net/2008/06/katy-perry-new-gay-interview.html
This interview proves all of your points. She gets defensive and uptight when the interviewer asks her about how her song ‘Ur So Gay’ has anti-gay connotations. She admits she has NEVER kissed a girl which basically proves that she’s all talk… only out for the popularity. She actually states that she “loves” her men. Also, it does matter if your parents are homophobic and we should be working to EDUCATE (very key word here) others to become a more tolerant society.
When you demand that inequality be changed, you’ll always get backlash because it forces people to question their own sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist, classist, able-ist ways (I’m sure I’ve forgotten some… forgive me if I did).
Don’t let the rants of ignorant and hatred-filled people stop you from posting Duane. We should all be standing on rooftops yelling that inequality is obscene (to quote Stephen Lewis).
I don’t mean to beat on dead horse since this topic is old. No offense to Ur So Gay, but one of my girlfriends had a boyfriend who turned out to be gay and she was revolted, just wanted to kiss someone straight. She didnt have anything against gay people she just didnt see why he was with her even though he didnt like women. My point being if Katy wrote UR So Gay because of the pretenders ok if not then shame on her. I don’t think people should pretend, this is the 20th century. Gay is ok and is less of a minority than ever. I just think the song is about someone who either doesnt know their gay, or is and is trying to pretend to be straight with her.
Although I hear your point loud and clear … I really don’t think she has anything against people who are gay. And I say this because I saw her about 3 weeks ago in a restaurant, giving complete love eyes to a beautiful woman she was having dinner with. They left holding hands… So although her use of the term “gay” isn’t as PC as gay people, including myself, would like it to be… I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse her of calling homosexuality abnormal and wrong. Because believe me, I don’t think she thought it was wrong when she left hand in hand with that other girl. And they definitely weren’t just friends.
Yeah, like Pretty Fly (for a white guy). We stereotype all the time.
Actually, if you listen to the lyrics of UR so gay, almost everything she describes as “gay” is a facet of the metrosexual or emo/indie lifestyle, which often emphasizes androgyny and carries with it a degree of narcissism. Is it really hate speech to point out the irony of a man who doesn’t like other men purposefully acting effeminate?
She’s not a fourteen year old boy in a gamer forum, calling anything he dislikes “gay”, she’s making plain her disappointment with a particular man who clearly failed to meet her standards of masculinity.
Hey all, I’ve taken the post and most all of the comments (there’s a lot here). What I think it comes down to is this. Duane, you wanted to vent frustration … go right ahead. Have at it.
I’d like to point out though that we live in a free country. One that allows an artist to put on an act, say whatever she wants. Singers have been offending people groups for decades, if not all of history. I myself am a Christian (grew up one, and my life belongs to my Savior). These days I think it’s fair to say Christians are given a lot of crap too. Point is, there’s hate speech against every people group. Every song offends somebody.
God has called everybody to be loving as He himself is loving. I don’t condemn homosexuals, though I believe the Bible to be the word of God (and despite what some say, it out-and-out claims homosexuality is perverted sexuality and not the way God intended it). But the message of the Bible is not “condemn the wicked” but to love your neighbor (all people) as you love yourself. One of my best friends is a homosexual and I love him to death! I would do just about anything for him - I’d give my life for his. Isn’t that love? that one would lay down his life for his friend? In fact, it’s not agree with all of his opinions.
I digress, whatever Katy meant “ur so gay” to mean, she is entitled to that opinion/usage and I don’t think she should be insulted for her it. If one person thinks being gay is wrong/unnatural and another thinks it perfectly natural - who’s right? Is there some overriding moral law that states one or the other is true for all people? For Christians, the Bible is that moral truth (hence why most Christians take the viewpoint that homosexuality is unnatural). But non-Christians do not abide by the statutes of the Bible, so for them to say it’s natural for themselves is ok with me. Bottom line, nobody has the right to knock on anybody else’s opinion - because nobody’s opinion is superior to another’s.
Austin, by your logic, a racist is entitled to be a racist, and use racist hate speech because it is their opinion. I have to disagree wholeheartedly with that being okay; especially in a song.
Duane,
I would like to hit on several of your comments that you made about Katy Perry. First, I disagree with almost everything you said. Everyone stereotypes; it is how the human brain functions. We as humans are built to find patterns in things and therefore it only makes sense that we find societal patterns as well. I definitelty disagree with using those stereotypes in a negative way or even making an assumption about someone because of a stereotype, but we use them all the time. If you have ever laughed at a comedian, then you probably laughed at a stereotyping joke. Should you be ashamed of yourself. No. So to take her so seriously just means that you take yourself too seriously. She does not say anything hateful about homosexuals. She does use the word to make fun of a guy, but this is the same as if you called a guy a girl. Is this offensive as well? Does calling a guy a girl make being a girl offensive. No! It just means that someone is being called something they are not. Such as because I am 6′5″ I get called Tiny. Should people who are “vertically challenged” be offended? As far as her other song “I kissed a girl” and how she says it felt so wrong, this also only natural. If someone told you to put your pants on with your other leg first instead of the one you normally use, you would say it felt wrong as well. I am sure you do not think people who put their pants on with their other leg first are wrong for doing it that way, it just felt wrong to you which is perfectly normal. Now, if Katy Perry feels that being a homosexual is immoral, that is perfectly acceptable and you should acccept that. Some people believe telling a white lie is not immoral, while others feel strongly that it is immoral. Immoral is in the eye of the beholder and should stay that way. It is wrong for you to try to convince her that it is moral, just like it is wrong for her to convince you that it is immoral. Morals are left to the INDIVIDUAL, not society. Should homosexuals get equal rights in the eye of the law; Of course! Also, this might offend some people, but I feel that I must say it. From the scientific perspective, homosexual is unnatural. Hear me out before you start screaming. Sex’s sole purpose is for procreation. But two people of the same sex cannot procreate, not without scientific intervention. Because nature did not design for procreation to occur with 2 people of the same sex then by definition I would say that it is unnatural. Which, by the same logic, artificial insemenation is also unnatural, which it is, but I certainly do not think it is wrong. I would love to hear counter arguments on that from an intellectual level, not an emotional level. Now, I think that what needs to be corrected is that unnatural should not carry the negative sting that it does. Unnatural does not mean anything negative, it is just a scientific term that should be left in the hands of scientists.
But a racist is entitled to be a racist. It’s not against any law to just be a racist. There are no laws governing thoughts and beliefs, just actions. Yes, it’s illegal to allow racism to influence hiring practices and such things, and it’s morally indefensible, but it’s not illegal. No one is going to arrest my grandfather for not trusting the Japanese.
Also, you’re defining hate speech too broadly here. Hate speech isn’t simply using racial, gender or orientation slurs. It’s the purposeful dehumanization of a group combined with the exhortation to action. While it can be argued that the use of slurs is dehumanizing, it is merely vulgar, not outside the bounds of the first amendment.
Hate speech is a specific crime, and watering down its meaning is dangerous. I’ve seen the insanity that can result from the watering down of the definition of Sexual Harassment from “job pressure and serious abuse of power” to “anything that makes a woman slightly uncomfortable”. It leads only to disregard of real issues in a sea of minor incidents that lack merit and the empowering of the easily offended.
So I guess I’m saying, call the song vulgar if you like, it’s not the first pop song to be, and won’t be the last. Just don’t crucify the girl on the bigot tree for using a word in a common, if unflattering, way.
Your loyalty to political correctness is admirable, but your association of her songs to ‘hatred’ is a bit blown out of proportion. Those with a homosexual agenda use the word ‘hate’ way too liberally (no pun intended). Just because someone sees another lifestyle as weird doesn’t mean there is a lack of tolerance. Tolerance in our society is a good thing — why don’t you try a little.
if u dont have anything nice to say about katy perry or her songs then dont say anything at all
and yea this is one of her obsessed crazed fans talking so dont mess with me i flicker like a lightswitch!!!!
DONT MESS WITH US FANS WE WILL BEAT U DOWN!!!
i hate homophobics and she is not one of them dont talk about her in a negative way
DONT MESS WITH THE FANS WE WILL BEAT U DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
U HATERS SUCK!!!!!!!!
It’s just a joke.
You’re right, it’s 2008.
We all need to stop paying sooo much attention to this gay thing.
Some people need to get a grip. I know it offends some people.. but, you know. >_>;;
Goshhh ;]
Jonathon, first of all, not to belittle your height-plight, but I am fairly certain that tall people (myself being one of them at 6′1″) don’t fall into any category of historically disenfranchised and discriminated peoples. When you say,
you rest of the laurels of, “oh well, they say it, so she isn’t doing any harm by repeating it”, which doesn’t work for me. If it does for you, that’s your bag, but again, it is reinforcing what you identified as a societal belief that being gay is somehow wrong or “unnatural” as you put it. I could not disagree more with your classification of being gay, or the use of IVF, as unnatural, because if it were unnatural, it wouldn’t occur naturally (which IVF doesn’t occur naturally, but because of our natural advancement in science and intelligence, we created the process, so you could argue some “natural” foundations for the process). Homosexuality is widely documented in non-human species, which is more than enough evidence to prove that it is indeed a natural thing.
Ben, my only problem with it, and the reason I classified it as hate speech, is I am tired of people of falling on ignorance is bliss as an argument. Regardless if we use it purposefully or not, it still hurts us as a society, and it shouldn’t be something that we condone; and with my post/vent, I am making it known that I don’t condone it. She is entitled to her freedom of speech (as you mention), but so am I, and I am against slanderous use of bigotry; regardless if it is intentional or resting on the laurels of “but they say it, so it’s okay if I do too”. I respect your opinion, just know that this is a vent, not an over-reaction; I don’t want to crucify her, I just wanted to call attention to it… which I seem to have done! LOL Additionally, just because it isn’t illegal, doesn’t make it right.
Lori, I am criticizing her lack of tolerance, which is calling for more tolerance. The reason that we use the word hate, and why I attribute this to hate speech, is because the root of the use of gay as a negative slur comes from a societal hatred of the gay lifestyle, and homosexuality. Regardless if people recognize that background when they use the term negatively or not isn’t the issue, the issue is the continuation of gay being associated with bad, wrong, or used as a slanderous insult. I have merely pointed out that root, and called her on her so-called ignorance.
weazley, chill dude. I’m calling the girl out of insulting gay people by using stereotypes to insult someone in a song. I DOUBT that will have any impact on her record sales.
Um, well she must have done something right for it to be a number 1 single!
oh yea u can send me all the emails u want and i wont give a crap im an obsessed fan dont mess with me or katy i am a HUGE defender of my ppl dont talk about her or her songs in a negative way cuz all her songs r good and she is a good person i swear one of her friends is gay so she isn’t against gays so stop saying she is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR U SPELLED MY NAME WRONG
ITS WEAZLY
NOT WEAZLEY
WEAZLY IS THE NAME OF MY CAT AND I LOVE HIM SO PLZ DONT MESS UP THE NAME:) <3
Arjan posted on Katy today (as if she needs another f*cking blog post) and wrote Happy Pride at the end of it. It was the last straw and I had to comment.
I think she appeals to the most base elements in pop culture and that is what offends me most. Some suit in Hell Lay saying, “Let’s whip up a vaguley lesbo song and titillate the the kids” or “let’s whip up a vaguely offensive song and pretend it’s sociocultural pomo homo analysis.”
I get like 2 emails from her PR a week - it sickens me how much money is being spent on this person.
PS: Update! To be fair -Arjan writes to me that his Pride comment was facetious, so perhaps he doesn’t love her as much as I thought.
I don’t think she actually means “Gay” in the sense of homosexuality, I believe she is using it with the definition that it’s all so stupid, and the line “And you don’t even like boys.” Is just clarification to what she means.
If you don’t understand, I put it to you that she is merely doing what many teens would do if a joke is told that is just not amusing by using the term “Gay”.
“Katy sees being gay as wrong, abnormal”
Well, wrong/right is a matter of opinion, and statistically speaking, it is ab-normal.
I’m bi, aint got any problem with homosexuality obv, but there’s no point getting worked up about stuff like this… welcome to being in a minority, we aren’t normal, other people think we are weird, lots of people think it is wrong. If you let it get to you, you’ll end up going crazy.
being ‘Homosexual’ is kinda wrong, it isnt what “normal” people do, normal is what is seen as ‘general’, just people see ‘emo’ kids, ‘goths’ etc as wierd, so are gay people.
Humans are a fucked race, we dont accept anything but the majority, gays these days are what the natives where before.
You will never get rid of the hate in this world its just like that here.
Don’t think im some anti-gay person now, one of my best mates is gay, I’m just saying you can’t force your views on others, if they think its wrong, no matter what you say/do they will not change there mind, they might tell you they have, but thats a load of bull.
wth, i love katy perry! plusss she sings “i felt so wrong / it felt so RIGHT”. this review is biased.
Thank you for writing this blog post so I didn’t have to!
Get over it. ‘Gay’ is now a synonym for ‘bad’, ’stupid’, whatever. That’s the way it is. Language evolves. If it is okay for language to evolve to the point where the word ‘gay’, which formerly merely meant ‘happy’, can now mean ‘homosexual’, then it is also okay for the word ‘gay’ to also evolve to mean ’stupid’ or any other negative word. Call it hate-speech if you want, but it’s just other people utilizing their right to cause our language to evolve, just as gay people did when they appropriated the word ‘gay’ without asking anyone else’s permission, and thus making the original usage of ‘gay’ no longer applicable. Any person today who wished to use the word ‘gay’ in the traditional sense would be unable to because everyone would jump to the homosexual conclusion.
And no, you can’t compare being gay to being black. Being black is normal, but being gay isn’t normal…it’s not the gay person’s fault and they shouldn’t be persecuted for it, nor should they try to quell their urges, but nor should they have any delusions that they are just as normal as anyone else. They are about as normal as someone born with a mental or sexual disorder. Homosexuality is clearly a disorder because by its very nature it makes the affected person sexually dysfunctional, because within the normal course of homosexual activity the person cannot reproduce, even though they are probably perfectly capable of reproduction if they had sex with someone of the opposite sex. The fact that homosexuality has been taken off the list of disorders is not because it is not a disorder, but because too many people want to be politically correct and not hurt anyone else’s feelings.
And no, I’m not a homophobe. I’m actually gay myself, and am in a wonderful relationship with a woman I love dearly. I am grateful at times that I was born with this disorder because it means she and I can be together, but I have no delusions that we are normal.
Wow…I didn’t get that at all from “Ur So Gay”…what’s wrong with being straight and not wanting your boyfriend to act gay? That’s what the song is about. Its about how she doesn’t like him to “ACT” gay since he’s straight…why be something you’re not?
ehh, nothing to get all hot and bothered about, I think. I think you are failing to appreciate the humor of the song. I’m gay, and I think both “I Kissed a Girl” and “Ur So Gay” are great songs.
Duane, in regards to your response post (June 30) to my original commentary:
I often go against the flow of popular opinion, because these days, popular opinion has become much more liberal, self-focused, and abstract. What makes you think “hate speech” is immoral? Think carefully, it’s a radical question.
Perhaps, to you, hate speech is immoral, just as being a homosexual or racist is immoral to me. I made the point that Christians look to the Bible for moral authority, but even the morality of the Bible, which our country was built on, should not be forced on anyone who isn’t a Christian (or should it?). If I am willing to concede that the moral authority in my life isn’t to be forced on others, shouldn’t you be willing to concede that what you consider “moral law” isn’t to be forced on others either?
That being the case, I say yes, racists have the right to hate speech - that doesn’t mean we have to like it. If on the other hand, you think others should be held to “some” moral standard - WHICH STANDARD? Where can the ultimate moral authority come from? Who has the right to set the standard? I think Jesus set the best standard: Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself. However, some people disagree.
I love that comment: “This review is biased.” Yes, it would be because it is a review.
Me thinks you’ve been linked on some messageboard, hence this new wave of posts.
I’ve read your article entirely. Do you realize how many other people out there are taking this song the complete opposite direction? People who believe that homosexuality is wrong (like myself) see this song as promoting homosexuality to be more normal. She says in the song that she liked it. Hmmm, why would she be bashing it if she liked it? Another thing is that she never actually kissed a girl. She says “it felt so wrong” because it was something she wasn’t used to and two girls kissing does fall under the category of “naughty”, don’t you think? BUT, right after that, she says “it felt so right”. So here we have that she said that she liked it and that it felt right. That does NOT sound like bashing to me.
Go fuck yourself, assmunch.
Being gay isn’t wrong, so stop using that as an argument, folks. Also a note from me: if you write hate speech in your comments, I am going to delete them, so no matter how many times you post it, I will delete it. Just a note for those of you that are looking for your hateful comment, and it isn’t posted.
xolondon, it is strangely linked on the wikipedia page for the song!!! I couldn’t believe it myself; perhaps that is where all of the noise is coming from.
Kitty Purry, I love that you actually start to have a legit argument, and then go down the road of the high school bull I am condemning in my post. Wow. Mature.
“Being gay isn’t wrong” that is your opinion. You may not think its wrong but dont tell me you think its natural.
Ok, really though. A song that is #2 on itunes that was previously #1 for quite some time about a girl kissing a girl is only promoting homosexuality. Just think about how many influential teenage girls have experimented with each other just from this song. Her intentions of this song were not negative toward homosexuals or bisexuals, IMO. I can GUARANTEE you that she doesn’t have an underlying hatred, or derogatory feeling, as you put, against gay people.
Kate Perry is a cool and popular girl with talent. Some people don’t like that, even hate that, such as the writer above, who is gay & full of hate of all things not pro gay. I don’t think being really gay is normal. Do you think everyone needs to be normal? Also, I’m turned off by the self absorption of most gays. Does one really need to like everyone? If so, maybe the self proclaimed gay writer above should start liking Kate Perry more. Of course, he can’t, because he is jealous that she can get all kinds of boys his gay ass can’t!
Tom, being gay is normal. It isn’t a choice either, that is, unless you consider being straight a choice as well. It is natural to be gay, because that is the way that I was born.
Kitty, read the post again. I gave her the benefit of the doubt for the kissed a girl song, but not the other one. Two songs focusing on some issue of homosexuality just made me question what is going on in Katy’s head that she is so focused on it, you know? Also, like I said, regardless if she “meant” hate or not, it is the underlying point of how she is using the word gay; and in this case, “ignorance is bliss” just doesn’t cut it.
Jesusinapotato.
I have nothing against gays, and I’m sure Katy doesn’t either.
But I’m like, SO sick of gay people getting all ZOMG THE WORLD IS LYK TTLY ENDING SHE H8S GAYS !!!111! But you know what, it isn’t just gay people who’s acting like that. Oh no, it’s uptight gays AND straight people. Jeeze.
Katy Perry’s song is about this one guy, HER EX, who acted like he didn’t like her, like he was gay. [Although, from other things, it sounded like the song was for 'emos', in which case, lol.]
Sure, it has some stereotypical gay shit, but you know what, that’s what makes the song funny. Personally, I don’t care if you don’t find it funny. Too bad, get a sense of humour.
Music, especially stuff like Katy Perry music’s music, shouldn’t be taken so seriously.
People need to stop taking everything so basically and stop blowing up like balloons n___n
lol D: typoo.
“Katy Perry’s music” * ;]
I love straight people