Back in 1988, in my wee hometown of 30,000 people, there used to be these massive video dances held at Centre 200 for all the jr. high school kids in the surrounding area. They only happened, at a max, twice a year and they were HUGE (literally and figuratively). Kids from Glace Bay, New Waterford, Sydney Mines and Sydney would all come to these dances hoping to get drunk, "wheel someone" (that meant 'pick-up', 'score', 'cop a feel', etc), get in a fight or all of the above.It was at this time in my life when my mom introduced censorship to me. Sad but true, I wasn't allowed to watch Madonna's "Like A Prayer" video. My mom definitely wore the pants in the family when it came to how we were raised and disciplined (sorry, dad). With her very own strict Catholic upbringing, I think it was due to the selection of images where: Madonna had crucifixion holes in her hands, she was scantily clad and/or the fact that she had sexual chemistry with Jesus himself (not to mention the burning cross in the background). So when "Like A Prayer" came up on the massive video screen in the arena, my girlfriend Leah shouted to all my friends standing together in a group, "everyone, let's get Cheryl out of here - she can't see what's happening on the screen!". My friends laughed, I laughed. I was mortified.
And then last night, I find myself listening (and watching) Lady Ga Ga perform "Disco Stick" in front of all the tweens at the Much Music Video Awards. They are all singing along to "let's have some fun, this beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick". I think of my twelve-year-old niece and I'm aghast. There's no metaphor in "disco stick", trust me I've racked my brain. And then it goes on, "I'm educated in sex, yes. And now I want it bad". Ummm, Ga Ga's core fan-base is equivalent to the Jonas Brothers?? This is messed up. And then I realize it, I find myself relating to my mother - Jesus Christ (pardon the pun), what's happening to me?! So, there was only one way to deal with this situation. I downloaded the song to my ipod.
Cheryl dear, Catholic guilt has reared its ugly head. My friend Rene F could give a course on it. It rules her life Your past is always with you. It must be because I am not catholic that your uncle says of me that a puck has more guilt. Hopefully when Sam is listening to Lady Ga Ga she is listening with innocent ears and just thinks what a cool song it is. With age and experience comes the understanding of the words of todays lyrics
ReplyDeletei love that you blogged this. i literally goggled the lyrics during the performance, because i thought there was NO WAY that's what she was saying...but oh, wait. it is what she's saying. and then i laughed. because who writes this stuff?
ReplyDeletei'll take you to the Candy Shop? Let you lick the lollipop?
ReplyDeletepersonally, i prefer to cut right to the chase...
"will you go down on me in a theatre?"
i'm gotta go lock up my daughter.