I deradioed a girl

I don’t often join Facebook groups anymore (let alone invite people to them), but my friend Jon’s group I Deradioed a Girl: Get Katy Perry Off the Air is an exception. The song promotes infidelity and a lack of accountability, not to mention its flirtations with homosexuality. And it’s on public radio.

One of the quotes from the Facebook page pretty much sums it up for me: “The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance.” (President Thomas S. Monson) Sometimes things don’t matter, and we get ourselves worked up over nothing. But sometimes they do matter. Sometimes their effects and influence stretch far into the future, diving deep into thousands if not millions of lives. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you know is right.

Whether or not people join the group and call the radio stations remains to be seen, but at the very least we need to be aware of the evils knocking at our door. And no, I don’t think this is crying wolf. :)

I have to say, I like that song. I don’t think anyone is going to listen to it, and suddenly be like, hey! I think I want to try that! Homosexuality is cool! It’s just an innocent thing! (Seriously though, I do think that line It’s innocent is wrong. I think there could have been a better line to go in that place.)
Funny. Groups like these haven’t formed before about hip hop or rap songs that promote promiscuity too. Is it the homosexuality that’s the big issue?
I’ve listened to that song about twenty times with my parents in the car, and they never realized what the lyrics were. Sometimes, it’s about the beat, not about what the song is saying.

Hey Ben, I don’t see how this is more offensive than the “typical” topics playing on the radio. (I had to listen to the radio all day to hear it, which was punishment enough[listening to the radio, not this song in particular])

My final conclusion is that I was right to not listen to the radio, because half of the time it is playing comercials… correction, really annoying comercials. the other half is music and I don’t usualy like “pop/radio” music. (Classic rock channels are fine though… but still, comercials)

I cant say that the song wont do ANY harm, but I bet my pulitzer that it wont be the driving force behind any kind of damaging behaior in the typical radio listener.

Hey Congrats, Ben, and everyone else who joined that facebook group. You’ve all managed to draw further attention to that song, and as a result, more people will listen to it. You are accomplishing the opposite of what you want: for people to stop listening to this song. You’re like the curator of a museum who puts a sign up that says “do not touch”. Do you know what that makes people want to do?

Don’t you think that Katy Perry knew this would happen? Reactionary people are what guaranteed this song would be a hit. No press is bad press (especially in the entertainment world). I’m sure Katy Perry is thankful for yet another article about her song. There are people reading hundreds of blog entries like yours on the same topic who otherwise would have never heard of this song.

Not that I think it matters. Songs don’t turn people gay.

Wow! Look at the controversy. I don’t think that I’ve seen this much animosity show up on your blog before Ben.

I think that I’d have to disagree with Julie. I heard that song and now I really want to kiss a girl. I kinda wanted to before, but this clinches it for me.

On a more serious note, I don’t think that a single song can cause a person to abandon a lifetime of personal decisions (whether that be to be gay or to start shopping at Smith’s), but it can cause us to begin questioning what is in fact acceptable. And for someone who is perhaps right on the edge of one decision or another, any small thing might cause them to adjust their behavior.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the singer started the Facebook group herself.

Being hopelessly out of touch with the Billboard Top 100, I’d never heard either song “I Kissed a Girl” or her earlier song “Ur so gay” (apparently decried by some as homophobic). So I went read the lyrics and watched the recent music video. Seems far less offensive to me than much more explicit songs about “straight” sex.

But this really throws a wrench into my plan to get famous for this song I wrote “I frenched a poodle”, because now I’m worried everyone will think I’m promoting bestiality. Drat.

Thanks to this comment, now your blog is going to appear in the Google searches of a whole new class of people, Ben.

Xister:
Check out the Modesty thread.
Down on the most popular threads area.

Well Ben,

I haven’t heard the song or joined a group on facebook; however, I did listen to a talk by Elder Russel M. Nelson this week where he pleaded with all of us to take music seriously because it is NOT harmless or innocent. He stated that listening to lyrics that are against God’s commandments does have serious consequences now and in the future.

Perhaps a cavalier listener won’t go kiss someone of the same gender, perhaps they will just loose the protection of the Holy Ghost when it is needed most. Who knows?

I don’t want to find out.

Kudos to you. I’m a little pop culture illiterate apparently, because it took me until this week to realize this song existed, but it kept showing up as the most popular download on iTunes, so I looked up the lyrics and the controversy about it.

I think we’re at the point now that ignoring it is not going to help the situation. There comes a point when you need to stand up and be counted and make the statement that you are not going to accept certain cultural trends, however harmless people may claim they are.

Fair enough, Janet. So I guess the question is whether things like this Facebook group are productive or counterproductive. If they only serve to bring more attention to the song, then I’d say don’t bother.

rikker, I agree that calling attention to the negative things in life can be counterproductive depending on the purpose it serves. I don’t join groups on facebook or play games. It is a waste of my time. I love facebook for keeping in touch with family and close friends.

However, I appreciate the heads up that I get from others who are into things I have little time for. I have often used Ben’s heads up when I write for my company ezine which is sent to over 40,000 people. I also forward Connor’s emails to friends to spread a word of warning.

Your heads up on learning foreign languages has made a difference in my grand-children’s lives.

I guess what I’m thinking is that we never know what influence our heads up have on others so if your motives are pure, follow your heart.

She produced a song and sung it. She has that right.

Ben and his friends are saying they don’t like it and don’t want it on the radio. They have that right.

That sounds pretty fair to me.

I had never heard of the song until you mentioned it. It got me curious, I listened to it and like it a lot. It’s my new ringtone. Thanks for introducing us to a great song!

Interesting discussion - I hate that the song is number one partially for the content (though as mentioned above Perry’s music is sadly not the most offensive on the top 40) and partially because it’s not even good music. There are so many brilliant artists and Perry wins as the top download/video/song in America. Gross–

Julie and Stephen: Of course it’s not necessarily more offensive. It just happened to be in the limelight (being the #1 on iTunes and all), which made it a good target for concerned citizens. No sense in speaking out against songs nobody’s listening to.

TR: The song was already popular before my post. I’m not worried. :)

Xister: LOL on wanting to kiss a girl. :P (And three cheers for controversial posts. ;)) Agreed on the small behavior changes. And it really isn’t about whether the song will turn people gay (I don’t think it will) — it’s about promoting a lifestyle that’s antithetical not only to the gospel but also to anyone who believes in fidelity in relationships.

rikker: Thanks, pal. :P

Janet: Thanks for the Elder Nelson reference. Timely. :)

Anneke: I agree completely.

sixline: Good summary. :)

George: LOL :)

Jaclyn: Agreed on both counts.