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I Should�ve Taken That Left Turn at Albuquerque |
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Hello and welcome. If you're new here, be a dear and Read my Disclaimer. My diary not good enough for you? Fine, be that way. Try these instead: plf
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2000-07-14 - 00:42:31� I really like this office I'm working at for the moment. I sort of wish that it wasn't a temp position because everyone in the office is as nice as can be. I have never worked in a more functional office. No office politics, no power trips... it's wonderful. I don't mind the work itself either. It's not too hard, I'm constantly busy but never stressed out, and even the phones aren't so bad. There is just one thing that bothers me about the job, and it's not really anything to do with the job. It's the music they play. The radio is constantly set to B-101 FM "Barrie's Number One Chioce For Music in the Workplace!" Uh huh, sure, whatever. Another one of the station's slogans is "The Most Music" (referring to the fact that there are few commercial breaks, and therefore more time for music). I find that last slogan to be fairly meaningless. First of all, can they really prove that they have the most music? Can they really be sure that somewhere in the world there isn't a station with more music? Secondly, and more importantly, just because you can claim to have the most music doesn't mean that it is the best music, or even good music. And trust me, most of it isn't very good at all. I figure that on a good day it breaks down to 20% music that I actually like, 30% music that I don't mind, or am neutral towards, and 50% music that I consider to be total and utter crap. Yes, I'll admit that I am more than a little picky when it comes to my musical tastes. I spend a hell of a lot of money on CDs but a lot of what I listen to does not get much (or any) radio play. I don't like a lot of what is considered to be mainstream. Still, I do like some fairly radio friendly artists. Every day I sit and wonder why in the hell they don't play The Tragically Hip? I usually hear one Sarah McLachlan song a day, and it is always an amazing relief. Anyway, I did have a point that I wanted to come to... I have been shocked and appalled by some of the song lyrics to some recent so called "love" songs. There are a lot of songs getting a lot of airplay these days that I find extremely offensive. And not just in a "oh my good god this music is so bad that it makes my head hurt" way (N Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye" comes to mind. Geez, that song is grating. I want to throw things whenever it comes on.), but in a "oh my good god do they realise what kind of message they are giving out" kind of way. I have been hearing a lot of songs with lyrics that are, in my opinion, socially irresponsible (warning: from here on out this diaryland entry will contain major feminist overtones). I'm talking about the songs that idealize unhealthy "romantic" attachments. The songs where the women basically sing about how they are nothing without their man. The songs where the women sing about how they would rather die than be alone again. The songs where the women sing about how their connection to their man is the defining characteristic of their identity. The song I hate most in this category is Amanda Marshall's "I wouldn't want to be me if I didn't have you" (I think that's the title of it anyway), or I call it "The I'd-rather-rip-my-heart-right-out-of-my-ribcage-with-my-bare-hands-and-then-throw-it-on-the-floor-and-stomp-on-it-until-I-die if I couldn't have you Song". Not only does this song emphasize that "I'm nothing without a man" attitude that I hate so much, but there are lyrics about self mutilation to prove her love: "I'd rip out my eyes just to see you/ I'd cut off my hand just to touch you/I'd tear out my heart so you'd know how I feel". Hello! Am I the only one who sees the problem with these lyrics? Okay, I know I'm not the only person, but there have to be a lot more people who either don't notice or don't care. This isn't the only song with lyrics that offend me. It's just the one that comes to most readily to mind because it is the most obvious one. Macy Gray's "I Try" also has some questionable lyrics, particularly "Can I be your possession?" Ownership is not love. It's dangerous to put those to concepts together. I worry about the message that these songs reinforce to young girls (and young boys, and women, and men). Why isn't it enough to have an identity of your own? Love is good thing, something to strive for and celebrate, but it shouldn't be the be all and end all. You shouldn't have to give up your atonomy and worth as an individual for it. I wonder if I am articulating myself. I'm getting tired and I think I'm starting to ramble on a bit.
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The big 3 0 - 2006-06-03 Hello again - 2006-05-03 Random stuff in place of an actual update - 2006-03-15 Pictures. Just Because. - 2006-02-23 Christmas 05 - 2005-12-26 Currently listening to: |
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