I Kissed A Girl And I Resent It

July 11, 2008 / 11:13 am • By Dr. Melissa Clouthier

I have a confession. It’s kinda embarrassing (along the lines of my Orlando Bloom love which has abated, I must admit) but I’m going to tell you anyway: I like trashy pop music. Yes, I do. My heart is moved by Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love”. Natasha Bedingfield puts snap in my step. I’ve taken solace under an Umbrella and like Lollipops. I know. Terrible.

Even I have limits, though.

A new tune is at the tops of iTunes and it is wickedly catchy: I Kissed A Girl And I Liked It.

So I do a little sleuthing and wouldn’t you know that the girl, Katy Perry, singing this trashy tune is the daughter of two preachers. Preachers kids, they always go to extremes. Remember Footloose? (And, oh, by the way, Kevin Bacon is 50 years old. Yes, you’re getting old, too.)

Anyhoo, so I’m watching So You Think You Can Dance last night and Katy Perry sings her tune on the show:

Here’s the problem: This is a family show. Children, mostly girls, who aspire to be dancers watch the show because the dancing is amazing. It’s a milder form of American Idol, really. I have the same issues around these shows:
1. The advertising should be kid appropriate.
2. The content should be kid appropriate.
3. At all points through the show, the producers should keep in mind who is watching the show.

If adults want to listen to “I Kissed A Girl”, fine. Even teenagers can work their way around the topic. But I do not want to have to have a conversation with my eight year old about why a girl would kiss a girl. The lyrics are ribald and obvious, and, clear. Subtle lyrics can be vaguely addressed, but these lyrics beg for an explanation. Pardon me, but I’m not interested in explaining sexual orientation quite yet and the subtleties therein.

I know. I can change the channel and I do. But come on! When something purports to be “family” programming, it shouldn’t be a big deal to leave the room to go to the bathroom for a minute. No commercials on “ED” or douching. No profanity. No violence. And no sexual provocation.

Maybe I’m an old fuddy duddy. Probably so. It is hard enough to raise children with some form of sustained childhood without being exposed to every adult idea at 8.

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  • Chalmers

    I think you are looking at this one wrong. The thought that just about anything on TV is appropriate for our children is fallacious place to begin. Television today is almost 100% inappropriate for kids (and adults for that matter). Whether exposed to the adult concepts in the actual programming, the various drug commercials, Victoria’s horribly kept secret…

    The best thing we could all do is get rid of the cable, dish, etc. We don’t have to move to an Amish Paradise, but we can remove many of the obstacles Hollywood is throwing in front of all of us, especially our kids.

  • http://melissaclouthier.com Dr. Melissa Clouthier

    True enough. But it is a fine line when it comes to protecting a child and keeping them so secluded that they are unarmed to deal with what goes on in the world. That’s why, for me, it’s fine that an eight year old watches competitive dancing when she loves dance but the commercials and the adult themes need to be hemmed in by the makers of the show. I assure you, adult men are not watching this show. It’s young dancers and their families. The network and producers need to respect their audience.

  • Jason D

    I watch and like this show and frequently wonder if I do the right thing letting my young daughter watch it too (not to say I continually fret.) I find your article intellectually inconsistent. The show features 1) all but nude nubile young females 2) grinding suggestively against strapping young men who 3) often are moderately flaming and 4) for those who are not, the practice sessions often contain racy behavior and dialog. This song, while it does explore yet one more area that maybe you feel uncomfortable with, does not require any more counseling of young ones by an adult than any other part of the show.

    Just watch ( on youtube ) the dance from two years ago with Heidi and Ryan dancing the Cuban Rumba from which my daughter coined the term “bum drum” or one week later when they danced the Cha Cha to Tom Jones ‘Sex Bomb’. Oh yeah, what about the other music in the show?

    I guess my point is, if you are going to let your children watch shows like this, it all requires your engagement to address issues. This song is, in my opinion, no more (or less) questionable than much of the rest of the show.

  • http://melissaclouthier.com Dr. Melissa Clouthier

    For the record, I don’t let my daughter watch the show. They do watch American Idol. But I’m guessing that lots of young people watch the show. It has to be the core audience.

    And when we do watch these shows, I’m there to talk about it. Still, it just seems like so much is thrown at kids too young.

    I come across as inconsistent, because I do have mixed feelings on this topic.

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  • Louis

    I agree that kids don’t need more encouragement on this topic. Being a lesbian is so cool in my part of the country that strait girls will make out with each other in public just to tease the guys around and get a little attention. This singer is probably just jumping on the bandwagon. Its also guaranteed that the artsy crowd that judges and distributes this music will love the theme of the song.