Candy Everybody Wants

Dreams are strange, right? Do you have crazy dreams? Some nights I do…like the other night when I dreamed my husband and I were going to see a 10,000 Maniacs concert–you know, back in the day when Natalie Merchant was singing? I was really excited, mainly because I love their Our Time In Eden release. It’s one of my favorite albums of all time. I love all the Biblical allusions (in fact, I wrote several papers on Biblical allusions in popular music during my critical writing career).

As we sat in the seats in the theater, people began handing us costumes to put on over our clothing and ushered us to the stage to perform.

What?!?!?!

I showed up to enjoy a concert. Where is Natalie Merchant? I was already happily singing away to this:

and looking forward to hearing this:

Wasn’t gonna happen.

We followed the directions of an older actress with dark hair and distinct features. We went up on stage, where we improvised the best we could to what must have been an empty theater. Only the director and the lighting supervisor were in the back up in that little box where they always sit (I’m sure there is some theater word for it I should know…).

I was grateful to wake up…and to move on from the craziness…while part of me longed for the adventure of performing and being a part of a production.

(What do you think it means?)

Guess I’ll just turn on some 10,000 Maniacs and see what adventures are about to happen….

🙂

Really?

I’m a little irritated with the portrayal of women in the following video (which I am posting only to make a point and am in no way telling you to watch it…and if you do choose to watch it, really, a few seconds should be enough to give you the idea).

This irritation has been stirring around since a couple of weeks ago, when a local advertisement for Halloween costumes appeared in my mailbox. (For a little bit of background, one of my little people has been and continues to be enamored of costumes and dress-up clothing–anything from super hero to pirate to skeleton, he–like many children–LOVES dressing up in costumes.) In the busy morning time, he was looking at the ad, and I promised to save it during the day so he could look at it later, after his activities. Well, as I sat down with him that afternoon, I was (frankly) appalled at the differences in fabric quantity between the costumes advertised for men and women. Really?

My frustration escalated when my dear husband, who often inquires regarding news items, asked two weekends ago if I had heard about Miley Cyrus’ new video and her father’s comments about her apparel (or lack of apparel) in the video.

Really?

Are these lyrics, images, and videos empowering ourselves or our children as we seek to help them stand up to be socially responsible people and grow into the fabulous individuals they are?

I’m not saying that Miley Cyrus didn’t have a choice to be naked in her video. Let her be naked. But, hanging out naked around a wrecking ball and licking a sledgehammer doesn’t speak empowered woman to me. Sorry. Especially considering the message of the song (which sounds a little too teen-angsty to me).

Now, Robin Thicke’s song definitely isn’t filled with teen-angst, and what it is really about, heaven only knows…but my kiddos heard it around the pool more than once this summer, and I for one don’t want my boys (or girls) singing, “I know you want it” to anyone. (Apparently, I’m not alone in this thought, either.) How does that promote anything other than assumptions and lack of communication? Last time I checked, neither one of those elements were ingredients in healthy relationships.

In the song’s defense, it sure is fun to dance to, right?

But is it worth the messages we are sending to ourselves and to others?

Really?