Apparently in Van, Texas wherever the hell that is, the school board gets a little freaked out when their students perform a song that talks about kissing a girl. Can't have that. That would be wrong. It doesn't matter that the entire student body knew the words. What does matter, is that the song promotes kissing a girl, and because Katy Perry liked it, therefore it is wrong. If Katy hadn't liked it or whipped out a Bible, then all would be great and, instead of the girls getting in trouble would probably get a coupon for a free Blizzard at Dairy Queen. But, no, Katy liked it, the girls danced to it, the students sang to it and therefore the girls who performed it were suspended for three weeks from all extra curricular activities.
Those who were singing the song during the performance were advised there could be a mark on their permanent record, were given a four hour lecture on why it is wrong to kiss a girl. They then made the boys and girls play spin the bottle for 4 hours to reinforce opposite sex kissing.
Parents and pastors were called in. Prayer meetings were held. There was talk of the world ending, and looking for the seven signs. All because Katy kissed the girl and liked it.
That is scary! Sounds like the town in the movie Footloose. Texas - the home state of GW Bush.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to watch "But I'm a Cheerleader" tonight in honor of this story.
ReplyDeleteHee! Just noticed the "Kiss a Sheep?" part of the title. Enty, you are awesome.
ReplyDeleteFor those religious fanatics in that town here are a couple of quotes.
ReplyDeleteJudge not lest ye be judged.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Unfortunately this story is so true. Van is less than an hour east of Dallas, where I live. Apparently, there are several small towns around Dallas in which parents and school officials are going crazy about kids listening to that song and using it in school performances. It has been banned by many schools. Personally, I don't like the song - and I'm a lesbian - but I think it's stupid to ban it.
ReplyDeleteVan is a TINY town...seriously like a blinking traffic light and that's about it. Small towns and their closed minds...scary
ReplyDeleteI would rather hear my daughter singing I kissed a Girl than coming home and telling me that she got pregnant at 15 but is not sure which of the 5 guys she had sex with is the father.
ReplyDeleteI think banning the song is really stupid, but then you have to look at the other side--if the school warned the students not to sing it, then they shouldn't have, but still protested the fact some other way.
ReplyDeleteI know in our school system, anything performed is approved beforehand, & sometimes may be deemed inappropriate for a school setting but then again, we don't call in religious leaders. That is the shitty part of this.
I nearly got stoned by the faculty of my school after performing a sketch in the talent show that had the audacity to make fun of Oral Roberts. In other words, I know how these little towns operate. I'm not surprised. Honestly, I think the song should be banned everywhere simply because its stupid as fuck. Of course, I'm not serious, but as a bisexual, anything that promotes the newly coined "barsexuals" just pisses me the fuck off.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, I think the song, and especially the video, are more offensive to lesbians than to straights!
ReplyDeleteSitcur1777, LOL!
mooshki, I totally agree. It was cute and funny when Jill Sobule did a similar song, but Perry's version is horrible.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly understand schools banning particular songs for their promoting violence or bad language or drugs or other things like that. But banning this song just because it talks about a straight girl kissing another girl is idiotic.
"Sounds like the town in the movie Footloose."
ReplyDeleteThat was my first thought when reading this.
And do these "adults" know nothing of reverse psychology in dealing with kids? Tell them no and what happens???? STFU about it, don't even act like it's a blip on your radar and IT will go away on it's own - now they've created their own monster. Good job.
Is this a religious school? The reason I ask is that my sons go to Catholic school and I would certainly understand their school forbidding the kids to sing that song. But it seems odd that a public school would do something like that, especially since the school system has gone so liberal.
ReplyDeleteDear Van Texas,
ReplyDeleteFuck off you small minded bigots.
Its 2008, get a life.
Jax
Yeah, I really like Jill's song. But it's actually about kissing a girl and liking it, not about kissing a girl for the purpose of turning on your boyfriend.
ReplyDeleteAlso, who the hell names their town "Van?"
ReplyDeleteI think the song is stupid, but I'm not offended by it. Still, don't think I'd want my kid singing it at a school function.
ReplyDeleteI remember the school (public) freaking out when the dj they hired for one of our dances played "you don't have to take your clothes off" by that Jermaine Stewart or whateverhisnamewas and banning it from all other school dances. I remember thinking at the time, um...did you LISTEN to the message? Kinda promoting keeping your clothes ON. Ok, and drinking cherry wine, but I digress.....lol
I think the song is catchy and I have it on my playlist. Having said that, if I were a lesbian, I might be slightly offended by it. I know a few gay women who had their hearts broken by chicks like Katy Perry. Chicks who wanted to kiss them "just to try i-it".
ReplyDeleteBut banning the song is overreacting, I think. It's a small town and I know the mentality is different...but still.
Oh and also; what is a "twirler" exactly? I don't mean to be...mean...but is it just a polite word for "too chubby to get on the cheerleading squad"? Because if so, I totally wanna be a twirler!!!
ReplyDeleteMy 9 year old son got off the school bus yesterday singing this at the top of his lungs and dancing like Elvis. I almost peed myself laughing. Wish he'd had a baton
ReplyDeleteHarriet - a baton twirler - part of the marching band, but usually hot.
ReplyDeleteThanks - when I heard this story on the radio I thought that's what it was, but I couldn't see the baton in this video.
ReplyDeleteMy grandson who is small sings along to anything on the radio. Can you imagine the giggles when the words "when I grow up to be a woman" are sung by him? Lighten up--it's a freaking song. In ten years no one will remember it or the twit who sings it.
ReplyDeletePeople have been outraged by pop lyrics for just about forever. It will pass. I remember my 6th grade teacher warning us about the Eagles' "Hotel California" and "Hey Jude". This was in the 80s, but I guess she hadn't listened to any recent music, heh heh.
ReplyDeleteWhat cracks me up is that they're still threatening that "permanent record" shit. AH HA HA HA!
True enough Ayesha. Had I known how hollow that threat was I certainly would have done more hellraising as a teenager.
ReplyDeleteDon't blame all small southern towns for this Ent (and sheep? should have gone with cows imo. After all, it's Texas) When I was in middle school I dressed up like a nun and lip synched Papa don't preach for the talent show. Very very small southern town and I wasn't run out of town, nor did I get into trouble for it.
Harriet, Twirlers are just that, baton or rifle/flag twirlers in the band. I was one, not because I was too chubby to be a cheerleader, but because I didn't know an instrument and let's face it..band folks are more fun.
Melanie, are you really a lesbian or are you just saying that so you don't get outed when you become stunningly famous?
ReplyDeleteAnd when you do become famous, will you remember us little folk at CDaN?
We had "kiss a pig" contests when I was in elementary school. You'd try to get people to donate their pocket change/beg their parents for a check to designate a certain person to have to kiss a pig. I think, in the end, there was one teacher from each grade and one administrator. The year they tried the donkey was less popular.
ReplyDeleteI think the song is catchy, but I don't like it so much. Though I have had her new "Hot and Cold" song stuck in my head today. That one I can relate to.
ps. I went to a public high school that started every assembly with a prayer -- NOT a moment of silence. I used the word "hell" in my graduation speech and the whole audience shared a collective GASP!
ReplyDeleteSweater - very true! I'm a lifelong choir geek myself! *L*
ReplyDeleteOh and also, chubby ;)