# I ain't no hollaback...bananas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207 "2005-07-05T23:14:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/1 "2005-07-05T23:14:57Z")
What’s with the spelling lesson? As for the rest of the videos, it seems like a particularly annoying Cyndi Lauper to me. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/2 "2005-07-05T23:48:52Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > What’s with the spelling lesson? > > As for the rest of the videos, it seems like a particularly annoying Cyndi Lauper to me. What the hell is a “hollaback girl” anyway? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/3 "2005-07-06T00:14:24Z")
What I want to know is why a thirty-something woman is parading around a high school. …Lord I hate that song. The radio stations play it every 12.4 minutes…grumble. ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/4 "2005-07-06T00:16:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > What the hell is a “hollaback girl” anyway? and I thought I was the only one who didn’t know! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/5 "2005-07-06T00:17:08Z")
Oh, and according to [UrbanDictionary.com](http://UrbanDictionary.com): 1. Hollaback Girl An attractive girl but not the cream of the crop. _When Tom sees Juile at a club, He hollas at her because she looks good but then when he sees Becky he forgets all about Juile. At the end of the night Becky won’t put out so he ‘hollas back’ at Juile._ I’m young and quite hip with the hippity hop terms, but I’ve never heard this one used. “Holla Back!” is generally used as a way of saying, “Get ahold of me later/ talk to you later.” So that def. makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/6 "2005-07-06T00:21:05Z")
I thought the term “hollaback girl” had to do with cheerleaders. The leader would yell something out and the rest of the cheerleaders would “holler back” what the leader had said (“Gimme an R!”…“R!”). And Gwen is saying that she “ain’t no hollaback girl”, she’s sort of saying that she’s the leader and she’s someone you don’t bitch around with?? But, that definition from [UrbanDictionary.com](http://UrbanDictionary.com) seems to work, too. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/7 "2005-07-06T00:21:42Z")
OCWeekly’s explanation:[link](http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/05/35/music-stacy.php) ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/8 "2005-07-06T00:35:41Z")
That explanation’s actually pretty amusing, akin to some farfetched drivel found in bad English classes. By the way, from the same [urbandictionary.com](http://urbandictionary.com) [page](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=holla+back+girl), > [@](#): > > Gwen Stefani’s use: > A person who verbally postures (hollers back) in an argument and does not step up and fight. Gwen says she is not a holla back girl, implying that she will fight if challenged. > I ain’t no holla back girl. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/9 "2005-07-06T00:39:36Z")
Yeah, it’s like “Hollaback Girl” is the Ulysses of pop music. _What does it all mean?_ Everyone seems to have a theory. Can anyone dig up a cite of Gwen explaining it? ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/10 "2005-07-06T00:39:55Z")
From all the contradictory definitions on that site, btw, I think that it simply means whatever you want it to mean. ---
**Author:** ![Typically\_Sunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Typically\_Sunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typically_Sunday)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/11 "2005-07-06T00:45:02Z")
Am I the only one who hates this song with the fiery passion of a thousand suns? ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/12 "2005-07-06T00:47:43Z")
No, because I hate it with the fiery passion of TWO thousand suns. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/13 "2005-07-06T00:48:40Z")
> [@Typically Sunday](#): > > Am I the only one who hates this song with the fiery passion of a thousand suns? Based on an informal survey, you’re probably not even the only person behind me who hates it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/14 "2005-07-06T00:49:47Z")
When did Gwen Stephani turn to hip hop…lame! ---
**Author:** ![hey\_alright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90ced4/32.png) [@hey\_alright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hey_alright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/15 "2005-07-06T00:55:36Z")
Does Gwen Stefani not have a band anymore? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/16 "2005-07-06T01:38:53Z")
I have never, ever even heard of this song. Never. It’s getting so more and more these days I’m asking ‘Who?’ and ‘What song?’ This time I didn’t even know the OP was talking about a song! UrbanChic, doddering away on her walker… ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/17 "2005-07-06T01:51:50Z")
Oh, thank God. Everyone around me seems to love this song; I’m just glad to know that I’m not the only one our age who loathes this song. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/18 "2005-07-06T01:53:23Z")
And STILL no explanation of “B-A-N-A-N-A-S”? I opened this thread for an explanation of B-A-N-A-N-A-S, dammit!! ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/19 "2005-07-06T01:55:45Z")
Hmm…my last post was supposed to have one of **DiosaBellissima** ’s posts quoted in it. Oops. :smack: > [@Winston Bongo](#): > > And STILL no explanation of “B-A-N-A-N-A-S”? As for that, there’s only one reason for that. To worm its evil way into your head and get stuck there, forcing one to be willing to rip their own eyeballs out. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207/20 "2005-07-06T01:59:01Z")
> [@Winston Bongo](#): > > And STILL no explanation of “B-A-N-A-N-A-S”? > > I opened this thread for an explanation of B-A-N-A-N-A-S, dammit!! It spells “bananas,” a tropical fruit. What Stefani is saying is that you should eat more bananas, because they’re good for you. Lots of potassium. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-aint-no-hollaback-bananas/311207.md?page=2)