Okay, that is completely different than the version of events I read shortly after the video went viral. Naturally if the version you’re posting is the correct one, that puts a different spin on things. But to me that removes the girl even more from responsibility for the video’s content, yet she’s the one coming in for all the grief.
HA! No kidding!
Good point. Thanks for the insight.
(I still think people need to cut that kid some slack though.)
The Friday song just became a sensation a couple of weeks ago so I wouldn’t say people should feel out of touch for not hearing about it before now.
Fun fact: I just learned from the wiki entry about the song that apparently that black guy who randomly shows up at the end of the video to deliver a rap is one of the co-writers of the song. I was kind of feeling sorry for that guy for being in the middle of such a mess until I found that out.
This story has some more details.
It’s kind of an interesting story, IMO, because the apparent “villain” of the piece (yet another stupid teen heartthrob lousy singer) turns out to be nothing like a villain, and actually comes across pretty well for a 13-year-old.
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
And I’m glad to find out about the tie-in with that guy too. I’ve been wondering what that “grown-ass man” was doing in that kid’s video. 
I was alive in all of those decades. Although I was too young in the 1950s to notice any movements, I always thought the Generation Gap started in the 1960s. But I saw a recent article that covered this. The premise was those of us from that time period who have become parents are not experiencing such a gap now, but instead are more like buddies with their offspring when anything like that would never have been possible with our own parents.
I agree with this one. This current generation sure seems to have a huge number still living at home and being dependent than any other before it. Also seems to have a much larger percentage of people who are spoiled rotten to the core and have a huge sense of entitlement.
How many people from this “current generation” do you interact with on a regular basis? And does it matter that a lot of families are staying together longer because of the economy? And as long as we’re making gross generalizations, I’ll say it again, a lot of Boomers I have to deal with at my job are complete assholes. And the nicest people are green-haired, pierced twentysomethings.
Yeah and I really wanted to hang out and watch you guys drink PBR, debate Edgar vs Jacob and make plans for next week’s Miley Cirus concert.:eek:
I’m find hanging out in adult-people bars, thanks.
I think it depends on what sort of job you have. But I wonder if they are assholes because they are boomers, because they are older or because they are in a position of authority and responsibility. Or maybe a combination of all three.
As people get older, their careers take on more importance in their lives. Sure, in your 20s, everyone is “cool” because they pretend they can view their corporate job with a sort of ironic detatchment. “I’m not a suit like those stuffy old partners!” They are still in that post college mode of living with three dudes in a walkup appartment in the trendy part of town and partying every weekend. Sort of like Clark Kent going off to work at the Daily Bugle so he can be Superman when he’s off work.
But eventually, after some raises and promotions and more responsibility, the job starts to take precedent over being “cool”. Soon Clark is spending so much time at the Bugel, he doesn’t have time to be Superman anymore.
OK I’m somewhat older than the average pop-music bear I guess and I listened to the song, and… well, you know what? It was pretty bland and banal, but, at the same time, it was uplifting and cheery and pleasantly non-descript. Honestly I have no idea what separates this song from the 10000s of other songs of its ilk. It’s good for a fantasy vacation or a sugar cavity; why is everyone else making such a big deal out of it?
Gen Xers who think going to parties, getting drunk and stoned, raising hell, and getting a tattoo are the heights of “coolness” are actually conformist little freak-monsters that need to get a little perspective. I’d rather hang out with someone who never did any of these things but is creative and passionate about their endeavors rather than some fool who’s biggest accomplishment in college was joining a frat and getting laid, and was only able to get a job because of familial connections. Yeah, the latter might be “cool”, but only tools care about being cool, IMHO. Especially when they’re way past the age of “coolness” anyway.
Someone who doesn’t believe in burdening themselves with any “shoulds” in life–whether they be parents’ “shoulds”, peers’ “shoulds”, or societal “shoulds”–and yet still are able to make a way for themselves in this world…well, that’s a cool person to me. And that definition is timeless.
I do think things like Twitter and Facebook make non-conformity harder. I’m a Gen Xer who deliberately does not participate in these things, and I know that’s OMG!? HORRIBLE!!, but fuck. If I don’t need to see your mug every day, then why should I read your inane commentary every day? And I don’t care to get your “thumbs up” about something I’ve posted, either. I get a lot of crap from my family (especially my Boomer father) for being so “uncool”, but I’m sticking to my guns. So if I’m getting crap from old-ass people about not joining the e-Borg, the peer pressure kids face is probably a million times stronger. The rest of us just don’t get it and probably never will.
Are they inherently uncool? No, I don’t think so. I think there are plenty of mavericks in the younger generation–kids who function well in the world of Twitter and whatnot but are still doing rather remarkable and unconventional things in real life. It’s just that older people are so busy shaking their heads at the Justin Beiber haircuts and sagging skinny jeans that they aren’t noticing the kids who aren’t like that.
Just like they’ve always done.
I liked the visuals of the video. I thought they were actually pretty well-done. And Rebecca is a cute girl, no doubt about it.
But the lyrics? I know it’s a dance song, not some deep spiritual hymn. But nothing rhymed. And “Thursday comes before Friday” or whatever it was she was singing sounds like something out of a Barnie song. It’s like whiskey. It might make you feel good, but you know your brain is dying just a little bit every time you listen to it.
“We excited, excited. We so so so excited.” Um, okay? Do white surburbanites really talk like this?
Try again Sparky. I’m a librarian and I was referring to the people that come in asking for my help. The twentysomethings are polite, courteous and are genuinely grateful if I can help them and OK with it if I can’t. The boomers expect to be waited on right away (regardless of how back in the line they are), are surly about asking for my help and are pissy if I can’t help them.
That’s just something kid from poor families who couldn’t get laid or into a fraternity say.
Well, you “should” get a job and move out of your parents house after a certain age. And you probably “should” obey the law unless you want to go to jail or get fined. Other than that, do whatever you like. Other than that, did you have some specific “shoulds” in mind or is this some sort of vague “I don’t want to conform!” rant?
I don’t take no guff from no librarian!
Just for the record, I am firmly against anyone harassing that girl - or for that matter, anyone harassing anyone else for any reason. Knowing the full story, I think it’s amusing that a professional studio wrote a song like that. Because if you listen to the lyrics to most club songs, they really are just about that lame.
You should find a way to support yourself, definitely. That’s a biological imperative, first and foremost, and it is also unethical to leech. But I’m more ambivalent about “moving out of your parents house.” If all parties are fine with it, then who am I to judge? I may take someone who’s never lived on their own less seriously than I am someone who always has, but then again, the former may be making use of their extra resources to contribute to society in ways that the latter cannot. The former may one day turn into the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, while the latter will forever push papers for the benefit of some faceless uber-boss. The thing is, “coolness” is a dynamic thing and everyone has a plan of their own. A plan that suits their own needs. Things get scewed up when people don’t follow their own plans, and start caring what other people think too much.
Oh, there are plenty of “shoulds” that get thrusted down my throat every day. Perhaps because I’m a woman, and women aren’t expected to know how to run their own lives. I’ve been told how I “should” want to spend the rest of my life with someone. How I “should” want to fall in love. How I “should” buy a house with more space than I need. How I “should” buy a new car. How I “should” get out more and have “fun”. How I “should” want to eventually want to settle down and have kids. How I “shouldn’t” go outside alone, in the middle of the day, and take a walk. How I “should” eat this or that. How I “should” take this pill or that. How I “should” wear make-up…and how I "shouldn’t"wear it this or that way. How I “should” own [fill in number] pairs of shoes to be a “real” woman. How I “should” dress this way to look more “feminine”. How I “should” let my hair grow out longer. How I “should” smile more. How I “should” think about my future more. How I “should” believe in God.
“Should” has been the anti-theme of my life. I do listen to the good “shoulds”, but I refuse to listen to the stupid ones. It’s not about being a non-conformist for the sake of it. It’s about following my wants and listening to my own needs.
For instance, I’m in the process of building a house–my very first house! I have a floor plan for a gorgous eco-friendly Craftsman’s style house. It’s just a little under 600 sq feet. My real estate agent has helped me in the quest for land in a wonderful intown neighborhood and we’re meeting with the builder later this week to sign the contract. The agent knows what I want and why; we’ve talked about it a million times over. And yet she’s STILL throwing her “shoulds” at me. How I “should” expand the house to 1000 sq feet, because otherwise it will be impossible to sell it
(as if that’s her problem). How I “should” make it bigger because who knows? I might get married and have children!
I don’t fuckin’ care about selling it. I’m living in it until I die. And if my life changes such that I will be unable to live in it, I can rent it out (the neighborhood is a wrife with young artists…folks who would love to live in a “special” house). And though she knows more about real estate than I do, I call “bullshit” on her impossible remark. It would not be impossible to sell the house because I’m freakin’ buying it and I can’t be the only person out there, especially now, who sees the problem of having “too much house”. This woman is in her 60s and she’s pushing a bullshit American dream on me–and she thinks I’m too stupid to see that she has a vested interest in upselling me. I wasn’t born yesterday, woman. I know your game. And I want my dream, not the American one. I will expand certain parts of the floor plan to suit my desires. But not someone else’s.
So yeah, I’ve got some chips on my shoulder. Every time I’ve listened to other people “shoulds”, I end up doing something that I don’t want to do or being disappointed somehow. But when I follow my own decisions, things tend to work out fairly well. I’ll listen to people if what they say is half-way sensical, but I’m not about to do things just to fit in with what everyone else is doing. That way of living almost wrecked me psychologically. I’m going my own way from now on, thankyouvery much.
Just thought I’d let you know there’s already a counter movement. It’s not big enough yet to give you links, but just look at any site, and there will be people defending her. The thing with our generation’s politeness is that it goes away online when we aren’t talking with our friendds.
BTW, for me it’s not the lyrics but the voice. While, the lyrics suck, they really aren’t worse than many other crappy songs I’ve heard. It’s really more the way she sang it. I heard her sing acoustic, and her voice is awesome, but they totally ruined it with the effects.
She is also the most professional sounding 13 year old I have ever heard of in interviews.
One more thing: Either I’m getting old or I’ve been hanging out here too long, as this is the first meme I’ve missed for this long.
Yeah, what the hell is it with your generation and their desperate need to follow youth trends. My Grandpa would never in a million years listen to the music my Mom liked, and you should hear him rant about the shit they play today. Nothing screams uncool like a 40 year old guy desperately trying to cling to coolness by listening to his kid’s music.
You know how you know that you are an old man? When it starts pissing you off that young people aren’t living up to your pointless and conformist perceptions of how they’re supposed to be behaving.
monstro, you’re on the right track, and good on you for sticking to it. The fact is that American housing stock collectively has too many big houses (many now vacant) and not enough small ones, especially small ones that are well-designed and well-built. And it has actually been demonstrated that houses truly tailored to a particular individual or particular family are worth more on average than houses of equal square footage built to generic plans. I think what you’re doing sounds great, and I encourage you to tweak the plans, before and during construction, as much as you like to suit yourself, but keep it small. (If you really need more space down the road, building an addition when you know how you plan to use the space is superior to building in an extra bedroom or “bonus room” now just to boost s.f.) If you like I can send you some stuff on design patterns aimed at making small houses “intense.”
Thanks so much for the encouragement, spark! I remember not that long ago bemoaning the fact that everyone IRL keeps telling me to go get a house RIGHT NOW. I realized that it wasn’t the idea of owning a house that that was the problem or even having money, since they have programs for first-time homeowners. It was the fact that all the houses in my area are HUGE. Not necessarily McMansions, but two-story row house dealies that are fine to look at, fine to visit, but are simply not me. The idea of heating, cleaning, and maintaining a 1200 sq. ft house all by myself is not my idea of fun. Especially if it’s a generic house that looks like all the other houses on the street.
I think if I were an entrepreneur (hey, unemployed yet resourceful people! Listen up!), I would become a developer of “small housing”. I would buy tracts of land close to downtown or midtown areas–which at least in Richmond are populated with comfortably-classed, married or shacked-up renters who want to be in the urban “scene” but cannot afford or do not want the $400K houses that are being offered. If these people will plop down money for a condo with just 800 sq feet, with no yard for the dog or for gardening or even a private porch–then why wouldn’t they plop down some money for a beautiful house with similar square footage? There is no reason, other than real estate agents and developers think “bigger is better” and advise clients to think the same. My hope for kids today? That they will see that this is a myth and will go in the opposite direction.
[/soapboxing hijack]