# Katy Perry is horrible **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928 "2011-07-31T15:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/21 "2011-07-31T17:00:57Z")
I find her perfectly fun and inoffensive. I actually think some of her lyrics are clever, even. Can those of you who find her lyrics awful (as I frequently hear) give some examples of pop songs with lyrics you DO like? If you don’t like light, fluffy songs in general, that I can understand. Pop is obviously not the genre for you. But what makes her lyrics in particular so terrible to you? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/22 "2011-07-31T17:10:49Z")
I don’t much care for her music. Some of it is catchy enough, in a mindless-entertainment-at-the-gym kind of way, but there’s no way i would buy her CDs. But some of the vitriol in threads like this is pretty depressing, especially the level of misogyny in some of the comments. She might come across as a “cock crazy slut” in the OP’s fevered imagination (go back to your basement porn stash, dude), but she’s just another well-marketed pop star with catchy tunes and eye-catching videos. And there’s not a single person in this thread, the OP included, who wouldn’t do exactly the same thing that she is doing if they had the chance to achieve that sort of fame and fortune. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/23 "2011-07-31T17:17:48Z")
I like most of her stuff. I think the video of “Last Friday Night” is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/25 "2011-07-31T17:23:25Z")
I don’t think pop songs are popular cause of their lyrics. They are popular because they are catchy. “Friday” has murder-inducing lyrics, but the beat is kind of catchy and you may find yourself humming it if you hear it. Not everyone’s going to write like Bob Dylan, but you can totally stumble onto the next “Baby baby baby” ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/26 "2011-07-31T17:54:53Z")
Katy Perry is why the internet was invented a few years ago. Some brave soul takes one for the team and makes gifs showing her tits bouncing about, and so I get to ogle her assets without having to watch a video or listen to her crap. Its beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/27 "2011-07-31T18:07:00Z")
Am I the only person who cringes at the word “firework”? It seems to me that “fireworks” is a word that can’t or shouldn’t be used in the singular. It just sounds like lyrics a 4 year old would write. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/28 "2011-07-31T18:07:54Z")
Former President Bill Clinton has hired Katy Perry to be the featured entertainment for Hillary’s 70th birthday celebration, so he obviously sees merit in her work… ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/29 "2011-07-31T18:13:06Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > But some of the vitriol in threads like this is pretty depressing, especially the level of misogyny in some of the comments. She might come across as a “cock crazy slut” in the OP’s fevered imagination (go back to your basement porn stash, dude), but she’s just another well-marketed pop star with catchy tunes and eye-catching videos. If the OP had been talking about “Firework” or something I could see your objection, but he was referring to a song in which Katy Perry begs to see some guy’s cock. She doesn’t really leave it up to the listener’s imagination on that one. > [@](#): > > And there’s not a single person in this thread, the OP included, who wouldn’t do exactly the same thing that she is doing if they had the chance to achieve that sort of fame and fortune. I would rather kill myself. I don’t mean that as a figure of speech, I would literally and sincerely prefer death. While I’m sure not many people feel that strongly about it, there are plenty of people in the world who _aren’t_ desperate for fame and _don’t_ wish they could trade places with Katy Perry. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/30 "2011-07-31T18:24:42Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > If the OP had been talking about “Firework” or something I could see your objection, but he was referring to a song in which Katy Perry begs to see some guy’s cock. She doesn’t really leave it up to the listener’s imagination on that one. I generally prefer not to speculate on an entertainer’s sexual habits based on that person’s acting roles or music videos. So, the fact that she appears in a slightly risque video does not, in my opinion, mean that she’s a slut.\* YMMV. - And all that, of course, ignores the fact that “slut” itself is a value-laden term generally applied by self-righteous people to women (and only women) that they disapprove of. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/31 "2011-07-31T18:38:55Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > Am I the only person who cringes at the word “firework”? It seems to me that “fireworks” is a word that can’t or shouldn’t be used in the singular. > > It just sounds like lyrics a 4 year old would write. If I light off one black cat, I lit a firework, not a fireworks or some fireworks. And since she sings “a firework”, the singular makes sense and is appropriate. Your complaint is without validity. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/32 "2011-07-31T18:42:27Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > She looks exactly like Zooey Deschanel which means she is incredibly hot. The way you can tell the difference is whether there’s cleavage or not. If there’s cleavage then it’s Perry, if there’s not it’s Deschanel. I prefer the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/33 "2011-07-31T18:46:04Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I generally prefer not to speculate on an entertainer’s sexual habits based on that person’s acting roles or music videos. So, the fact that she appears in a slightly risque video does not, in my opinion, mean that she’s a slut. The OP didn’t say she _was_ a slut or offer any speculation about her personal life. He said she _comes across_ as a slut in her ridiculous songs, which are a (very) public matter. He didn’t say anything about her videos either, just her lyrics. AFAIK there isn’t even a video for “Peacock”, although if I’m wrong I’d prefer to remain in ignorance on that point. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/34 "2011-07-31T18:46:19Z")
Like virtually every female pop star, she is best seen and not heard. Use the mute button and all is good. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/35 "2011-07-31T18:54:05Z")
I’ve seen her perform. She puts on a good show. She’s a lot funnier in concert than her videos and she does some smart things to energize her audience. Like selling cotton candy wrapped around those battery-powered neon wands sold at town fireworks. The crowd gets sugar-crazed and energized out of their minds, which gets them up and dancing. And getting the crowd up and dancing is half the battle towards making a good show a great show (style of music not withstanding). She did that… and she did it first. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/36 "2011-07-31T18:57:55Z")
Lighten up, OP. I’m a woman and I like Perry’s stage and fashion persona and her music, such as reaches me, is fun and catchy. Your name-calling makes you look bad, not her. Like a poster upthread said, while her clothes are over the top sexy, her behavior is impeccable. No scandals there. It’s not all looks, though. Perry has problem skin; she has to wear hevay make-up when she will be photographed. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/37 "2011-07-31T19:01:55Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > If I light off one black cat, I lit a firework, not a fireworks or some fireworks. And since she sings “a firework”, the singular makes sense and is appropriate. Your complaint is without validity. Sorry, IMO, you lit a firecracker, or a bottle rocket, but not a firework. It’s like “clothing”. When you put on a shirt, you’re not putting on a “clothe”. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/38 "2011-07-31T19:08:51Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > The OP didn’t say she _was_ a slut or offer any speculation about her personal life. He said she _comes across_ as a slut in her ridiculous songs, which are a (very) public matter. He didn’t say anything about her videos either, just her lyrics. AFAIK there isn’t even a video for “Peacock”, although if I’m wrong I’d prefer to remain in ignorance on that point. He does call her a tramp in the first sentence. Slut is a loaded word. Its use frequently implies that there is something wrong or negative about a woman expressing her sexuality in a way that is commonly accepted if it a man does it. I asked this before and I’ll ask it again. Is the problem with Katy Perry that she is not a good artist, or that her entertainment has an (honestly rather tame) element of sex in it? One could make many legitimate critiques of Katy Perry’s music, and I’d probably agree with most of them. But if the complaint is “Katy Perry is harming/corrupting youth with her over sexualized image and lyrics,” I’d respond with a big :dubious:. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/39 "2011-07-31T19:13:06Z")
> [@jasonh300](#): > > Sorry, IMO, you lit a firecracker, or a bottle rocket, but not a firework. “Firework” is a word in pretty much every dictionary. So if your argument is that “firework” is not a real word, or improper English, you are simply wrong. If you just don’t like the word, well, it’s just a song lyric. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/40 "2011-07-31T19:13:50Z")
I dunno, man. She has a couple of catchy songs, and I wanna fuck her senseless. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928/41 "2011-07-31T19:46:21Z")
> [@SecretaryofEvil](#): > > I asked this before and I’ll ask it again. Is the problem with Katy Perry that she is not a good artist, or that her entertainment has an (honestly rather tame) element of sex in it? Are you asking me? If so, I sincerely believe that Katy Perry is a terrible artist. I don’t object to the “element of sex” (I’m a big fan of Leonard Cohen, who’s written little that _wasn’t_ at least partially about sex), but nor do I consider it a point in Katy Perry’s favor that sex is the topic she’s chosen for so many of her brainless songs. It’s a pretty safe way to go if your goal is to sell music to teenagers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/katy-perry-is-horrible/590928.md?page=3)