EDITOR’S NOTE: The following column contains discussion about a new sexually suggestive pop song that is popular among teens and climbing the radio charts. Baptist Press cautions readers and parents to be alert when listening to the radio.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)–Oops, she’s done it again. Pop tart Britney Spears is once again reinforcing that she not only has the moral sensibility of a porn actress, she also is proving that she does not even possess the maturity of an average 12 year old.
Spears, who for some time now has been the living embodiment of the adage “bad publicity is better than no publicity,” has released a new song that is as outrageous as it is bad.
That Spears is strutting and singing in a sexually suggestive manner is really nothing new. However, her new song is a blatant slap in the face of decency. It’s as if Spears is saying, “I am loud and lewd and in your face.”
“If U Seek Amy,” is offensive, inane as well as immature. This means with the state of American popular culture one step below the gutter the song likely will be a success. Only a week after it hit American radio it is already 92 on Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 chart.
While it is true that lyrical depth has never been a feature of American pop music, Spears’ “Amy” scrapes the bottom of the barrel. In fact, it seems as if the song’s only purpose is to provide the framework for a refrain that is on par with the worst lyrics found in rap music.
The lyrics of the refrain are: “But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging me to if you seek Amy.” The fact that the written lyric makes no sense is really not the problem. Quite a few rock song lyrics have not made much sense. However, what Spears does phonetically when she sings the song makes all the difference. When listing to the song, there is no doubt she is spelling out one of the most offensive words in the English language.
Like a sneaky fifth-grader trying to pull one over on a substitute teacher, the obscene phonetic presentation in “Amy” is repeated over and over and over. It seems to indicate that Spears now openly advocates bisexuality as an acceptable lifestyle, and it is almost as if the song was designed to appeal to mischievous grade-schoolers.
Someone needs to tell Ms. Spears to grow up. If she thinks she has the talent to sing adult themed songs for an adult audience, then she needs to go for it. However, feigning an extended immature adolescence in an effort to appeal to teenage, and younger, listeners is as seedy as it is disingenuous.
Parents in permissive Australia were the first to complain about the song. But the protest has now made it to America. Many parents are upset over Spears’ “Amy” and decency activists are warning that the “Amy” song will violate the broadcast indecency law if aired between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. In fact, Spears’ label has released an edited version, although it’s not much cleaner. (It replaces “seek” with “see.”)
Radio stations are playing it. It’s as if they have joined Spears in flaunting an obscene gesture in the face of the public. With each playing of “Amy” the statement seems to be, “Loud, lewd and deal with it.”
Sadly, American pop culture has declined to the point that shock and offense have become acceptable marketing strategies. Spears and the record companies care nothing about the quality of the product they are putting forth. The one and only thing on their minds is profit.
Spears once tried to cultivate a pseudo innocent image. She began drifting from that strategy long ago. However, the “Amy” song signals a new era of an in-your-face sexuality for Spears. And don’t expect the quality of her music or the amount of clothes she wears to increase.
While Britney Spears alone is responsible for every choice she has ever made, she is ultimately not responsible for her success. Her notoriety lies with permissive parents that, through the years, have allowed their kids to listen to Spears’ songs and emulate her dress — even though both are sexually charged.
Permissive parents have created the Britney Spears media monster, and the monster has turned on them and is sticking an obscene gesture in their faces. Yes, she did again. And she will keep on doing it until America finally says no to her immaturity and lack of morals.
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Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
