Thirteen years after Jill Sobule’s hit I Kissed a Girl, Katy Perry is also dipping into forbidden waters with huge success, and yet amazingly despite the fact that Sobule’s video features that pure essence of manhood that is Fabio, the original is still about 100 times more dangerous and subversive.
The Sobule song and video takes place in a pre-Paris Hilton world where women are doomed to cohabit and reproduce with a man no matter how dumb and insensitive he may be. The song openly thinks about the possibility that lesbian cohabitation might be a better more loving way to live, and if you check out Sobule’s climactic explosion on her guitar’s whammy bar – you know that more went on then kissing and for no better way to put it a happy ending was had by all. The song was written about a woman for women and it revels in the possibility of freedom.
The Katy Perry update? I’m not sure but it could very well have been written and produced by Larry Flynt or Bob Guccione. It’s a fantasy, but clearly a male one straight out of the mindset of a guy jacking off to an adult feature set in a wild and crazy sorority house slumber party. Hot lingerie, pillow fights, and not a normal looking everyday woman allowed anywhere in the room. The only thing missing is Catholic High School outfits and long twisted candles.
The girl is drunk, she has a boyfriend, who she doesn’t want to offend, but definitely hopes to titillate. There is no freedom at all. Although it’s seen as an experimental right of passage, and perhaps somewhat enjoyable, it’s all for the guys at home with their pants down around their ankles, and continues the ages old stereotype that although two guys kissing would be beyond gross, while two buxom girls going at is an added bonus at Christmas time.
Perry isn’t kissing a girl, because she’s curious, she’s kissing one because her boyfriend has been aching to turn her out and turn himself on. She enjoys it a bit because – well, after all girls are gods hottest creation, but the chances of it continuing long term or going any further are almost non-existent outside of the possibility that Perry’s boyfriend talks her into a three-way, with him as the focal point of both girls affection.
For a song that wants to seem subversive, it actually feeds into the historical chaining of woman as nothing but sex objects and slaves to their provider men. Yes, despite the fact that two girls are sort of getting it on it’s all about the guy’s hard on!
So I guess that since I’m a guy and the chicks are pretty hot, I don’t really have much to complain about, but 13 years later it’s hardly progress.
I kissed a girl
Jill Sobule – 1995
Genny came over and told me ’bout Fred
” He’s such a hairy behemoth, ” she said
” Dumb as a box of hammers
But he’s such a handsome guy. ”
And I opened up and told her ’bout Larry
And yesterday how he asked me to marry
I’m not giving him an answer yet
I think I can do better
So we laughed
Compared notes
We had a drink, we had a smoke
She took off her over coat
I kissed a girl
So she called home to say she’d be late
He said he’d worried but now he feels safe
” I’m glad you’re with your girlfriend, tell her hi for me ”
So I looked at you, you had guilt in your eyes
But it only lasted a little while
And then I felt your hand above my knee
And we laughed at the world
They can have their diamonds
And we’ll have our pearls
I kissed a girl
I kissed a girl, her lips were sweet
She was just like kissing me
I kissed a girl, won’t change the world
But I’m so glad I kissed a girl
And we laughed at the world
They can have their diamonds
And we’ll have our pearls
I kissed a girl
For the first time
I kissed a girl
And I may do it again
I kissed a girl
I kissed a girl
I kissed a girl her lips were sweet
She was just like kissing me
But better
I kissed a girl
Won’t change the world
But I’m so glad
I kissed a girl
For the first time
I kissed a girl
I kissed a girl
Katy Perry 2008
This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion
It’s not what, I’m used to
Just wanna try you on
I’m curious for you
Caught my attention
I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it
No, I don’t even know your name
It doesn’t matter
You’re my experimental game
Just human nature
It’s not what, good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey
I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it
Us girls we are so magical
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Hard to resist so touchable
Too good to deny it
Ain’t no big deal, it’s innocent
I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don’t mean I’m in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it
