Katy Perry and Taylor Swift Give Bad Advice

A couple of weeks ago I heard Katy Perry's 'Last Friday Night' song.
I was by myself in the car flipping through stations and Friday Night' had a fun little beat to it,
so I started listening.

I'd not really been paying mind to the words until she reached:

'Yeah we danced on tabletops
  And we took too many shots
  Think we kissed but I forgot...'

(of course I wanted to hear more)


'Last Friday night
Yeah we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard...'


(more...?)

'Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a menage a trois..'

(OKAAY! NO more....!!!)

'Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we're gonna stop-op
Whoa-oh-oah
 Last Friday night....'

(UGH.)

I remember being a kid and listening to music in the car with my father. The station was always set to the most  current pop-music on the radio. When I was about 12 or 13 I watched MTV, and in later teen years I bought, and asked for, music that I liked.

Who knew that the music I was listening to would influence what I thought and how I acted?

Katy (Hudson-her real last name-by the way) Perry is 26 and can celebrate her Friday night anyway she wants...and so can I, and any other adult, but when approximately 50% of her target audience is underage (think 9-15-18) I was in a bit of a shock.

Okay, a lot of shock!

I like all kinds of music. And I am all over the spectrum with my tastes. Some of it's clean, and some of it, not-so-much; sometimes I listen to the lyrics and other times I don't care, I just follow the beat.

But my children will always listen to the messages being sent.

That is why for years, I have kept my children (including my 14 year old daughter) away from pop-music if I can help it.

How does this work, you ask?

Well, for one, I don't listen to it around them. I understand it is just a song...they do not.

I cannot obviously keep my teen sealed up in a bubble, and wouldn't want to, but pop-music is not available to her and has never been encouraged (I have never allowed her a radio and when we are at home we/she listens to cd's or clean radio stations).

I offer a variety of other types of music influences instead of pop. On the rare occasions that we listen to something that ends up having a confusing message, I feel good knowing that I am with them so that we can discuss it.

Am I wrong for limiting her access to pop-music? I don't believe so.

She (all three of my children) are too young to think about many adult situations, including Katy Perry's ridiculous Friday Night escapades, and my kids have no business listening to or trying out what they hear.

My personal opinion is that following pop rock/celebrities, etc., exposes kids to the 'too mature' messages from these musicians.

So, are the messages being sent by Katy (whose start was actually in Christian music) of her own doing, or are they  the marketing companies and agents targeting a broader audience to maximize their profits?? Clearly the material is for mature audiences only...but kids as young as 6 years old listen to and follow icons like Perry.

Is it the celebs themselves doing whatever it takes to make little girls think they're cool?? Is it the singer or celeb trying to grow up and into herself and break out of her little girl body. Or is it the unassuming innocent parents who just want to make their children happy (and sometimes are unaware of all the lyrics)???

Or is it the kids who just want it, but don't have any idea what they are getting; which is usually some really bad advice?

Either way, Katy and Taylor (Swift, that is) are making money and doing what they have to do to be successful at it.

I don't fault them for that.

But, I am raising kids and must to do the same. In my eyes, these (and many other) pop singers' ages and maturity are much too advanced, and suggestive, for  children. So Perry and Swift songs like: Teenage Dream and Love Story will not be a part of our household because we are not buying what they're selling.

(In defense of Taylor Swift, she does have a song where she is sort-of-guiding her younger followers in a better direction. She recorded Fifteen; but because she has to pay the bills, we will never be able to escape the marketing side of her. Read This.)

What do you think?

Truly,
Amber

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