There's been a ton of press over Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl single. Recently, NPR and Youth Radio compiled a report of teenage reactions to the song and its cultural implications. Aside from all the, "ums," and the heavy use of, "like," it was actually an interesting report. (The song/phenomenon has its own Wikipedia page, here.) Overall, the participants in the report had positive things to say about the song, and were very forward-thinking, when it came to issues of gender and sexuality.But I also remember another song, with a similar title (and, obviously, similar subject matter) a few years ago. A quick Wikipedia search turns up Jill Sobule (Wiki here) who had a moderate hit with her 1995 single, Kissed A Girl. Both tracks take the same approach to subject matter: girl kisses girl, fun is had (all around) and the world, somehow, manages to keep spinning.
So what gives? Why is Katy Perry's track such a huge hit? Is the American public simply more lezbo-friendly, all these years later? Perhaps.
But I think it has less to do with a decline in homophobia, and the kickin' break-beat/rock beats Perry employs. It also doesn't help that straight men have a fascination with lipstick lesbianism... and Perry isn't helping matters by publicly saying she wants to make out with (underage jail-bait) Miley Cyrus. But no matter what sick, sick fantasies straight men dream up, it doesn't take away from this track's edge and impact. You go, Katy.
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