#fun fact ive been listening to early 2010s music this entire time

[bubblesthewaterbender]

A journey (kind of rant ish?)

cw: sexy song lyrics, helicopter parents, sl*t shaming, specifically of a child who doesn't know what's going on

Okay so I'm actually at the point now where I think TikTok is pretty alright. It had some immediate detractors and that kind of rubbed off on me but for the most part it's come to be its own thing. So I found a TikTok compilation a little bit ago, which meant basically finding vines that I'd never seen before, just under a different name.

The very first one (here's the compilation btw)

Was a very specific joke about a song from the early-mid 2010's which meant I for sure listened to it a lot when it was popular. Turns out it was Hey Mama by David Guetta, and the line (yes I do the cooking, yes I do the cleaning, plus I keep the nana real sweet for your eating) was from Nicki Minaj. Standard 2014 faire.

(btw despite everything the song David Guetta later did with Nicki, Turn me On, is legit good and I have no clue why but it's easily one of my favorite songs by Guetta and that includes everything he did with Sia. But only if you go with the interpretation that the song is about a robot or alien. Or I have shit taste. Anyway not important).

So I forgot what the song was because it's been 5 years since I've thought about it (holy shit), so I looked up the lyric in question. In the process I found this amazing headline (the actual article sucks).

"what do I do when my four year old thinks a song about keeping your genitals tidy for visitors is a ditty about bananas?"

Why did I cry laughing at this headline? Was it because of how absolutely pure that is on the part of the kid? Was it because "for visitors"? Was it the mental image of a bunch of adults being like "oh okay so we have to listen to this for a while"? Nobody will know.

The actual article is not worth your time though. It's mostly this woman gasping and grabbing at pearls because her kid has misinterpreted lyrics that she wouldn't know the meaning of anyway and considering it a moral outcry, or even worse a failing on the kid's part? With great quotes such as:

"Dance music behemoth David Guetta’s “Hey Mama,” featuring the pornographic vocal stylings of Nicki Minaj, is decidedly not a song about motherhood. Actually, it might be a song about unintended eventual motherhood, but let’s leave that pee stick aside for now." (I can *smell* the tone behind the word "pornographic" there. Also, ew)

"The current speed of precocity is not a concern for [her husband I think] – even when he is reminded that as a child in the mid-1970s, he was still listening to “Purple People Eater” and tracks about meatballs when he was more than twice Bea’s age." (She doesn't know what it's actually about? You don't have to tell her - though frankly I'm one of those people who thinks that things like that should be normalized so shame doesn't happen later on - but it's not that much of a problem when she doesn't actually know)

"Mike and I had our children later than most of our friends. They all have nine- or 10-year-olds; some even have teenagers. When those kids happen to be girls, the main project, from what I can see, seems to be holding them back from the full catastrophe of adulthood, against the cultural tide that will have every female twerking and wearing plastic princess heels before they’ve learned to use a fork properly. When I recently asked a family member what I should buy his eight-year-old daughter for her birthday, he sighed and said, “She likes any clothes that look like they are for a very small prostitute.”" (there's been a lot of people online giving really different, very good takes about the way that kids, especially young girls, are dressed, but idk am I the only one who sees a problem with the people who respond to their kids reacting to what they consider to be mature media (and the kiddo sees as just,, what's popular) by /not/ telling them what's up with it? Kids are very understanding if you talk to them like humans, and if you tell them why you don't want them doing x thing, they'll probably be fine unless you demand or they really had their heart set. Shaming behind their back because they're just wanting to follow trends and don't know what any of it means is not okay. There's a full musical about why shaming instead of educating is such a bad thing, all parents should know the plot of Spring Awakening.) (Also I didn't know that heels were the sl*tty option? I just thought that it was a thing for women to wear for some reason that I never understand and for little girls to try on because they like pretending they're older. And they still don't know why you think this is a bad thing.)

This didn't mean to be a rant, I just realized that an article I died at was actually advocating for not getting what little girls like while also shaming them for what they like for, as far as they can see, no reason.

[starfiresupernova]

11 Questions

I was tagged by both @jiyamarrii & @chasethesun18 to do this, so I’ll be answering 22 questions. But I love these things so I’m totally okay with it LOL. Anyway, let’s get started!

Laura’s Questions

1. Marvel or DC? TV-Verse or Film-Verse? Why? — The easy answer to this question is that I like all superhero stuff. I tend to watch more Marvel, but I’m a big fan of both. MCU? Yes please. Smallville? Sign me up. I haven’t watched the Marvel Netflix shows yet, but I really want to. Cloak and Dagger on Freeform is pretty good so far! I watched the first two seasons of Arrow and most of the Flash, but since the CW added all the other DC shows to their programming, I’ve been a little overwhelmed, but they’re still good! So yeah, long story short, I like it all :)

2. I’m looking for new TV shows to watch. Recommend me a show and tell me why you think I’d like it. — I can’t remember if you’ve watched Gilmore Girls or not, but I recommend it to everyone who wants something funny and heartwarming, but heartbreaking sometimes, too. Lorelai is my SPIRIT ANIMAL. Otherwise, I recommend Lost in Space on Netflix if you’re into Sci-Fi stuff (it’s also funny, and the characters are amazing). One Tree Hill is amazing if you’re into soapy teen dramas (like 90210 or Gossip Girl). The awesome thing about OTH though, is that it’s obviously drama, but it deals with other serious topics and it isn’t bitchy like GG. The characters are all different in their own way, and it’s my favorite teen drama show of all time.

3. Watch a random episode of Timeless. Tell me your opinions on the episode and I’ll try to guess which episode you watched. — Okay, so I know each episode like the back of my hand, so let’s go. It’s my second favorite episode of the entire show. The music is A+. (You’ve probably already guessed it by now lolol.) It has one of my top 5 favorite Lucy outfits. I’ve seen this episode so many times I’m pretty sure I can almost recite it word for word (and I’m not sorry about that).

4. Do you have a skin care routine? If yes, what is it? — Not really. I don’t use much on my skin to tell you the truth. I use the St. Ives Blackhead Clearing green tea scrub every other day, and once in a while I’ll use a Biore charcoal pore strip. Other than that I don’t use anything.

5. What are your favorite pair of shoes? Why? — This might sound completely childish, but I LOVE my shoes that have daisies on them. I got them at Payless, and they’re Minnie Mouse brand, but they’re black with little daisies printed on them and I love them so much. I need a new pair soon because they’re a few years old and they’re worn, but I love them to death.

6. What is your phone wallpaper? What is your desktop wallpaper? — My lock screen on my phone is a picture I found on Google Images of Timeless. It’s blue and has the Time Team and the Timeless logo with a cloud. My home screen on my phone is a cotton candy-esque background. My desktop wallpaper is the Timeless edit I made with the Taylor lyric “Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it.”

7. If you could have dinner with one person, dead, alive, or fictional, who would it be and why? — I really want to say Lorelai Gilmore (or anyone from Gilmore Girls, honestly..) for this one. Eating at Luke’s Diner? Yes. Please. I’m all in.

8. What’s your favorite smell? Why? — This is very oddly specific, but I have this notebook that I got for Christmas last year. And every book/notebook/paper smells good, but THIS NOTEBOOK. It’s my favorite kind of paper smell. I know, it’s weird, but it’s amazing. Otherwise I love lemon, vanilla, and peppermint scents and the smell of the grill when we grill hamburgers/hot dogs.

9. Do you have any tattoos? If yes, what are they? Do you regret any of them? — I do not have any tattoos, but I want to get one in the near future.

10. What is your horoscope for today? —  Jun 11, 2018 - You enjoy caring for others and you intervene regularly in their lives to guide them. Ironically, today you're the one who needs advice. You'll probably need to get away from it all in order to get a clear view of your own life, Leo. You could even decide to make the necessary arrangements for a trip abroad.

11. Beards: Yes or No? — UM YES.

(OBVIOUSLY I NEEDED TO INCLUDE WYATT’S MAGICAL BEARD)

I also love Xavier from No Tomorrow, Hugh Jackman, and John Krasinski. Their beards are also pretty magical.

Ryan’s Questions

1. If a book becomes a movie do you read it or watch it first? — Most of the time I don’t realize a movie was a book until after I see it. And then I always end up liking the movie better. (IE the Twilight saga) I always try to read the book first, but sometimes I’ll just watch the movie. 

2. What’s your favorite Disney movie? — OOH OKAY LET’S GO. Tangled is my favorite all-animated Disney movie. Meet the Robinsons comes at a second. Enchanted is my all-time favorite Disney movie EVER. My Favorite Martian is my favorite all-non-animated Disney movie. Also The Princess Diaries comes at a close second.

3. If you could have one superpower what would it be? — If I got to choose I would want to have telekinesis. Matilda has solidified that dream LOL.

4. Do you believe in soul mates? — I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. I don’t like to think that there’s only ONE person in the entire world that I’m meant to be with, and that they’re my other half. I mean, it’s a nice concept, but also I feel like I would just be too worried that I won’t ever meet my soulmate because it could literally be anyone in the entire universe. I’m meh on the subject.

5. What’s your happiest memory? — Honestly I think my most happy memories are when I was really little, like in early elementary school? Like, ages 5-11 is when I think I was most happy. And don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy now and whatever, but I have more responsibility now and I was more carefree back then. One memory that sticks out is Christmas of 2010. I got my DSi XL and I was at my grandparents house with all of my cousins. We played around on the DS and took pictures, and I still have them saved on it. The very first picture I ever took on it. It was just such a happy time for me, and I love thinking back on it.

6. Most embarrassing memory? — I threw up in front of my entire classroom in 4th grade. It was terrible. And it happened so long ago, but I still can’t get over the fact that there are people my age who saw me throw up on the floor of our classroom. Nope. Let me go hide forever LOL.

7. Where do you see yourself in five years? — I don’t really like to plan that far ahead into the future, but in five years I’d like to be moved out of my parents’ house and working on getting my book published. (I’m still working on writing it at the moment, so hopefully I’ll be done with it by then and in the process of finding it a home.)

8. Who is/has been the most influential person in your life? — I have to go with my parents on this one. But only personality-wise. I’m not interested in what my parents do for a living, but I try to model my work-ethic and values after them. I’ve obviously grown my own personal tastes, but I see more of myself in them every day and I’m very proud of that.

9. If you could time travel to the start of this year and tell yourself something what would you tell yourself? — You won’t have everything figured out yet, and that’s okay. You’ll be pressured, but take things at your own pace. There’s nothing wrong with taking time to figure things out, no matter what everyone is telling you. You’ll get to where you want to be, you just have to take your time, and set your own pace.

10. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? — Wow, okay, this is going to sound lame. Are y’all ready? I stole a toy camera from Goodwill when I was, like, 6. I wanted it but I didn’t think my dad would let me, so I hid it in my coat pocket and never told anyone. That was literally the first thing that came to mind.. 

11. What’s your favorite thing about yourself? — I love that I don’t waver in my enjoyment of things. My sister mainly, always makes fun of me for wearing what I wear, for reading, and for listening to the kind of music that I listen to, but I’m very proud of all of those things and I don’t let it bother me. Yeah, it gets annoying when she tells me my taste in music sucks, but I will very happily listen to Two Weeks Late by Ashley Monroe at a high volume and sing along proudly. No shame. As Jessica Day so proudly states, “I break for birds! I rock a lot of polka-dots. I have touched glitter in the past twenty-four hours. I spend my entire day talking to children. And I find it fundamentally strange that you’re not a dessert person. That’s just weird and it freaks me out. And I’m sorry I don’t like Murphy Brown, and I hate your pantsuit; I wish it had ribbons on it or something to just make it slightly cuter. And that doesn’t mean I‘m not smart and tough and strong.” 

Thanks for the tag, guys! This was fun :)