Who is running your World?

Last night I was watching American Idol. I am not a huge tv watcher, but on occasion will flip through the odd channel- generally something DIY oriented. So, last night, Matt and I were watching American Idol. And the premier of Beyonce’s new video came on. “Run the World (Girls)” The all together too long clip of this video left me with an ache in my heart, and a sadness for the girls of our world who are influenced by what they see in the media. I am disappointed that a show like American Idol, in which Ryan Seacrest said that very night the contestant Lauren Alaina (now 16) began watching at the age of 6, would put such a video up during their show. I get it that it’s a show centered around the beast that is the ever so fickle music industry. But honestly, when you take into account that the remaining contestants are 16, 17, and 20 years of age, would there not be some consideration into their fan base- I think it’s time to accept that they do not have to be all about the “sex” factor. If that video came on while my 6 year old daughter was watching, I would have turned it off.

The notion that you can prance around in your underwear, as a slutty object for men to lust over, and still maintain your dignity and strength as a woman, or as Beyonce’s song puts it “a girl” is the biggest crock that has ever been bought into by this generation. It is not acceptable to me that these types of artists could actually believe they are promoting women’s value, honor and gifts, instead of completely harming the world’s view and expectations of women in our society today. So, in order to impact the world, I should “shake it” in garters, my underwear and corset? Apparently this is what female sexuality is, and thats what “girls” have to offer. Their bodies.

But wait, we can be sexy and smart. Girls just like to dance, and have fun to a song with a good beat. As a dancer, and dance instructor, I try to be very mindful of the content within a song that has a “good beat.” There are times when I am sitting in a recital, and feel so aware of the songs that are playing. My 3 year old is in the audience! That was just a poorly bleeped out f-bomb, or an entire song with a “good beat”, saying “I know you want me… shake it…” yadda yadda. And if we really want to be so naive to say, oh kids don’t know, they’re not really listening, they don’t know what it actually means- then tell that to my 3 year old who can recite lyrics back to me after hearing them once. Or can recognize  the original version of a song that he heard my brother cover. When he saw a piece of a dance I was rehearsing centering on exploitation, just me, dancing alone, by the story that was told within the emotion and movement, he knew it wasn’t a good one. “Mommy, I did not like that dance. I did not like when you fell on the floor. I wanted you to get up.” This was just a rough rehearsal in a studio… wearing my sweat pants. He felt like mommy was not being taken care of. And he gave me a hug, and I told him I was okay. That sometimes I have to tell stories when I dance, but that mommy was safe and then we danced together.

For girls watching this video- a song calling out to “Girls” who do you think they will think it’s talking to? I know who I think of when I hear the term girl, but lets take a look at the definition.

The word girl defined is: