The Dangers of Pop Stars

I'll admit right now, I'm a total sucker for pop music...

... and I'm relieved that a pop star has finally called herself what she truly is:

Pop Stars are monsters. They consume all that lay in their path. And what's scary is that those who throw themselves on said path are young, impressionable girls. Whatever these people put out there, little girls are sucked into it like moths to a flame.

Funny enough I wasn't one of these girls who got sucked into it. By the time Spice Girls and Hanson came and went, I was done. I hated N*Sync, Britney Spears, the whole lot of them. I was into musicals, and when I got to high school I was listening to bands like Counting Crows, Modest Mouse, and the Decemberists religiously. And then... Ke$ha happened to me.

"Is my love your drug?"

Starting late in college, I started tuning into the pop stations, and I was surprised to find I liked what I heard. I found myself drawn mostly to the girls. I fell in love with Gwen Stefani. Fergie dazzled me. Ke$ha was adorable... in her own drunk, crass way. It was a whole new world. Then Lady Gaga came into my life.

I actually kept up my own Poker Face for a long while, not admitting I secretly adored her. She's eccentric, she's beautiful, she's not afraid to both have fun and be talented. I finally broke and admitted to the world that I enjoy the heck out of female pop songs, with some help from the Nostalgia Chick.

But after talking with a mommy of a teenage girl about my love for Lady Gaga and Ke$ha, she got me to thinking about those mommy ears again... it got me thinking, "how would I feel about these artists when thinking about young girls?"

So I started listening to these songs with the ears of a mother of an 11-15 year old daughter. I've ranked them on a scale 1 to 10 (10 being "listen to more!" and 1 being "I will destroy any CD of theirs that comes into this house") on whether I would approve of them listening to said pop star. Please note I am sticking with what's on the radio now (or at least what I've been hearing lately)... otherwise we'll be here all night. So here we go!! Note: I've gotten a few comments that my ratings aren't fitting the text, so I'm changing a few (5/23/12).

Adele: 7
Like I mentioned before, I think Adele is superb, even if I don't care for her music personally. She's a real artist putting out real music with real passion. Her lyrics are poetic and clean of anything really objectionable. The only thing I'd raise concern over is her that she has yet to put out a positive (happy, in love, empowering, etc) song. They're all about being angry or brokenhearted. So I'd encourage young ladies to take a listen, but to throw something a little more happy in there once in a while. I also have mixed feelings about her best-known quote here. I love that she embraces herself for who she is and doesn't care what people think. However I also think it's important to both embrace who you are and take care of yourself at the same time.

Katy Perry: 3

Katy Perry knows how to put out a hit. It's brainless ... very brainless... fun, for the most part. But songs about parties, drunkenly making out, sweetly singing about teen sex? It's all that stuff that you don't exactly want being encouraged in young girls. She's got "Firework," but that just tells us stuff everyone's  already heard. Don't feel lonely! Believe in yourself!  A penny saved is a penny earned! So I'm not sure it can redeem the rest of her messages. Not a role model by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess her songs would be okay to listen to... as long as you know not to follow her lead.

Kelly Clarkson: 9

I don't know how she made a hit out of stringing together common phrases, but she did! Okay, I'll admit I like it. Fun to sing when you're pumping yourself up for something; it's like a girly "Eye of the Tiger". I have nothing to object to here, except for a lack in any real new material and any real substance... she gets a 9 simply from a lack of... anything... that's why she doesn't get a 10.

Ke$ha: 2

Argh, this woman is vile. And I love it, I think she's funny and creative.  I also think she's a truly, truly awful role model for young girls.  She's like if the show "Jackass" magically turned into a pop singer. Things to learn from Ke$ha: party in dark clubs and get slobbering drunk, objectify men, and never, ever, ever shower.

Lady Gaga: 7

OMGZ LADY GAGA!!
Her music has so much good stuff in it. Her songs are honest and real. She sings about being in love, in going over the edge, in staying true to yourself. She's also the only pop star in a long time to mention God, and in a positive light at that! She has common themes about sex, but she's not blatant about it. She can be really nutty sometimes, but there's no real harm in that. She tells girls to be themselves, and then she walks the walk.

Nicki Minaj: 2

I'm actually a big fan of hers. I love that we've got a girl rapper who really knows her stuff. She's excellent at wordplay and knowing how to mix rapping and music. As far as whether she's appropriate for young audiences well... if you hear what they put on the radio, the themes in her music are typical of pop songs today. Let's party, let's have a good time, let's flirt, yada yada yada. But then... you hear the original versions. Or what's NOT on the radio. She uses chalk full of adult language and themes. So while I would encourage listening to what she puts out on the radio, going beyond that with younger audiences should be discouraged.

Rihanna: 3
Out of all of these, this is the hardest for me to think of the music separate from the person. With the release of "Umbrella," she set herself to be pretty sweet and innocent. She soon went the way of the Britney and included more adult themes. I like her music okay. She's got some really good ones out there. But... what brings down her rating for me is actually her releasing "S&M." Normally I'd be cool with this type of song, but after going through such horrendous domestic abuse? You'd think she would've avoided a song about pain and pleasure. It gives ammo to those who argue that victims of abuse "get what they're asking for," which is totally and completely wrong.

Taylor Swift: 4

What?! Sweet little Taylor Swift gets 4?!!!

Yes, that's right. You won't get alcohol poisoning or something like some of the others (which is why she still gets a 5), but talk about leading girls astray! Songs about sneaking behind your parent's back, getting married in your teens, and going out with someone that no one likes? Well guess what? Chances are they don't like him for a reason. She goes beyond wearing rose-color glasses. She's wearing freaking blinders.  And the problem is that kids aren't warned about these things normally. They're told about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and sex. But blind teenage love? Last time I checked there's no M.A.D.E. (Mothers Against Dumb Engagements) or Love Education classes.

So there you have it! That's my rating on today's pop stars safety level in the hands of young teenage girls. Agree? Disagree? What would your ranking be? Let me know!