Every time I'm at the gym working out and listening to my iPod (I'll do a separate post on who I think should skate to what) I find myself thinking, "Oh I wish so and so would skate to this song."And then I actually listen to the lyrics and think, "Oh but might be a little risqué for figure skating..."
Part of me thinks we need to 'keep it clean' for skating, but another part of me thinks if skaters could use more music choices and be riskier it could give a jolt to the often boring and very PC world of skating.
For example, I keep envisioning Rachel Flatt skating to Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera. I think it would be a great piece of music for her to let loose a little and not be so...I don't know...cute? PC? Safe? But the lyrics...too much for figure skating? Take a look (warning...expletives ahead):
Mot Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera
You know tonight
I am feeling a little out control
Is this me
You wanna get crazy
Because I don't give a...
I'm out of character
I'm in rare form
And If you really knew me
You'd know its not the norm
Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it fuck you
The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
I'm dancing alot and I'm taking shots I'm feeling fine
I'm kissing all the boys and the girls
Someone call the doctor cause I lost my mind
Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it fuck you
The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
In the morning
When I wake Up
I'll go back to the girl I used to be
But baby not tonight
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl
Yah, that feels good
I needed that
Get crazy
Let's go
That's right
Come on
Give it to me now, don't stop
So perfect for Rachael Flatt, right? She has the total good girl image but can through it off for a night and let loose. Problem is I'm envisioning mom's looking at the ice in horror, grabbing their 8 year old, and holding their hands over their ears. I also am envisioning those Sorority Girls from the University of Michigan (shout out to Meryl Davis!) out of their seats loving LOVING skating for the first time.
Which way do you go. Do you spice it up and have a little fun or do you keep doing family friendly?I call this an Op-Ed by I don't know what my opinion is! I'm so torn. Of course there is a radio friendly version of this song without the F-Bomb...but is it still to risky for figure skating?
I'm dancing alot and I'm taking shots I'm feeling fine
I'm kissing all the boys and the girls
Someone call the doctor cause I lost my mind
Drug references, bisexuality references, oh my!
I've decided. I think it would be okay to spice it up a bit. No major bad words but I think a little bit of pop culture isn't terrible. What 8 year old is going to be paying that close of attention to the lyrics and pick up on the subtleties of what the lyrics really mean? And what 14 year old isn't already listening to Christina Aguilera or some other pop/hip-hop/rap artist? If you're the parent out there saying "Well mine doesn't," believe me...you're likely wrong, you just don't know it.
I don't know...weigh in. What do you think?
7 comments:
I agree Aaron! There are a ton of songs I'd love to see skaters skate too but worry they might be too risky. However a lot of old time songs are just as bad but time has lessened their riskiness. Take the song "Mack the Knife" It's about murder (with veiled references to cocaine). Romeo and Juliet is about suicide (yes I know it's more than that but still), Phantom of the Opera could be taken as stalking, and speaking of stalking, there are been skaters who skated to the song "Take my Breath Away" is really about stalking somebody! So I think you can make songs lyrics work for a lot of things.
Great op/ed!
Definitely spice it up. We have allowed ourselves to be scared into a very very narrow definition of "appropriate." Kids understand that teens and young people let loose, plus really how much of skating fans are kids? Trust, me, the ones too young too handle risque lyrics are all at Disney Princesses, not Stars on Ice. I'd rather see Rachael skate to Aguilera, or Johnny in sequins than have to endure another hipgrind from Oksana or Evgeni every again. Now THAT is Not Safe For Children.
Spice. When will Scotty Hamilton realize that people need to be energized about skating again? Keeping it nice and mild may appeal to some of the old folks and the very religious, but so many more people would consider attending the one ice show in the country if it became more interesting and relevant.
Please bring on the current music! Lyrics and all. (or at least fairly current)
It would make the skating so much more inviting and fun.
Lyrics for singles skaters? You're definitely talking about spicing up show skating, right Aaron? I'm with you on that - and I've got young kids. I'd be happy to take 'em to Disney on Ice and leave them with a sitter for a spiced-up SOI. Competitive skating is another matter...sport should be family-friendly, and we all know competitive skating IS a sport, incomprehensible rules and questionable judging notwithstanding!
After synchronized skating singles seem so conservative and dull. We have all seen Carmen and every other classical piece too many times! Maybe it's the the fact that synchro is still a relatively new sport that encourages coaches and teams to choose different and "brave" music pieces for their programs. Synchro does not have age-old traditions as its baggage.
Lol I love your suggestion that she skates to Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera! I think the lyrics are perfectly appropriate for her I'm just not so sure about the tune. I mean Christina is my favourite singer, but this is definitely NOT my favourite song by her! It would be hard to do a performance to that song I think.
Love your blog!
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