Last fall, The whole country got all riled up about Mark Foley. I got all riled up about Mark Foley. And make no mistake about it. Foley's behavior was wrong. But after this election, I have heard nothing about anyone doing anything to protect underage children, and that's sad. It follows a long tradition of Americans reacting to headlines and not following up afterwards. Just look at post Katrina New Orleans if you need more evidence of that.
When Foley resigned from the House, the whole country seemed all prepared to maybe finally get serious about protecting our children. But I guess not. The other day, I was listening to some "middle of the road, adult contemporary" radio and the following song came on...
You're 16 (You're Beautiful And You're Mine) Lyrics
By Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman
Recorded live at the Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
"Okay, this is for all the little girls in the audience, including you. Goes like this."
A one, two, one, two, three!
YOU COME ON LIKE A DREAM, PEACHES AND CREAM,
LIPS LIKE STRAWBERRY WINE.
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE. (mine, all mine, all mine)
YOU'RE ALL RIBBONS AND CURLS, OOH, WHAT A GIRL,
EYES THAT SPARKLE AND SHINE.
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE. (mine, all mine, all mine)
YOU'RE MY BABY, YOU'RE MY PET,
WE FELL IN LOVE ON THE NIGHT WE MET.
YOU TOUCHED MY HAND, MY HEART WENT POP,
OOH, WHEN WE KISSED, I COULD NOT STOP.
YOU WALKED OUT OF MY DREAMS AND INTO MY ARMS,
NOW YOU'RE MY ANGEL DIVINE.
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE. (mine, all mine, all mine)
"Ah, play it for me!"
"Oh, play that thing, Randy!"
"Saxophone!"
YOU'RE MY BABY, YOU'RE MY PET,
WE FELL IN LOVE ON THE NIGHT WE MET.
YOU TOUCHED MY HAND, MY HEART WENT POP,
OOH, WHEN WE KISSED, I COULD NOT STOP.
YOU WALKED OUT OF MY DREAMS AND INTO MY CAR,
NOW YOU'RE MY ANGEL DIVINE.
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE. (mine, all mine, all mine)
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE. (mine, all mine, all mine)
YOU'RE SIXTEEN, YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE MINE.
Really? Where is the outrage about Ringo Starr?
Is he alone in the world of music? Heck no. There's Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr Tinkertrain" ...
I’ve been waiting every night after school
For five long years
I’ll keep waiting for you five nights a week
Cuz I’m no good
But, We don’t know who the singer is supposed to be, but what’s in his mind becomes clear....
I’m thirty but I feel like sixteeen
I might even be your daddy
I’m dirty but my body is clean
I might even be your daddy
Age is only the first kink trotted out.
I like you -you like me? yes?
Sorry that I had to gag you
You look better completely undressed
Sorry but I had to have you I like you -you like me? yes?
Sorry that I had to gag you
You look better completely undressed
Sorry but I had to have you
I’m thirty but I feel like sixteeen
I might even be your daddy
I’m thinking more than a kiss Whip me, spank me, grab me
Or Kiss's "Christine 16".....
I don’t usually say things like this to girls your age,
But when I saw you coming out of the school that day,
That day I knew, I knew,
I’ve got to have you. I’ve got to have you.
We don’t know if this desire is mutual or not; nor does it seem to matter. The song is an expression of male bravado and lust. We are invited to presume, of course, that he got his girl....
She’s been around, but she’s young and clean.
I’ve got to have her, can’t live without her, whoo no.
Of course, this is not just relegated to ex beatles and aging metal stars....
Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs’ “Li’l Red Riding Hood” twists the Brothers Grimm children’s fable into an adult tale of seduction....
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood,
You sure are looking good.
You’re everything a big bad wolf could want.
Then there's Motorhead's "Jailbait", the Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and the Stray Cat's "Sexy and 17" and a whole host of others. Has anyone spoken out against the free flow of songs about men molesting underage girls before, during or after the Foley scandal? Not that I know of. It's a shame. I guess the money that these stars have made their respective record companies have kept all the press in that industry, like Rolling Stone, silent on the issue. Rolling Stone never hesitated to lambaste the GOP lawmakers caught up in the Foley Scandal (and they did some good work there) but not a word that I read (and I subscribe) about any of the rock stars that sell magazines for them day in and day out. I can't believe that a community that "hip" to popular music would miss such blatant "messages" that can be "instantly" sent across everyone's airwaves.