Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Dave has a cutting look at the Pussycat Dolls and their smash hit "When I grow up". Well I think it was. I vaguely recognise the lyrics...
Boys call you sexy (What's up, sexy)
And you don't care what they say
See, every time you turn around
They screamin' your name
The 20 or so members (or are there more?) ruminate on being called sexy by their male counterparts, and demonstrate one of these examples for clarity. They claim not to care about this jibe. So much so they've decided to write a song about it just to prove how much they don't care.
Indeed it has become quite noticeable to the girls that they are regarded as sexy, as they claim they are followed by men who are screaming their name. I would watch this though, as some of these men could be psychopaths and you don't want them becoming attached to you now do you. Also this must get a bit off-putting after a while. Sure it would be fun to begin, with but when you can't leave your home because there's an army of 20 score men screaming at you the novelty will wear off. Still must keep up the appearance that being a famous slapper is a good thing otherwise they're music, books and whatever tat with the PCD logo on it won't sell.
Now I've got a confession
When I was young I wanted attention
And I promised myself that I'd do anything
Anything at all for the boys to notice me
No surprises here, the girls are confessing to being attention whores since an early age. Why is this a confession? I'd have understood perhaps if the song-writers wanted the lyrics to rhyme, but confession and attention don't really now do they. Still their love of attention is no secret at the end of the day, so I can imagine sarcastic cries going up at this news. Lets be blunt a troupe of 12 girls singing provocative songs about making men and their girlfriends jealous, pushing up their buttons (I know what buttons they are talking about) and so forth, is a telling sign. Especially when they do it whilst gyrating in bikinis and the like [I'm not saying they should stop mind, just that they should realize what they are like really rather than feigning ignorance].
Getting back to the song now, the girls start regaling us with a promise they made to themselves that they would do anything to get the boys to notice them. Ahem... Considering the whole theme of their music, the costumes, the dancing and in some cases the tit-jobs, I can only applaud them for reaching their goal.
But I ain't complaining
We all wanna be famous
So go ahead and say what you wanna say
You know what it's like to be nameless
Want them to know what your name is
'Cause see when I was younger I would say
It's nice that the Pussycat Dolls can speak for the public at large. Apparently we all want to be famous, which is surprising as I wasn't aware I wanted to be famous but if they are saying it that I am I to call them wrong.
The girls say they know what it's like to be nameless, this sounds like a harrowing experience possibly borne from their humble beginnings in the slums and ghettos they grew up in (I would list them all but as PCD has a LOT of members I really can't be bothered) where names were only for the rich and privileged. Anyway rags-to-riches sob story over. They claim I know what it's like to be nameless, which is not entirely true as I have always had a name as far as I'm aware, well except for those occasions where I'm referred to as you or him. They're still names though, so I don't really get what the PCD are getting at?
When I grow up
I wanna be famous
I wanna be a star
I wanna be in movies
When I grow up
I wanna see the world
Drive nice cars
I wanna have Groupies
When I grow up
Be on TV
People know me
Be on magazines
When I grow up
Fresh and clean
Number one chick when I step out on the scene
We all have dreams when we are little [mine was to be a train driver and then a fireman and so forth], the PCD girls dream apparently was to be famous and lo and behold they now are. Woop-de-doo! However, the girls don't let us off with just that, they decide to further brag about how great fame is and list things like being in films and being on TV. That's all very well and good if you become famous for an actual talent [and most of the PCD girls are only just in that bracket]. There are plenty of 'famous' people off things like Big Brother and I'm a Celebrity get me out of here who are hardly going to champagne receptions and eating quails eggs for breakfast. Let's get some perspective here.
Maybe it doesn't matter as PCD have achieved the type of fame they wanted so they're now going to push its wonderfulness in all of our plebby little faces. How gracious the famous are too. I can imagine a more typical type of fame. You go on some kind of reality TV show where you succeed in making a dick of yourself by taking part in dignity sapping challenges, like dressing up as a lobster for example and swimming around in a septic tank for 2 hours, or maybe you'll just get your kit off and sell the pictures to News of the World. Alternatively you might just become infamous by making some kind racist, homophobic or generally bigoted remark and be hunted down by morally self-rightous journalists or people [probably from the Daily Mail] who will pretend they have never done anything or said anything bad in their life and single-handedly blame you for most of societies ills. It's fun being famous, no?
But be careful what you wish for
'Cause you just might get it
But you just might get it
But You just might get it
Could this be a kind of rebuttal to what I've just said? The girls do urge caution for wishing for fame. It's hard to say I expect that it's just been thrown into the song because it sounds quite catchy and will boost record sales. Or worse lead to lots of teenaged girls playing it over and over on their mobile phones in public with the speakers up to max...
This hardly seems cautionary. It sounds more mind-numbing
They used to tell me I was silly
Until I popped up on the TV
I always wanted to be a superstar
And knew that singing songs would get me this far
True they used to mock you then but what do they say to you now, is what I ask of this statement? Oh wait, it's more than likely you don't speak to those little nothings any more as you're up on your ivory tower of fame. As for the comment about singing songs getting them this far, have they never seen the X-Factor? I've had the unfortunate experience of working on it so I have dealt first hand with these delusional people who believe from singing well in a club or one's family telling them they can sing that they are automatically going to be the next Diana Ross or the like.
All very well if you look like the girls in PCD I guess but what of the rest of us?
I see them staring at me
Oh I'm a trendsetter
Yes this is true 'cause what I do, no one can do it better
You can talk about me
'Cause I'm a hot topic
I see you watching me, watching me, and I know you want it
Ah now we can have some more bragging fun. Its nice to know the girls have a sense of humility and that being famous hasn't gone to their heads too much. It's always hard not to snigger when people openly and loudly claim they are the best ever, it always seems immature. I mean the PCD's can sing but they are in no way going to be remembered as the best ever in their field are they now. Very few people ever get to that level.
I guess this is probably tongue in cheek as this band only can be, but it's still a little bit arrogant. True they are the hot topic now but how long will that last? Nicole Scherzinger will only remain in the band for so long I suspect...
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