I was innocently listening to the radio yesterday when a song popped on the public airwaves called "Don't Trust Me" by 3oh!3. Here is part of the disgusting lyric set to a bouncy beat and a bubblegum melody:
Don't trust a hoe
Never trust a hoe
Won't trust a hoe,
Won't trust me!
Shush girl
Shut your lips
Do the Helen Keller
and talk with your hips
The entire song is teenybopper misogynistic, but the real disgust of the song is how it views the disabled: Just be still, spread your legs, move your hips, and take it without speaking to, or listening to, or looking at, me. Be blind. Be Deaf. Be "Helen Keller" during sex.
What does this barbaric song -- with its glossy backbeat -- say about us as a society?
Does the public propagation of this song as entertainment confirm we, as a nation, are tolerant of hate speech and the denigration of the disabled?
How do songs like this infect the young and inexperienced mind?
Here's the tune being "performed" live in Denver, and I suppose the one saving grace is how awful the performers are, and that means they won't have much staying power --
-- but how much psychic damage has already been done?
What does this barbaric song -- with its glossy backbeat -- say about us as a society?
Does the public propagation of this song as entertainment confirm we, as a nation, are tolerant of hate speech and the denigration of the disabled?
How do songs like this infect the young and inexperienced mind?
Here's the tune being "performed" live in Denver, and I suppose the one saving grace is how awful the performers are, and that means they won't have much staying power --
-- but how much psychic damage has already been done?
Disgusting.
It's not even music. It's just an insult to women everywhere.
It is barely music, Gordon -- but why was it chosen to be brought to the marketplace? What niche did the record company executives think they were filling?
I wonder if maybe the song just wasn't screened before they allowed it on the album. Some recording artists have total freedom to record any garbage they want.
The disturbing part Gordon, is they made a music video! The images in my article were pulled from that ridiculous thing and they didn't even have the guts to "go all the way" with the Helen Keller meme. Chickens!
So all through the production line there are people who were willingly involved with this crud to make money -- including my local NYC radio station!
One of the many, many reasons I quit radio years ago. I'd rather have the steering wheel over what sounds get pumped into my brain space. :)
It is fascinating how radio does set a cultural sub-agenda, Gordon. Radio primes and then poisons the young mind.
This qualifies as discrimination to me! Gordon is absolutely right, it is an insult to women everywhere!
The music is cheap and their vocal talents are deplorable. Their disparaging sound is certain to fade in a very short span of time. Why anyone would want to listen to this rubbish is beyond me!
Rubbish is right, Kimberley! How can this get passed and entertainment? It's an absolute outrage! I think they're a "one hook" band -- too bad their hook is so disgusting.
Do the Anne Frank, and watch your family get killed.
Do the Adolf Hitler, and kill all the Jews.
Just throw a glossy beat behind one of those two, and you have yourself a pretty great hip hop song these days. I'm from the 303 area now in the navy and I'm actually going to change my number to the local 360 because I'm pretty disgusted by this. I know it wont change anything, but every time i here this crappy song and think of how many people in my home town are so proud that somebody from there made it big to write songs like that lost my taste for that place.
I'm glad you're standing up to that horrible song!
There was a time in America when we tried to help the disabled and give them a helping hand against their disability. That's fading now with the resurrection of Helen Keller jokes and this crummy song.
We can, however, still change minds and fight the good fight together!
I think thats its funny this statement coming from you since your a male! Im a women and I love this song! And the sush girl...Do the helen keller and talk with your hips... is my fav. part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love that part of the song! I feel that theres nothing wrong with it, atleast from my point of view if your having sex with someone and you dont mind being dominated like that then i dont think theres anything wrong with it!
Honestly I am a young woman and I take no offence to this song I think that if people like it they should be able to listen to what or whom ever they like just because you don't approve of this type of music doesn't mean noone should listen to it
Firstly, do each his own. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. If you met these two people, you're opinion would change. They're incredibly nice even if they have the mindset of an 18 year old in half of their songs. They're just having fun and enjoying life, even if some of their songs are a little degrading. It's all in fun. :]
Why do you believe that "degrading" the Deaf and Blind is "fun?"
I don't think the song is degrading Helen Keller in anyway. I think that people feed into songs too much and try to bring something out of it, that's not there. When they say this it isn't sexual it's about dancing and talking to someone with body language. And I love how because you all don't like just one song can say that they're horrible performers and that they have no talent whatsoever. While you're all sitting here blogging away about a song and it's fourteen words that offend you. You don't know these guys as human beings. You shouldn't be so quick to judge. And if you take offense to this song then I take offense to you dissing this band as a whole. People like to view this world with their eyes closed. The "effect its having on the youth" that's right blame it on the music, when your children's problems are deeper than the music they listen to. Honestly this is shallowness, you should all be ashamed. You're judging about something you know NOTHING about.
Let's see -- I'm shallow and should be ashamed because, as a person who works with the disabled -- I find the song offensive in every depth and respect and you, on the other hand, as the defender of the indefensible and the juvenile... are what, exactly? Disillusioned? Immature? Uneducated in the ways and means of human compassion?
Let's pause for a moment and accept your argument that the song is not about sex and is really about body communication and dancing. What's the point of bringing Helen Keller into the lyric? What was the intention of invoking her good name and spirit into that immature and degrading song?
I've watched them sing the song live on YouTube and there is no doubt they are talentless and why you choose to stand anonymously with them instead of alongside Helen Keller is beyond the ken of any rational human being with an ounce of spirit and joy yearning within them.
Can I just point out that 3 kids out of 10,000 would have any clue to whom Helen Keller actually is. I consider myself to be fairly well informed but still had to google her. I think the more pressing issue is not to do with the diabled but more to do with portrayal of women in general.
I'm not sure about the point you're making. Are you saying because kids are stupid and uneducated today they have no idea who Helen Keller is in the history of humankind? Or are you saying that because Helen Keller is so unknown by selfish modern minds it's okay to pick on her in a song?
Helen Keller was invoked for a reason in the song -- "talk with your hips" -- is clearly making fun of her communicative lips and hands, and to excuse the band as uneducated, or that she was invoked by lucky happenstance, is disingenuous and unkind.