I’ve had Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl stuck in my head all morning and it’s driving me crazy.

Sure, it’s not a bad tune – danceable beat, catchy, and Perry has a nice voice. But people. Am I the only person who remembers that this theme has been covered already? Songs about kissing girls is SO 1995, literally!

Jill Sobule became a pop-rock hero for nerdy chicks everywhere when she released I Kissed A Girl and its accompanying video, featuring Fabio, who is also So 1995. Now, I’m not discounting the musical worthiness of Perry’s tune, but I’m willing to bet that a big reason the song is so huge right now is its title. Dammit, you Millenials! Could you at least check with Gen X to see if we’ve done it already? Sure, there’s a lot more of you than of us, but we have made our contributions to pop culture.

Plus, Perry’s title recycling is just one small example of a lot of retread going on in music, television, and film. We thought we’d never see anything quite like Can’t Buy Me Love again … but wait, this teen flick Love Don’t Cost a Thing seems awfully familiar, albeit without Patrick Dempsey’s gangly, pre-McDreamy charm. Frickin’ Knight Rider is back on tv. The other day, I heard a cover of Genesis’ Land of Confusion, and promptly decided that the original is better and that this new band, Disturbed, couldn’t touch the original video with a 10-foot pole. Because everyone loves puppets – even if they’re Republicans.

I’m really hoping the tide is going to turn soon and that a new wave of creative, dynamic material is going to gush forward. I’ve already seen grunge and Reality Bites. I am already down with OPP. I still can’t afford my rock ‘n roll lifestyle. Enough with the sampling, kids! And Dear God, don’t go telling me I’m already retro.

What have you seen coming Back to the Future lately?

Published: Monday, 21 July 2008 Tags:

Comments

‘A visitor‘ left this comment on 22 Jul 08
“You know you got my sympathy, but don’t shoot, shoot, shoot that thing at me!”

That whole “I Kissed a Girl” thing was driving me crazy as well. I was at least hoping that it was a good remake – so disappointed when I realized it wasn’t.