Why are you so weird, boy?
When I was young and silly, I loved the movie Valley Girl. Who can resist adorable characters, Nicholas Cage at his finest, and teenage angst. In fact, there was a time I could recite almost all the lines.
Ok, who am I kidding, I can still do it. Like I said, I love that movie.
Plus the music is great. There wasn't an available soundtrack in the early days, and so I had a bootleg cassette tape I had recorded from someone that I listened to until it literally fell apart.
Then, a couple years ago, in a bargain bin I found a digitally recorded CD of the soundtrack. And this week, after Phil gave Grace a new boom box, Grace found the CD in the CD bin and has been playing it. Unfortunately, her favorite song to date is a classic whose lines are like this "Why are you so weird boy, Johnny are you queer boy? When I asked for a date, I thought that you were straight, Johnny are you queer?"
I know I should confiscate the CD. These are not appropriate lyrics for a 1st grader. But then I think to myself, "Self, she doesn't understand them, what harm can come? It IS a peppy tune after all." Queer means unusual, right? And here is what convinced me it really might be alright. I have listened to that Cassette/CD a million times, and this morning is the first time that I realized the next song after "Johnny are you Queer" is "Angst in my Pants". Yes, for 15 years I have thought it was Ants in my Pants, so see? Even I don't understand it. And I think I like that song better now.
So here's my question. Do I really have to choose between quality parenting and my favorite soundtrack?
Ok, who am I kidding, I can still do it. Like I said, I love that movie.
Plus the music is great. There wasn't an available soundtrack in the early days, and so I had a bootleg cassette tape I had recorded from someone that I listened to until it literally fell apart.
Then, a couple years ago, in a bargain bin I found a digitally recorded CD of the soundtrack. And this week, after Phil gave Grace a new boom box, Grace found the CD in the CD bin and has been playing it. Unfortunately, her favorite song to date is a classic whose lines are like this "Why are you so weird boy, Johnny are you queer boy? When I asked for a date, I thought that you were straight, Johnny are you queer?"
I know I should confiscate the CD. These are not appropriate lyrics for a 1st grader. But then I think to myself, "Self, she doesn't understand them, what harm can come? It IS a peppy tune after all." Queer means unusual, right? And here is what convinced me it really might be alright. I have listened to that Cassette/CD a million times, and this morning is the first time that I realized the next song after "Johnny are you Queer" is "Angst in my Pants". Yes, for 15 years I have thought it was Ants in my Pants, so see? Even I don't understand it. And I think I like that song better now.
So here's my question. Do I really have to choose between quality parenting and my favorite soundtrack?

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