LISTEN TO IT #29: EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK
Apr. 16th, 2011 11:29 pmThere are two new records out now that, musically speaking, can be classified under “diva dance-pop”.
One is from a seasoned veteran with a huge fanbase whose pop persona has morphed over the years but always sticking to the basic theme of “heterosexual fuck puppet” (i.e. schoolboy fantasy fuck puppet, bubble-headed fuck puppet, manipulative fuck puppet, space-age fuck puppet, robot-assassin fuck puppet, etc) that adheres strictly to male heterosexual fantasies.
The other record is from a plus-sized in-yr-face lesbian who expresses lots of sociopolitical opinions and has a penchant for appearing naked on magazine covers despite not having the socially acceptable body type for doing such things.
Guess which one I prefer.
Okay, I admit it’s an unfair comparison. For a start, Ditto isn’t a full-time pop diva – this is just a side project between Gossip albums. And I’m definitely biased, as I’m a big Gossip fan but can’t name a single Britney Spears song that I like even a little. Also – and perhaps more importantly – Ditto has never been married to K-Fed (who was Charlie Sheen before Charlie Sheen was Charlie Sheen – only with less talent).
That said, I confess I’d rather listen to Gossip than Beth Ditto solo, if only because the music (produced by Simian Mobile Disco) is fairly standard 80s-influenced danceteria-pop – okay for what it is, but not amazing.
But if we have to have pop divas – even moonlighting ones – I much prefer the Ditto version to the Spears version. She’s a better singer and a far better role model. I’d rather that impressionable teenagers watch/listen to the likes of Ditto and Lady Gaga than Spears, Aguilera, Simpson, Clarkson, Lavigne et al.
But then I’m with Gaga, so I would say that, wouldn’t I?
Not that innocent,
This is dF
One is from a seasoned veteran with a huge fanbase whose pop persona has morphed over the years but always sticking to the basic theme of “heterosexual fuck puppet” (i.e. schoolboy fantasy fuck puppet, bubble-headed fuck puppet, manipulative fuck puppet, space-age fuck puppet, robot-assassin fuck puppet, etc) that adheres strictly to male heterosexual fantasies.
The other record is from a plus-sized in-yr-face lesbian who expresses lots of sociopolitical opinions and has a penchant for appearing naked on magazine covers despite not having the socially acceptable body type for doing such things.
Guess which one I prefer.
Okay, I admit it’s an unfair comparison. For a start, Ditto isn’t a full-time pop diva – this is just a side project between Gossip albums. And I’m definitely biased, as I’m a big Gossip fan but can’t name a single Britney Spears song that I like even a little. Also – and perhaps more importantly – Ditto has never been married to K-Fed (who was Charlie Sheen before Charlie Sheen was Charlie Sheen – only with less talent).
That said, I confess I’d rather listen to Gossip than Beth Ditto solo, if only because the music (produced by Simian Mobile Disco) is fairly standard 80s-influenced danceteria-pop – okay for what it is, but not amazing.
But if we have to have pop divas – even moonlighting ones – I much prefer the Ditto version to the Spears version. She’s a better singer and a far better role model. I’d rather that impressionable teenagers watch/listen to the likes of Ditto and Lady Gaga than Spears, Aguilera, Simpson, Clarkson, Lavigne et al.
But then I’m with Gaga, so I would say that, wouldn’t I?
Not that innocent,
This is dF