Sometime, I feel like I’m singing a one-note samba: Rape culture, rape culture, rape culture. But not one day goes by without me being joltingly reminded that people treat rape like a joke, minimize it, and shrug it off which leads to more and more subversive and violent attacks on women.
I was driving to work today, and Katy Perry’s new song feat. Kanye West started playing on Z100 (NYC radio station). I started bopping my head along – I like Katy and my guilty pleasure is heady pop music. For the first time (as is often the case with familiar songs you are used to hearing on the radio) I happened to register the lyrics. And the shock….the horror:
It starts out ok:
You’re so hypnotizing
Could you be the devil
Could you be an angel
Your touch magnetizing
Feels like I am floating
Leaves my body glowing
This could apply to any person feeling the strong first flush of attraction. Fine.
The next couple of verses specify that this person is an alien:
They say be afraid
You’re not like the others
Futuristic lover
Different DNA
They don’t understand you
Your from a whole other world
A different dimension
You open my eyes
And I’m ready to go
Lead me into the light
Alright. The part about “be afraid” is a little troubling, because it is a reasonable assumption that the metaphor of “alien” is meant to refer to the person of the opposite sex to whom the singer is attracted. Boys can sometimes seem like aliens to girls, and vice versa. A heteronormative and societal dictation, but ok. People we love or are attracted to sexually can seem alien – ok, I can get on board with that with generosity.
But then, the anvil falls:
Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me
Infect me with your love and
Fill me with your poison
Take me, ta-ta-take me
Wanna be a victim
Ready for abduction
The reason I gave the generous suggestion above that this song could be understood as speaking about a literal alien is to make the point here that alien or not, we’re talking about “victims,” “abductions.” Not only that, but the singer wants to be a victim – a most damaging idea that causes THIS, for instance. It allows for people time and time again to blame victims, specifically of sexual crime and rape, whether openly or unconsciously, insidiously.
Further, “love” is compared to “poison,” as often as in real life, “love” is confused with “sex.” The imagery of poison being injected is clearly a metaphor for penetration and ejaculation, both of which are specifically male activities in the act of sex.
Then:
You’re so supersonic
Wanna feel your powers
Stun me with your lasers
Your kiss is cosmic
Every move is magic
You’re from a whole other world
A different dimension
You open my eyes
And I’m ready to go
So all this violence, poison and abduction has “opened her eyes” to the glorious truth that what she wanted all along was to be a victim! OF COURSE IT HAS. It’s what EVERY girl wants. /It’s called rape culture/
Finally, Kanye West’s cherry on the sundae which is straight up, no holds barred, rape:
Rockets on deck
Tell me what’s next
Alien sex!
I’mma disrobe you
Then I’mma probe you
See, I abducted you
So I tell you what to do.
No. Words.
Real Live Me 
Wow! I’ve recently heard this song on the radio and only half heard the lyrics. I was definitely questioning the little I listened to but you breaking down these lyrics blows my mind!!! I mean…so many words, no words!!! Stunned.
It really underscores just how profoundly stupid Katy Perry is. And how my distaste for Kanye West isn’t misplaced.
Frankly, I haven’t been able to listen to any of her recent singles because they were so insipid and repetitive. This song finally has an interesting sound, and it’s a rape trigger. Its disgusting.
But thank you for posting this. I too hear this on the way to and from work. Reminding me about rape is not a good start or end to my day, ever. It makes me wonder how much productivity is lost to coping with the relentless misogyny on a daily basis.
I’m honestly shocked that more people aren’t up in arms about this… it’s so blatant! And you know that high school girls are going to buy in to this “fantasy” with no help from this song. Not to mention their counterparts whose thoughts are now affirmed that abduction is sexy and culturally accepted.
The sad part is it really is a catchy song… just wish it wasn’t so terribly not okay.
THANK YOU for posting this. I must confess, I do find the tune quite catchy…but the lyrics are profoundly disturbing at best. I just don’t understand how anyone can sing this song or even listen to it without questioning the lyrics or finding fault in them. It’s just sad.
I have a post that’s unbelievably similar to yours. Great minds!
No. This is stupid. One could “twist” meanings of song lyrics to their liking to almost any song. For instance, I could say it’s you who wants to be a victim. You see:
You’re so supersonic
Wanna feel your powers
Stun me with your lasers
Your kiss is cosmic
Every move is magic
You’re from a whole other world
A different dimension
You open my eyes
And I’m ready to go
As a passage for being a victim and wanting to be raped? Where as one can see it as meeting someone who is completely “new”, not like the others they have been with, and show a new light to them. Nothing relating to rape.
So my argument will be that while you are try to psychoanalysis this song, I’m going to psychoanalysis your interpertation of this song, and suggest that it’s you hearing what you want to hear. Be that that you want to secretly be a victim, or that you have an unfueled hatred on men. Or you have a subpar relationship of your own, don’t know why it’s not as good as what other have, and think they must be twisted or tormented. (your looking way to into it to see what you want to see)
Oh thank GOD someone said this. Seriously what is wrong with people?
I like how you moderate your posts to the point of anyone showing disagreement, you don’t allow it. This is why people don’t look at articles like this with respect or significant meaning in it. I guess other than the 5 (isn’t really much when you think about how many people go on the internet daily is it?) people who commented. It’s a shame how biases and refusal to accept counter arguments can void out a viable cause. although i guess I can’t be surprised, people see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear. So long as they allow no one to show them otherwise, they live “happily” i guess. I’d be curious as to how you would interpret something such as “You look very good today” or a general remark such as that.
Hello!
Sorry, I don’t know your name. I have to explain why I didn’t moderate your first comment. I’m studying for my MA and working full time, so when your comment came in I skimmed it and told myself I would get back to it and I was quite busy. I was getting to it – I promise – when your second comment came in. That prompted me to go back and re-read your first comment.
Your opening statement is “No. This is stupid.” Any argument that opens with a denigration of no greater depth than “this is stupid” doesn’t promise much in the way of profundity. Nevertheless, I read on.
You point out that Katy Perry is saying she wants to be a victim. I do not deny this point – you are absolutely correct. My point is that Katy Perry is perpetuating a myth that rape victims “want” the attack in some way. As a friend of mine says, if the song was about kink and accepting kinkiness between two consenting adults, the song could have made that point much more clearly. It didn’t.
You end with by trying to psychoanalyze me, a person you don’t know. Keep in mind I did not psychoanalyze Katy – I merely dissected the song using a literary method. I critiqued it, as any piece of art may be critiqued. You hypothesize that I have an “unfueled hatred of men,” among other things. A common method of defense men use when they see a “feminist” opinion is to call the speaker/writer a man hater. This is the cheapest insult of all, but looking back on “this is stupid” and “you want to be a victim,” this doesn’t surprise me. All that is accomplished by calling me or other feminists “man haters” is a revelation of your own insecurities. Let me be clear: I am not a man hater. Let me give you a great example of man-hating.
Recently, Brit singer Robbie Williams said: “I feel more emotionally connected to this apple than I do to a person I’ve just slept with. Women reading that will think that’s awful. But that’s what men are made of.”
A woman who writes a very well regarded feminist blog remarked, “Once again, I will note that it is feminists who have the reputation as man-haters, but it isn’t feminists who routinely talk about men like they’re emotionless, exploitative garbage. It’s Patriarchy enthusiasts like our friend Mr. Williams.” As you see, it is most often men who paint themselves in a bad light, portraying themselves as emotionless sacks of sex who cannot control their own penises.
Some food for thought. I hope I answered your accusations.
[from the commenter krazy_zazy]
Hi,
Yes I have no problem with you posting on your website.
Firstly, I’ll admit that opening with “No. This is stupid” probably invalidates what I was trying to say. However, that aside, I would like to clarify what it is I was saying (or intending).
I’ll choose my words carefully as I have no way of viewing my original post at this point. When I used my psychoanalyzing argument I believe I said “one could say”, and gave more then one scenario. My point was not an accurate analysis of yourself, but merely that the meaning behind words is open to the perception of the reader. My psychoanalysis was purposely made in an extreme. I don’t believe that any such scenario I laid out is real, but that it could be perceived if someone wanted to see it as such.
My point through that is that the lyrics can be dissected based on perception (I do consider this the same as psychoanalyzing, maybe not directly, but I do believe that on a level, dissecting lyrics is a way of psychoanalyzing the artist. Potentially indirectly, but your putting yourself in the mindset of the artist, and not as a listener). I was trying to point out that I don’t think that is the message the artist is trying to send, and that there are other ways of seeing it (believe I posted an alternative, although do not recall it). I’m merely trying to say that when your listening to lyrics, what is on your mind and your current attitude when you listen to the lyrics, plays a role in how you portray an image as the listener.
As for:
”
Recently, Brit singer Robbie Williams said: “I feel more emotionally connected to this apple than I do to a person I’ve just slept with. Women reading that will think that’s awful. But that’s what men are made of.”
A woman who writes a very well regarded feminist blog remarked, “Once again, I will note that it is feminists who have the reputation as man-haters, but it isn’t feminists who routinely talk about men like they’re emotionless, exploitative garbage. It’s Patriarchy enthusiasts like our friend Mr. Williams.” As you see, it is most often men who paint themselves in a bad light, portraying themselves as emotionless sacks of sex who cannot control their own penises.
”
I’ll safely leave mostly untouched for now.
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Ohhh well..i don’t really think..that Katty Perry has got bad lyrics..or this song leads anyone to rape..everyone have different feelings..we could call those lyrics a different way of expressing love..having fun in love is all we want..being always serious is not the perfect love…calling a boy Alien is kind of fun..so she is using these lyrics to express her feelings..she likes a boy..she wants to be victim..trying to show him that she loves him..and could do anything even if it comes to sex..so people just have to talk..and obtaining faults from anything is so easy…as we see no body is perfect..and nothing is perfect as well…take it on positive side..and promote the song..she have done a quite good work with music..and for me lyrics as well.. =)
Absolutely appaling, and Metal gets a bad rep for “Gory” lyrics, not even 10% of the genre, and LOOK AT POP.
Soooo fucked up. I believe in free speech, and with that in mind I have no idea how to act against this. This song promotes horrible acts, but so do many others, which I actively listen to. But say this. When someone listens to a metal song with lyrical themes such as violence and rape, the idea that is usually taken away is that it is either A) Historical, B) satirical, or C) a gross exaggeration used to convey the vocalists inner feelings. The problem is that pop songs are usually supposed to be “completely socially acceptable” = available to every demographic. Pop songs are supposed to be taken AS IS. This implies that the messages in this song are totally ok for everyone to hear. There is no implied satire that comes with a punk record. There is no exaggerated brutality that comes with a metal record. It is supposed to be taken AS IS with pop. Which, in this case, implies that Katy Perry is cool with rape.