Putting the 'A' in Amusement
It was bound to happen.
It's not the first time I've been accused of using big words, writing like I was an ivory tower academic, or being over analytical. Actually, those are fairly common criticisms, but I am doubly destined to such a fate by virtue of being both an engineer and chaplain by education and trade, what do you expect?! Such is life. So tonight, after a weekend of reading/writing on theology, counseling, and leadership, I'm taking a much-needed break in the name of frivolity.
But not without a bit of an English lesson first...
The verb 'to muse' is not one we use often today, but its meaning is pretty straightforward: to be absorbed in one's thoughts, to consider thoughtfully or deeply, to think about carefully and at length, to ponder or ruminate. And as any grade school scholar will tell you, the prefix 'a-' is used to negate the standard meaning or usage of a word. So, in the truest sense of a-musement, i.e. not thinking deeply, here are some thoughts on my pathological tastes in music.
As my loving and longsuffering wife will admit, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for angry women singers. In the 90s, who could possibly get enough of Four Non-Blondes, Alanis Morissette, or Meredith Brooks? More recently my heart has been stirred by a resurgence of the angry girl singer in the likes of Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone. But my current favorite angry girl singer has to be Avril Lavigne...oh sure, she's belted out angry, punky lyrics in the past, but never before have they left me laughing out loud like her current song Girlfriend.
In case you haven't heard the song, I'd equate it (to those who grew up in the 80s) as an angry modern version of Toni Basil's Mickey with a terrific edge instead of the silly sugar-coated nonsense. If you've heard the song but not seen the video, it takes a hilarious song and really goes over the top.
Is it edifying? No.
Is it sensitive? Nope.
Is it like being back at [insert the name of your high school here] for three minutes and forty-seven seconds? It sure is, and that's reason enough to watch and laugh.
Enjoy! We'll put our game faces back on tomorrow, right, sis?
