Boyz II Men: I'll Make Love to You (1994)
Showing posts with label friday flashback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friday flashback. Show all posts
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Friday Flashback, and a Discussion Question
Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time (1998)
Christina Aguilera: Genie in a Bottle (1999)
Christina Aguilera: Genie in a Bottle (1999)
I recently watched the "Genie in a Bottle" music video for the first time in a while, and I was shocked at how blatantly sexual it is. Not because I felt the need to clutch my pearls or anything, but because I don't remember any controversy about it, whereas I do remember people talking about the "...Baby One More Time" video like the world had come to an end.
But Christina's midriff is just as bare as Britney's, and the song is far more suggestive. While Britney did a cheerful little dance and some gymnastics, Christina spends most of "Genie" rolling around on the beach at night in tiny shorts, and at one point writhing on the hood of a car like the B-roll from a heavy metal video.
(Please note that I think "Genie" is a fantastic video and I am not trying to imply that Christina did anything wrong. I'm just noting that the sexuality is more overt than in "...Baby.")
So why the lack of controversy? Was it because Christina was over 18 at the time, and Britney wasn't? Because Christina didn't combine that sexuality with the trappings of childhood (the infamous schoolgirl uniform)? Because Christina is biracial, and biracial women are stereotyped as being more sexual and can thus "get away" with acting sexier? Or were we as a culture simply inured to the concept of blonde teenagers' bellybuttons at this point?
Let me know what you think! Once you're done watching the videos and reminiscing, that is. It's okay, I'll wait.
But Christina's midriff is just as bare as Britney's, and the song is far more suggestive. While Britney did a cheerful little dance and some gymnastics, Christina spends most of "Genie" rolling around on the beach at night in tiny shorts, and at one point writhing on the hood of a car like the B-roll from a heavy metal video.
(Please note that I think "Genie" is a fantastic video and I am not trying to imply that Christina did anything wrong. I'm just noting that the sexuality is more overt than in "...Baby.")
So why the lack of controversy? Was it because Christina was over 18 at the time, and Britney wasn't? Because Christina didn't combine that sexuality with the trappings of childhood (the infamous schoolgirl uniform)? Because Christina is biracial, and biracial women are stereotyped as being more sexual and can thus "get away" with acting sexier? Or were we as a culture simply inured to the concept of blonde teenagers' bellybuttons at this point?
Let me know what you think! Once you're done watching the videos and reminiscing, that is. It's okay, I'll wait.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday Flashback: 'Nsync
Absolutely true story: this is the very first 'Nsync video I ever saw, and I remember watching it on VH1 and thinking that it must be some kind of boy band parody, because no one would ever have Chris's hair seriously. Oh, how wrong I was.
'Nsync: God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You (1998)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday Flashback: 2ge+her
In honor of the Big Time Rush special tonight, another semi-fake TV boy band:
2ge+her: U + Me = Us (2000)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday Flashback: Backstreet Boys
(This is actually not even close to my favorite video ("Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)") or their most iconic ("Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"), but these geniuses have disabled embedding on, like, everything on YouTube. Boys, I know you're old and stuff, but that's not how you make viral media work for you.)
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday Flashback: Judy Garland
It's still Friday in some time zones (although not this one)! We're going all the way to 1937 in the Wayback Machine today, with a twofer: one teen idol singing about...well, not exactly a teen idol, but certainly the object of many teenage fantasies.
Let me tell you whippersnappers, Judy was 100% right on this one.
Let me tell you whippersnappers, Judy was 100% right on this one.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Round Up
Some brief happenings, mostly but not exclusively featuring the HSM alum crowd, because even as HSM's stranglehold on tween culture fades, they remain my favorites:
* Lucas Grabeel (and Drew "Singing Voice of Zac Efron" Seeley) are making a musical vampire love story webseries.
* Tizz is blond again! For the most part, she's been looking awesome lately, but at the Fame premier, not so much.
* Corbin's motocross movie finally premiered. Meanwhile, The Beautiful Life-Colon-TBL also premiered. Thing I love about it: Corbin wandering around with no pants on. Things I am bored to tears by: virtually everything else. Alas.
* And finally, Sterling Knight gets a DCOM scheduled for next year. Hooray! (And yes, I read Popstar Online for this blog.)
And because what the heck, it's Friday, have a flashback:
O-Town: Liquid Dreams
Not gonna lie. I watched every episode of their two seasons of Making the Band.
* Lucas Grabeel (and Drew "Singing Voice of Zac Efron" Seeley) are making a musical vampire love story webseries.
* Tizz is blond again! For the most part, she's been looking awesome lately, but at the Fame premier, not so much.
* Corbin's motocross movie finally premiered. Meanwhile, The Beautiful Life-Colon-TBL also premiered. Thing I love about it: Corbin wandering around with no pants on. Things I am bored to tears by: virtually everything else. Alas.
* And finally, Sterling Knight gets a DCOM scheduled for next year. Hooray! (And yes, I read Popstar Online for this blog.)
And because what the heck, it's Friday, have a flashback:
O-Town: Liquid Dreams
Not gonna lie. I watched every episode of their two seasons of Making the Band.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday Flashback: The Beatles
While I'd argue that the Beatles were definitely not a boyband, they definitely were teen idols, especially in the 1960s.
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan (February 1964)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday, December 5, 2008
Friday Flashback by Request
Because Rachel asked for it:
New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff (1989)
New Kids on the Block: The Right Stuff (1989)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday Flashback
In honor of HSM, have something that is, essentially, a drug trip:
Of course, they had an excuse; it was the late 60s. Man, Davey Jones really makes Zac Efron look like a competent dancer.
(Want even more ridiculousness? Try the Daydream Believer pirate version.)
The Monkees: Daydream Believer
Of course, they had an excuse; it was the late 60s. Man, Davey Jones really makes Zac Efron look like a competent dancer.
(Want even more ridiculousness? Try the Daydream Believer pirate version.)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Friday Flashback!
A new regular feature around here, at least assuming we remember to do this more than just today. Friday Flashback, where we post a video from a teen or tween idol of another generation.
And for the inaugural post, one of my own all-time favorites.
David Cassidy: I Think I Love You (1970)
Oh man. All the kids today may be running around with variations of Mitchel "Sandwich Boy" Musso's weirdly grown-out bowl cut, but back then, it was all-feathered, all-the-time. Oh David. I know I love you.
And for the inaugural post, one of my own all-time favorites.
David Cassidy: I Think I Love You (1970)
Oh man. All the kids today may be running around with variations of Mitchel "Sandwich Boy" Musso's weirdly grown-out bowl cut, but back then, it was all-feathered, all-the-time. Oh David. I know I love you.
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