While the economy continues to makes itself comfortable in the proverbial dumpster and television is littered with Reality TV shows that celebrate unfettered skankiness (I'm lookin' at you Brett Michaels), vanity, self-absorption and generally the worst parts of the human psyche The Parents Television Council (that's right "Television") has ignited a controversy over Britney Spears' latest single If U Seek Amy.
The song, a standard, midtempo, synth-heavy club thumper isn't all that interesting on its own (though it took four people to write it), but it's the hook that has the undies of PTC folks in Australia and the states all bunched up.
If you recall the fifth grade, you may have already noticed the root of the controversy.
Here's part of the chorus to help you out.
love me, hate me,
say what you want about me,
but all of the boys and all of the girls,
are beggin' to if you seek amy.
Get it?
See, the title/chorus of the song with the help of Spears diction spell a naughty phrase concerning a carnal act that many men and women indeed would like to engage in with Ms. Spears.
The single reportedly picked by fans after an online poll at Spears' Web site first drew attention in Australia where it was released first but the controversy quickly jumped the pond into the states when the single hit American radio.
There is a "radio" edit of the tune that seeks to soften the joke by making the song If U See Amy, which only serves to make the song even goofier.
Here's what the PTC president Tim Winter PTC had to say according to Rolling Stone.
“There is no misinterpreting the lyrics to this song, and it’s certainly not about a girl named Amy,” PTC president Tim Winter said. “It’s one thing for a song with these lyrics to be included on a CD so that fans who wish to hear it can do so, but it’s an entirely different matter when this song is played over the publicly owned airwaves, especially at a time when children are likely to be in the listening audience.”
The rest of the song's lyrics are quite mild with Spears expressing her desire to meet and hang with "Amy" in the club, outside of the club and really anywhere "she" wants to be. check it out for yourself.
Did you make it all the way to the end?
Pretty silly, eh?
Naturally, the controversy has only helped the tune which debuted at #92 on the Billboard charts and will likely creep a bit higher if the PTC continues to fuel the fire.
It's interesting that what is essentially a middle school grade pun surrounded by 3 minutes of boring faux club music has the Parents Television Council up in arms.
I guess they haven't seen an episode of Brett Michaels' Rock Of Love Bus whose contestants make the group of "ladies" featured on last year's Rock of Love look like a Mensa Roundtable.
Or Bromance
Or Tool Academy
Or any show starring anyone who has ever kissed Flava Flav or Tila Tequila on television.
I guarantee that the PTC's public outrage will send many young non-Spears fans directly to Youtube/Itunes to find out what's so gosh darned offensive about an otherwise average song.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
i personaly lov the song and ptc is just adding popularity:)
Britney Spears is worthy of the title Queen of Pop. i really admire her because of her talent and sexiness.
Britney Spears is the best female popstar. She has a good voice, a very sexy body and she is a good performer.
Nice post. Do you like britney ? You can find Britney's new Songs and MTVs at
Britney Times
There's nuthin sexy about the F word, that is masked in a double entendre
of this single. Some people believe it would be worse if she made the obvious, well a little more obvious, but its the very fact that people are becoming desensitized to think anything and everything is acceptable if its done in a hip fashion. With Miss Spears, the peek-a-boo angel meets demonic temptress garbage is getting quite old and contrived. Full well knowing that her music is loved by children is a bigger shame on her then if she'd just already come out now and admit she wants to be seen as a whore. She's tasteless and while pretending to have class, one word sums her up and that's PEWH!