Aren't I a grump then...

I’ve been off the last two days with gastro. These two days have been the only sick days I’ve ever taken in my working life, so it’s been a little strange to actually just sit around and get better (well I chucked a sicky back when I was at my first job, but that was only one day & the place was rubbish). Yesterday I sat at home by myself, but last night Mum came over and picked me up and brought me back to our house to chill here (and to keep an eye on me).

That brings me to the point of the story. If I were at Camperdown I would have just laid around, perhaps watched one of Tim’s DVD’s, but today I’ve actually watched two films which has been nice. I’ve been watching a bit of TV today, which has been nice. What I did just see though was Lady Gaga’s news clip for her single ‘My Life’ or the like. Well…

Last week at the Sydney Writers Festival there was a session on Pornography and it’s social impact. Naturally given it’s sensational and racy theme it was the picked up by the Herald in two separate columns (one saying how destructive it was, the second saying that it’s not that destructive and that discretion is needed). I was initially in the middle – I had thought that people should get the opportunity to watch if it they so desired, that it wasn’t that harmful and that it was just peoples bodies, so what could really be that bad. The other side of me thought that overt sexuality in all areas of our society was perhaps a tad damaging for the people are dressing and seeing themselves, and that kids were perhaps being exposed to sex and risqué body images too young. I had thought about writing about this earlier, but I wasn’t sure where I stood till now.

Lady Gaga is quite an amazing artist – very individualistic and ‘fresh’. But the film clip that she’s just put out is too much. Plus it’s bubble gum music that is aimed at teens and above, so they’re the primary viewers of that clip. I think it’s in pretty poor taste to depict masturbation, childbirth and other sexual acts in a music clip – there’s no need. I found it offensive, and I’m not that much of a prude. Just no need for it – it’s just a bloody trashy pop song.

I know it’s probably a bit of overkill, but I honestly believe that whilst the ‘fun’ aspect of sex is often portrayed, I think that the danger (STDs, unwanted children etc) is being dismissed too quickly. I’m not sure that the need for sensibility is being shown to children in the same way as the ‘fun’ is being depicted.

So there you go. I’m a prude, but seriously, shit house clip