I'm not all that into Ke$ha, but when her song "Die Young" came out, I was slightly pathetically obsessed. I like it. Heck, I really liked it. In light of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary, though, the song's taken on a new meaning. According to TMZ, the once major mega-hit has dropped drastically in popularity over the weekend, from 167 million listeners to 148 million. A music expert (can I have that job, please?) told the website that a song hasn't dropped off this fast since the Dixie Chicks got the boot after that diss to President Bush back in 2003.
Really, you can't blame a nation in mourning for not wanting to listen to lyrics that say, "Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young," can you?
It makes me feel kind of guilty that it took something like this to make me realize that the message this song is sending isn't all that great. When I really think about it, though, I don't think the song would be nearly as offensive if all Ke$ha referenced was going out and having a good time as if tonight was your last night, period.
It's the word "young" that gets me, though. Ke$ha is essentially preaching to live each night like it's your last. The kicker, though, is that if you're dying young, then you're dying too soon. Dying young means you're passing before your time is up, just like all 20 of those little angels at Sandy Hook Elementary.
Is it the right thing to pull the song? Yes, for the time being it definitely is. There's a heightened sensitivity and a level of respect that the families and loved ones grieving deserve. As for Ke$ha, well, I don't really know if she comprehends all of this, but I think she'll survive. She'll make some other song about getting drunk and wasting away soon enough.
Watch the video here and then tell me, do you think pulling "Die Young" from the radio is the right move?
Image via Pacific Coast News
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Comments 9
She looks like she crawled out of a dumpster. Also, when have any of her songs portrayed any sort of good message?
So if we find it tacky, distasteful and not to our liking, rather than letting the free speech/selection process decide, let's just have someone decide for us? Whether you like the song or find it distasteful, I can name you at least 100 examples that happen like this almost constantly. For example all the sports analogies to "war", when a football player says "we were in a war ot there today" How do you think a guy that lost his leg in Iraq feels? Or when a celeb says "it just kills me whenever"............and so on and so........remember Charles Manson and Helter Skelter, they still play the song..................It's easy to lash out at people like Ke$ha because you dont like her and transfer by association something awful that nothing to do with her just so you can bash her.
I'm a father of a 13 yr old and I cannot imagine the pain of those poor parents/friends, and Ke$ha never enters my mind when thinking of the tragedy.
Just another example of a stupid fucking BLOG.
again, we're punishing an artist for putting out something (before this happened, mind you) and it having "unfortunate coincidences". personally, i've always believed that you should live life to the fullest because tomorrow isn't promised, etc etc. we all know the phrases. why are we acting like they are suddenly about these kids?
we don't have to bury our heads in the sand, but choosing to start censoring (because taking it off the airwaves is a form of censorship) songs based on lyrics is idiotic. i heard 'jeremy' by pearl jam that same day, and it's specifically about school shootings. let's run to get that taken off the air too! i'm glad people want to finally stop sitting back in silence, but you're going after the wrong culprits.
Yeahhh. It's a song. People have really been grasping for straws here lately...