Sixteen Volts

I am not an Objectivist, but I can understand their point of view much better now that I happened to hear today two of the most disgusting popular songs in existence. I have heard both songs before, but getting to hear them so close together really brought the point across. Were I a Randroid, I would certainly use words such as "anti-life" and "anti-reason" to describe these two songs.

First, we have "No Matter What" by Boyzone. This song manages to concisely sum up everything that is wrong with a religious worldview. The song is a celebration of the fact that no matter what the facts and logic and evidence say, the singer will stubbornly stick to his imagination and sacred beliefs.

No matter what they tell us
No matter what they do
No matter what they teach us
What we believe is true

I am sure that Osama bin Laden wholeheartedly agrees. I wonder if you could find a more blatant celebration of blind faith than this song anywhere in written human history.

Second, we have "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. Of course, like any female singer who gets a multimillion dollar recording contract, Aguilera herself is quite beautiful in every way, but it is obvious that this song is written for the two thirds of her audience who are overweight or otherwise unattractive. This song is a celebration of New Age feminism and subjectivism with its explicit message that no matter what other people think and what the objective facts are, the subjective emotions of women somehow magically define reality. Heck, that is basically feminism in a nutshell.

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down

Now, can you remember what is the psychiatric term that means somebody who demands that all other people must acknowledge and behave as if her grandiose image of herself as someone who is perfect in every way is true? Someone who believes that she has no flaws whatsoever and cannot possibly need improvement in anything? Anybody?

We are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won't bring us down
We are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words can't bring us down

Who wrote this shit? Was it perhaps Ivy Starnes herself? Only women can be this utterly stupid and divorced from reality: there is no equivalent song that says that all men are handsome, strong, rich, intelligent etc. no matter what they say, and then implicitly demand that all people must behave towards all men as if this ridiculous claim was true. Any male artist who tried to seriously perform such a song would be laughed out of town. For the same reason, there is no male equivalent of the silly Dove ads, something like "Campaign For Real Athleticism" that tries to pretend that all men are handsome, athletic etc.

Here is a free hint: people who really are beautiful (or wise, intelligent, deep, rich, powerful etc.) never actually have to explicitly say that they are beautiful, since this fact is already obvious to everybody. Beautiful people don't try to persuade others to accept that they are beautiful. Hence, there is no better way to prove that you are not-X than by loudly proclaiming that everyone must behave like you are X.

So don't you bring me down today

Now I don't understand at all. Why do you have to ask this, if words can't bring you down? It's not my words that hurt you, but the objective reality that my words depict. Take my words away, and the ugly reality is still there. You can put your hands over your ears and yell "shut up, shut up" as much as you want, but reality will still remain what it is.

One important aspect of this reality is that there is a very good reason why Ms. Aguilera got to record this song and gets airplay for it, instead of some human blimp with an equally good voice. Few things are as humorous as women who have gotten on top for their looks who then try to deflect envy of the defectives by pretending that looks are really not that important.

Posted by Ilkka Kokkarinen on Saturday, March 04, 2006 at 4:45 PM