Music Review: "California Gurls" (CD single featuring Snoop Dogg)
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this is a typical Katy Perry
single: catchy pop with some crassness and sassiness thrown in.
There's lots of sexual innuendo and references to alcohol and
partying. The song glamorizes the idea of the California party
girl, who lives in Daisy Dukes and stilettos and likes to drink
and have sex on the beach. The song is lighthearted fluff, but
the heavier themes may warrant a conversation with teens about
the realities and consequences of drinking and sleeping around.
- Families can talk about stereotypes. This song stereotypes California girls as being easy and willing to party. Do you think this is fair? Realistic? Could this song influence young girls in a negative way? Does it make you want to be like one of these California girls? Or go there?
- Katy Perry has already had a lot of success being a "bad girl." Is it okay to portray an image or sing about racy topics just to sell records? Do you think Katy Perry is "cooler" because she sings songs like this?
Pop diva Katy Perry lathers up fans with a sexy, summer tune about California beach bunnies. There have been plenty of odes to West Coast girls before, but none quite as risque as Perry's "CALIFORNIA GURLS" (featuring Snoop Dogg). The infectious pop tune informs the world that CA girls are the best because they wear Daisy Dukes with bikini tops and stilettos. The fact that they like to drink and have sex on the beach and in their Jeeps adds to their mystique, apparently. The song seems to be a frothy summertime confection, but the messages about partying, having sex, and needing to look hot are troubling, especially for impressionable kids who are figuring out what it means to grow up and be an adult.
Just in time for the summer heat, Katy Perry dishes out another sizzling single; this energetic but generic pop tune is sure to be blasting from convertibles everywhere. Although the message is definitely iffy for kids, the overall tone is fun, flirty, and ideal for summer parties (for adults, that is!). Snoop Dogg adds a few rap lines, which broadens the song's appeal.
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