Hot N Cold by Katy Perry

"Hot N Cold" music video

My 17 year-old brother-in-law, Matt, loves “Hot N Cold.” He told me that he is totally into this song regardless of the how rocking out to this song may reflect on his masculinity and the fact that it’s a girly pop song. The first time I heard it in the car when he was driving me a couple weeks ago, I noted the catchy nature of the song but did not understand why he liked this song so much. After he dropped me off at my place, I went on youtube.com, found the video, watched it, and was even more baffled the appeal of the song to a senior guy in high school.

I didn’t think much about Katy Perry for a couple weeks and a few days ago, Matt recommended that I do a post on “Hot N Cold.” So, I gave this song another chance, and after listening to it for the past 4 days and I got to admit, this is a fun song. I mean, it’s not something that is changing my perspective on art or life, but I find myself singing this song as I’m walking around and like a really good joke I can’t help but smile when I think about this song.

The awesome thing about Katy Perry is that her stage persona is exactly the same as the personality that you sense listening to “Hot N Cold.” Here is this cute, quirky, sarcastic and fun song and when you see pictures of her and watch her videos, you realize that there is no one who is having as much with this music as she is. She’s like a typical Generation X girl who has gotten over herself and decided to have some fun with life. I don't understand her fascination with watermelons but I got to admit it's pretty entertaining.

The first two lines are insults that a guy would to describe a girlfriend that he is annoyed with, “You change your mind, Like a girl changes clothes. Yeah you, PMS like a b****, I would know.” I grew up in the 1990s and I know that comparing someone to girl as an insult is sexist and stereotypes woman. Saying that someone “throws like a girl” implies that girls are inferior in strength and reinforces the stereotype that men are better then woman at sports. I know better having witnessed incredible physical and mental strength in the woman in my life and the fact is that most people, girls or boys can throw a ball better then me proving this stereotype false.

Ok, I’ll admit that when I’m hanging out with a bunch of guys sometimes these kinds of insults still come out, “Oh you enjoyed High School Music 3? Oh I didn’t realize that you were pre-teen girl and by the way, how’s that training bra working out for.” It’s different because it’s said in jest and I can make stupid jokes like that in the confidence of my friends because they know me well enough to know that I don’t make a habit of objectifying woman and that I’m not a chauvinistic pig. I know there are still men and woman out there who believe strong negative stereotypes about the opposite sex but the thing is, with people in my circle making these kinds of comments is more an exercise in ridiculousness rather then a reflection of true feelings.

Is Katy Perry propagating sexist ideas by utilizing sexist insults? No, c’mon, seriously, all she is asking the guy to do is to stop acting like a false stereotype of a woman It’s funny and effective because she’s using language that a guy would use to describe such annoyances. The first line “You change your mind, like a girl changes clothes” can easily pictured with a group of guys and maybe if some guy is being a pain, maybe another guy would ask if he is PMS’ing. The hilarious part of the opening is that Katy says “I would know” when talking about PMS’ing reminding us that she knows first hand what it’s like to PMS, acknowledging that it causes her to not be the best partner in the relationship and more to the point, she’s telling the guy to cut it out.

She ends the first verse, talking about how he over thinks things and speaks cryptically. Now all of you have relationships with woman and I’m sure you’ve encountered passive-aggressive behavior. It’s asking your wife if she needs help with the dishes and she says no, but the way she says it, you know that she wants your help. This can get annoying and we think "if you she wants help, why doesn’t she asks for it?" Well, she wants you to do it without her having to tell you. There is a level of care and initiative that she wants you to express but ladies, seriously, if that's what you want just ask for it.

Now, in my experience, guys (including me) do not pick up on hints very well, and much frustration will ensue from both parties if this kind of passive behavior is the basis for the communication in the relationship. The above situation is just an example and in no ways do I believe that all women have passive-aggressive tendencies and there are plenty of guys who display passive-aggressive behavior as well.

Katy is being the exact opposite of passive-aggressive in this song. She is telling her boyfriend exactly how she feels and what annoys her about this guy. For some guys, who have had the misfortune of being in relationships with girls who are passive-aggressive, this is a fantasy: a girl telling what is actually on her mind.

The song utilizes synthesized songs that harkens back to the electronic experimentation of the 1980s. This sense of nostalgia brings a sense of comfort and the modern way that the music is put together gives us something we are familiar with in a way that we don’t expect. “Hot N Cold” feels like a breath a fresh air, both comforting and exhilarating.

I think I get what is awesome about this song. It speaks with a language that appeals to both guys and girls. Her singing is more focused on expressing her attitude rather than artful signing which may be off-putting for some but for me makes the music more accessible and interesting.

Sometimes I wish I could always have a witty comment or an interesting observation like people do in sit-coms on television. If you have hung out with me, you know that I try, often unsuccessfully. I wish I could express myself as Katy does in this song with a level of sarcasm, using old insults in new ways, and in the end, helping people understand their mistakes and not to take themselves too seriously.

Will this song stand the test of time? I don’t know, but it’s always going to stay with me because really, who could possibly forget a 17 year-old guy rocking out to this song in sheer delight? Is this really that weird? Well, maybe not, but this is coming from a 26 year-old guy who just spent has been rocking out to this song for the past four days and loving every second of it.