The Magnetic Fields - California Girls

"California Girls" by the Magnetic Fields. The song was performed at Town Hall in New York City on [I forget, 2000 and something]. The song uses humor and over-the-top satire to mock the famous 1965 Beach Boys song as it reveals the singer's petty jealousies towards and subsequent resentment of supple and, dare i say, nubile young California "beach babes," or what have you, and all the rank and privilege associated with this sexist cultural stereotype. Because, after all, the lonely singer contends, it's just a dumb cliche so why all the fuss? ('Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!' readily comes to mind). Oh, yes. I, and, as it turns out, many other concert-goers -- not being the biggest Magnetic Fields fans -- were given a little jolt when we realized the song was being sung by a woman. When I first heard the song on my MP3 player I thought, 'Now there's a catchy and mildly amusing song, a little male chauvinistic sure, but it's all in good fun, righty-oh, old man? Besides sometimes those blond bimbos ARE annoying dagnabbit.' In short, I had assumed it was a dude doing the singing. But upon seeing the female singer out there on stage -- her unremarkable and rather plain face juxtaposed with the beauty of her musical talent and skill -- I must admit I felt a twinge of indignation based upon the notion this woman was bad-mouthing her own beautiful sister. How could she? Sorroricide, I hissed. Actually, I didn't do anything of the sort but a mental note was taken. I think I just grunted. Hearing the song performed live, it felt to me more like a musical manifesto, an anti-Bimbo proclamation issued by a fanatically devout member of the FemiNazi Party, rather than an indie rock novelty song as some concert-goers left the building thinking they'd heard. The jokey lyrics of the song quickly give way to darker territory as the singer comes to the part of the manifesto where one's intentions must be stated. "I have planned my grand attacks / I will stand behind their backs / with my brand-new battle ax / Then they will they taste my wrath / They will hear me say / as the pavement whirls / 'I hate California girls'. Yikes. At its core, this lovely three-minute musical diatribe is an insightful, poignant and heart-breaking look into the lonely world of a plain-looking music and arts nerd. There, I said it. A nerd. Nerds, nerds, nerds. Allow me to humbly submit my own first-hand observations and conclusions. At my California high school, we called them drama geeks. The boys proudly wore odd-looking and rather unfashionable ties which lovingly clashed with their paisley short-sleeve button-down shirts (50% polyester, no doubt). They seemed happy enough, after all, true nerds are not even aware of their own reputations, so determined is their mind-sets towards their respective passions. Many would later grow up to be those scruffy-looking but oddly enchanting "beta males" of Hollywood, the ones the kids seem to be so fond of nowadays. But the girls, the girls lived in a different world like that oddball Cosby girl Lisa Bonet Kravitz. They wore ill-fitting and faded black T-shirts, perhaps meant to cover up clunky and similarly ill-fitting breasts they were somehow issued, which clashed quite noticeably, they thought, to their particular station in life. Or not. I'll continue this fanciful extrapolation later.... --p512622439 aka the masked avenger aka ondal aka aka japanese cuisine