Consider the Los Angeles hip-hop quartet the Black Eyed Peas. Their current single, "My Humps," is one of the most popular hit singles in history. It is also proof that a song can be so bad as to veer toward evil.
So begins a terrific and spot-on article on Slate about one of the worst songs ever recorded. Thanks to my pop-loving co-worker, I am all too well-acquainted with this song, and every time I hear it, I want to jam a pencil in my eardrums. I cast a jaundiced eye on popular culture generally, but the popularity of this song is enough to convince me that the taste of the American masses is so appalling and insipid as to be beyond redemption.
Meet the lowest common denominator, ladies and gentlemen, for it is here. After this comes darkness, only darkness. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to stock my bomb shelter.
Posted by Mediocre Fred at December 7, 2005 08:01 AM | TrackBackI'd been spared hearing this song all the way until Thanksgiving. I should figure out what I did to offend the universe at that point.
rendering literal what had heretofore been pretty much literal. It's a song that tries to evoke a coquettish nudge and wink, but head-butts and bloodies the target instead. It isolates sectors of the female anatomy that obsessive young men have been inventing language for since their skulls fused, and yet it emerges only with "humps" and "lumps" -- at least "Milkshake" sounded delicious.
Reminded me of Chris Rock's complaint that hiphop nowadays is written by illiterates, such that if someone tried to do "Pull Up to the Bumper" now, they'd just write "F--- Me in the A--."
Posted by: PG at December 14, 2005 02:08 PMPG,
I also thought of Rock's line when I first heard this song. I have been hearing "My Humps" at least twenty times a week for several months now, and while I haven't figured out what atrocity I've committed against mean and God to deserve this, it must have been a doozy.
Posted by: Mediocre Fred at December 16, 2005 12:32 PM