Sunday, December 6, 2009

Unmanly Music: A Countdown (of sorts)

Raise your hand if you like Lady Gaga! Well, I do. (My current faves are "Paparazzi" and "Just Dance".)

Tammy told me this weekend how much she loves that I'm not afraid to like unmanly music. She claims it's because I'm secure in my manhood. I'd agree with that assessment, and, of course, it helps that I'm bigger than most men. So, who's going to say anything if I like breaking it down to Queen's "I Want to Break Free."

Here's a Top 10 list (in no particular order) of unmanly music that I like:
  1. "Stayin' Alive" Bee Gees. Sure, the subject of this song may be a little edgy, but listen to their voices. It's like thinking Mike Tyson is this bulldog in the boxing ring, but then he opens his mouth and sounds completely ludicrous.
  2. "Dancing Queen" Abba. Dancing? Queen? How about this lyric, "You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17." Yeah, I don't think too many manly men are going to be caught in public dancing to this. But still, it's catchy.
  3. "Don't Feel Like Dancin'" Scissor Sisters. Actually, men seem to hide from songs with dancing in the title as if they're vampires and dancing songs are sunlight. Most manly men need at least a few brewskies in 'em before they can even think about the dance floor, but I can't help but dance whenever I hear this song.
  4. "Xanadu" Olivia Newton John & ELO. Let's face it. Boys are allowed to hang around skating rinks, but men better be there with their children. Actually, they ought to be dropping off their children and running off to watch football or work on their cars, mess around in the shop, mow their lawns, etc. Gosh, I love this song!
  5. "Careless Whisper" Wham! Straight men can't like Wham! or George Michael, right? It's some kind of algebra problem, right? Right? Well, I never was good at algebra, and I love this song. And for that matter, I love...
  6. "Faith" George Michael. "I gotta have faith, faith, faith--Baby!" Yeah, this song is so freaking catchy and not manly.
  7. "Hollaback Girl" Gwen Stefani. I like this song because I'm a sucker for a good beat, and "I ain't no hollaback girl." Is it me, or is this list getting less and less and less and less...
  8. "Summer Love" Justin Timberlake. Timberlake is like the modern day Bee Gees multiplied by the sum of Wham! and Olivia Newton John. I mean, he was in a band called Nsync, right? But yo, "I can't wait to fall in love with you; you can't wait to fall in love with me; this just can't be summer love."
  9. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Cyndi Lauper. Yeah, you don't hear this song often in the weight room (wedged between Metallica and AC/DC). Most men don't like songs with dancing in the title, but they loathe song titles that include girls.
  10. "Material Girl" Madonna. Another "girl" song, but darn it, I've always loved this song. And quick confession: I can still remember standing in the kitchen and singing along with Madonna as a boy and telling my mom that I was going to sing like Madonna when I got older. She, of course, told me I would not. And she was right.

*****

I had a great weekend. Tammy and I got out to a Christmas festival in Duluth. This one booth sells some awesome brunswick stew. (If you've never had this stew before, then you're really missing out. I was until being introduced to it last December.) We also got over to a used bookstore and watched a lot of football (both college and NFL).

Speaking of which, my fantasy football team missed the playoffs in our keeper league for the first time ever. Oh well. I knew my streak of making the playoffs would have to end eventually.

*****

Speaking of manly activities, I worked on my poetry quite a bit this weekend: writing, revising, and submitting.

I also started a new hashtag on Twitter: #poetweet

I'm going to start tweeting short poems on Twitter whenever the mood strikes and include the #poetweet hashtag. If you're into poetry, I encourage you to do the same.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't John McCain say that he thought Abba was unfairly underrated in this country? See, it can't be THAT unmanly...

Robert Lee Brewer said...

I don't know how to respond to Abba and John McCain in the same sentence. Hmm...

Unknown said...

McCain? abba-dabba-don't!

Jessie Carty said...

that is an awesome line up of songs and i know my spouse has at least three of them on his iPod :) manly men singing girly songs unite!

... Paige said...

Music is Music; catchy tunes and lyrics make not the man but the mood for any occasion.
Speaking of Abba, have you seen Momma Mia? Very funny
My Beloved likes Lady G and I like Katy Perry even though I have not Kissed a Girl.

Robert Lee Brewer said...

O, yeah, I agree. I think it's silly that there are so many divisions between the genders in music and marketing. For instance, how silly is it that there is soap marketed directly to men? What next? Toothpaste for men? (Please let me know if this already exists.) Alcohol is even classified by manly or not. For instance, beer is considered manly; mixed drinks (even with higher alcohol content) are considered girly. Go figure.