I personally know the woman who wrote the following post. I respect her opinions and I trust her knowledge. I’ve not yet had a chance to read what Gabe Saporta has said on the subject of the Millionaires, and I won’t make a final decision until I do. But from what is posted below, I know for a fact that the Millionaires are in no way an empowering, woman-positive female band.
I want female bands, I want them badly. But I require from them the same thing I require from all of my other music: that it not degrade me or my gender. And from the lyrics alone I can see that the Millionaires fail that basic test in one of the most aggressive ways possible. I am disheartened that they were signed to Decaydance, I can’t imagine how their hatefulness is a good fit for the label.
musicalbeds: Goodbye, Cobra Starship
For years, people have been complaining that technology has only done bad things for our “relationships” with celebrities. I’ve agreed, for the most part, though I did my best to point out that seeing someone’s blog post, or Twitter update, doesn’t mean I know them — only that I know what they’re allowing me to see. I’m a smart girl, so this hasn’t been a difficult thing to understand. I also haven’t had a problem with that limited view… until now.
As anyone who’s come across this stupid little blog can obviously tell, I love music. I’m very band-loyal and I find a lot of my music from musician recommendations. This has been both interesting and frustrating because I don’t always enjoy the artists or bands that my favourite musicians take the time to pimp (be it online or on tour). This is fine - to each her own, blah blah blah. I would never look down on someone for the music they like.
Unless, of course, it offends me. Then I can be a pretty judgemental bitch about it.
A few weeks ago, Absolute Punk posted a photo of the new Millionaires EP. You’ll notice the fact that I didn’t link either the picture or the Millionaires website. There’s a reason for that - I refuse to do anything that might give them page hits. Anyway, this EP had a DecayDance logo in the credits. It looked kind of photoshopped and a lot of people, both on Absolute Punk and LiveJournal’s Ice Cream Headaches FOB community thought it might be fake, wishful thinking, or perhaps some kind of “Sign Us!” campaign. I didn’t know what to think, so I said my piece and didn’t bother getting too worked up about it, though I, like many others, was quite upset at the prospect of Millionaires sharing space with the other DecayDance bands.
Why? Well, let’s look at some lyrics:I Like Money
Cigarettes, 80 proof
Take my picture, I’m so damn cute!
Fake ID’s, lots of cash
Race that Benz, we go real fast
2 a.m. and I’m still goin’
Pour my drink, it’s overflowin’!
Take me home, rough me up
No one’s here so lets just fuck!
If we ignore the line about roughing them up (something I’m sure all women enjoy!), I suppose it’s not so bad. It’s vapid and has no substance, but it’s not the end of the world. Let’s keep going.Painted Whore
You’re a painted whore, i can’t lie
he walks in, you suck him dry
your face is white, your neck is brown
put more on you fucking clown
give him a hug,
shits on your sleeve
his quickie’s done, you’re asked to leave
draw on your brows with that black pen
he rates you one
he rates me ten
lipstick
compact
blush brush
don’t touch
hey painted whore,
put on some more.
you look like trash
you piece of shit
talk that crack and you’ll get hit
get him off with your tongue
back down bitch
you’re fucking done
you’re just a slut, its plain to see
as you’re staring at him from your knees
your task is done, get outside
back to your corner, you have no pride
Casual misogyny always gets me hot. Especially when it comes from another woman. That just makes it extra special.I Move It
So finally I see you coming up to dance with me,
You look so hot, come touch my bod..
don’t make me plea.
ya that’s the way I like it boy come give a little more,
so bend me down, I’ll bring it up, I know I’ll make you sore.
[…]
I’ll work it down
shake it down
drop it to the floor.
If you’ll bend me over
work me over
like you did before.
I know you like it
know you see it
come & get some more.
so work it out
break it down,
come on make me sore.
And one more, because we’ll be here all night, otherwise:Ho Down
Look at that fat slut over there
Her dress is so tight, it’s making me stare
She’s lickin’ on that lollipop with her tongue
So lets just shoot her
With our guns!
So my mommy’s in the kitchen cooking that chicken
It’s taking way to long so I give her a whipin’
My daddy walks in as I’m layin’ it down.
But he don’t say shit!
Cause I rule this town!
Dumb bitches.
So we’re going to a show to hear this band play
The beat starts kickin’, but this bitch is in my way
I ask her to move and she says,
“Shit, son!”
Well i could beat you ass, does that sound fun?
(Chorus)
Yeah, uh huh, what, okay.
Yeah, uh huh, oh oh okay.
Okay!
My parents always told me not to drink or cuss or fuck.
But look how i turned out, just their fuckin’ luck
So come and follow us, we’ll show you a good time.
But if you’re gonna whine, bitch don’t waste our time
Bitch!
Yeah, uh huh, what, okay.
I wouldn’t accept this bullshit from a man, so why the hell should I be expected to swallow it from a woman? As I’ve said before, Stop trying to make yourselves look so cheap. There are plenty of people in this world who will do that for you!
I could have gladly ignored these ridiculous children (only one is of age in the US), except for how DecayDance did, indeed, sign them. And who was listed as the Assistant A&R? That would be Gabriel Saporta. And whose album are they supposedly “singing” on? Cobra Starship’s.
I think we all know that with Gabe, the over-sexed thing is definitely not an act. At least he had something of a charming nature to either hide that, or distract from it. That so-called charming nature has disappeared for me, though, and now I can honestly say that I’m tired and disappointed. And even more offended as a woman than I was before when it came to his stupidity.
Apparently, last week the shit hit the fan and Gabe was deluged with bitchy comments and e-mails about the Millionaires. I don’t have direct links to this because I refuse to wade through comment threads on unrelated blog posts. I can guess (pretty accurately, given some of the excerpts he posted) that most of the posts were misspelled diatribes that amount to “SELL OUT!” and “ASSHOLE PIG!” While that might be your opinion, it’s certainly not the way to have your opinion heard and not just glossed over. I’m really glad that people were angry enough and disturbed enough to say speak up, but a) a lot of people didn’t do it properly and b) they were bitching to the wrong person. Gabe might have been “Assistant A&R” but all that means is that he handed off a CD. He himself mentions that he gave their name to Crush Management and things took off from there.
Here are Gabe’s thoughts on the matter and some comments/emails he has received, along with his responses to them. He himself says that he doesn’t feel it’s fair for him to be forced to defend his musical tastes. And I agree with that. What he listens to on his iPod is his own business. But do you know what he does have to defend? This stupid comment:millionaires are a walking contradiction. deplorable in many ways, and empowering in others. the person who just sees the periphery will not get that. but i dug a little deeper. and i understood the joke and thought it was hilarious .
No, Gabriel. There is no “joke.” There is no “empowerment.” There is no “digging deeper.”
And you know what? I resent the implication that I’m just some kid who “doesn’t get it” while he, the great Gabe Saporta, is in on it. I’m far from an idiot, and I am very well able to find the humour in something that might not be my cup of tea, or which might even be a little wrong. But hey, maybe see things from vastly different points of view. Let’s examine them.
I’m an educated woman. I’m 28, teach elementary school, and I live in Canada. I spend my days talking to both young girls and boys, hopefully helping them to feel comfortable with themselves and each other. I believe in treating people with respect and not seeing them as nothing more than meat. I believe that sexy =/= slutty, and that a woman who enjoys sex is not automatically a whore. I think that respect has to be demanded, and that you should never put up with someone treating you like you don’t matter.
He’s some dude who seemingly thinks with his cock, and who enjoys hearing women say lines like, “Cunt, I’ll cut your tongue,” and “Look at us, we’re fucking wasted.” He has decided to say incredibly stupid things on the Internet, thereby making sure that the public persona he chooses to share with us is one that cannot come across as anything other than insensitive, misinformed, and lacking in common sense.
Gabe isn’t the only one I’m incredibly disappointed with. DecayDance is Pete Wentz’s baby. He claims to take pride in the bands that he signs, and he’s always going on and on about the need for women in music. I believe in that, too. What I don’t believe in is the way he blames his female fans when they don’t automatically love and fawn over the chicks in his bands. Apparently, if I don’t like Hey Monday because I dislike Cassadee Pope’s voice, it means I hate women. Or I feel threatened by something with a vagina. You know, because of how women secretly hate each other since we’re all in competition with one another.
I find it very hard to swallow anything Pete Wentz has to say about loving each other, and standing together, and how music should mean something. I mean… Millionaires? Seriously?
Look, I don’t need my music to be deep and insightful 24/7. What I do need is for it not to make me uncomfortable, or make my gender look cheap and nasty. What would you say to that, Pete? Would you tell me that I’m a misogynist? That I hate everyone of my gender because I want all the band boys to myself? Or would you hear my concerns as one adult talking to another?
I guess it doesn’t matter, because he and I are never going to talk. I’m not even going to send him a letter or an e-mail. I refuse to lump myself in with the rest of the rabid pack.
If I’d realized how I would feel right now, I would definitely not have spent almost $100 on Clandestine gear last week. I don’t think I want to wear it, but sending it back isn’t an option due to shipping costs.
Feel free to tell me that I’m over reacting, though I don’t agree. I feel pretty strongly about this. So strongly, in fact, that I’m okay with saying something like this: I’m finished with any band that works with Millionaires. I’m talking albums, touring, even word-of-mouth promotion. I’m not saying that it’ll be easy if it turns out that someone I really love and previously respected decided to let Millionaires ride their coattails, but I have standards. I’m not going to let them go.
I refuse to pay to be this disgusted.
