Because Sometimes It’s Fun to Listen to Brats

This song has been earworming me all morning (NB: 30 second clip):

Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne

And it’s my own damn fault, because I referenced Avril Lavigne in something I wrote. Stupid of me, I know.

That said, I like the song, even though (or possibly because) at this point in life it is wildly outside my own frame of reference. The chances of some young thang applying the content of the song to me are roughly the same as me getting hit by a meteor, and even if one did, what I would do is patiently explain the difference between me and, say, Zac Efron. And if that didn’t work, Krissy would just beat the crap out of her. Problem solved. But it’s still catchy. Which is all I ask out of Avril Lavigne, really.

Here’s the video, in case now you can’t get it out of your head until you listen to the whole thing. It has 84 million views, which suggests that we’ll be hearing this song from now until the end of our days. Prepare yourself.

39 Comments on “Because Sometimes It’s Fun to Listen to Brats”

  1. I think the 84 million views might be attributable to the fact that the video was posted over a year ago. :)

    Get with the program Scalzi. It’s like you’re not down with the teeny boppers or something.

  2. The song’s the subject of a copyright suit from what I remember. Maybe I’ll look up the progress on Pacer when I get the chance.

  3. Oh, that clip was ridiculously catchy – it will be the anthem of every girl in 50 countries for the next 20 years. I envy her publishing royalties.

    I took the baby boomer solution to get that hook out of my head: The Faces’ “Pool Hall Richard”. If that doesn’t work it’s Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut”. That riff will obliterate anything.

  4. Matthew Dyer:

    “It’s like you’re not down with the teeny boppers or something.”

    I think we’re all grateful for that one, Matthew.

  5. Next post: Differences between John Scalzi and Zac Efron, ooooooor difference between Zoe Perry and Avril Lavigne (or Vanessage Hudgens) (or maybe one of the girls on Gossip Girl)?

  6. So there I was…2 days before me and my wife were taking our daughter to her first concert. And you guessed it. It was a Avril concert in San Jose. But then something bad happened. Avril had a sore throat so she canceled all the west coast shows. And yes I was looking forward to see how they did live.

  7. Avril wastes her talent on bubble gum crap. She has displayed at various points in the past (such as covering Metallica’s “Fuel”) that she has the chops for real rock.

    I wish she would make some. We need more real female singers in the Rock world.

  8. This song may well be the one that forces me to turn off the in-game music in Burnout: Paradise, where it’s one of the ones that is in rotation.

  9. Haplo Peart:

    She has plenty of time to go into rock when she’s no longer in her early 20s and teen girls cease to be a profitable market for her. In the meantime, why begrudge her the ability to financially set herself up for life?

    Mensely:

    Hate to say, I’ve never been fond of that particular Matthew Sweet song.

  10. I really hate this song because when it goes into it’s chorus I just think the song writer is retarded or living in some fantasy land. Then I imagine some poor girl trying the line out and getting punched in the face by the guy’s actual girlfriend. The video really doesn’t help the song any.

  11. Yes, it would be an ill-advised thing for teen girls to live their lives according to the precepts of Avril Lavigne.

    Mind you, she is playing both girls in the video. For an extra dose of subtext!

  12. Ah, Avril. I’ve heard that song on the radio several times and didn’t know who was singing. Is it just me, or is there a certain resemblance to the 80s pop masterpiece Mickey?

    I accept no responsibility if John posts the Mickey video later today or tomorrow. Not.my.fault.at.all.

  13. So… just how *are* you putting all these multimedia links into “Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded?” Do we get a bonus DVD? Are there tinyurl links so we can still go back?

  14. An entry like this doesn’t rate inclusion, so it’s not a problem.

  15. So what Matthew Sweet songs are you fond of?

    I’m guessing “We’re The Same” from 100% Fun

  16. She did versions of it in a bunch of languages, too. I really like to Japanese one for some reason. :-)

  17. For another possible earworm song, one that also concerns what will probably be the other end of the obviously ill-fated relationship Avril is trying to arrange in “girlfriend”, check out:

    “Potential Breakup Song” by Aly & AJ.

    “I want my stuff back”. How else could a “I don’t like your girlfriend. I think you need a new one.” relationship end?

    – yeff

  18. Yeah she plays both parts which is interesting though I think they failed to make either part really work story wise in the video. The poor down trodden book worm to the goth reject doesn’t inspire me to sympathize with either. Now if the girlfriend had been some hot bitchy cheerleader stuck in the mud to the carefree goth alt girl desire to be with the poor goth guy stuck with this totally wrong girl maybe there would be something there. But I just end up feeling vaguely sorry for the wrong girl (the bookworm) and oddly amused that girl power in the video’s subtext is all about stealing men from other girls… which is neither here nor there in the long run but amusing to me.

    Also the video director is making a sad call back to a Mariah Carey video where she played both parts, danced in movie theater and fought her other self in the bathroom, the song was “Heartbreaker”.

    If you can’t tell I’ve thought way too much about this song. =/

  19. I loves me some bubblegum. The only thing I like better than plain bubblegum is bubblegum with chocolate inside. And also maybe some broken glass:

  20. Um, I am slightly abashed to admit that I have The Best Damn Thing on the playlist I listen to while running. Because I need me some teeny bopper grrrrl power motivation when running. I also have Squeeze Toy on that playlist.

  21. Most of the the brats I’ve heard only sizzle with the occasional whistling if they’re about to burst their casing.

    What? We’re not talking about bratwurst?

  22. Just to illustrate how much all pop sounds alike, this is an amazing mashup of all 25 #1 billboard pop songs from 2007, including Miss Lavigne.

  23. You. Are. EVIL.

    I’ve been listening to this over and over again for over two hours now. It’s like zombies in my brain or something.

  24. DG Lewis @ 25: So what Matthew Sweet songs are you fond of?

    I like “Thought I Knew You” and “In Too Deep”.

  25. The fact the that video for “Girlfriend” isn’t a remake of the video for “Mickey” is failure on a fairly massive scale.

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