http://stateofnature.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-politics-of-car-destruction/ Where politics and philosophy meet, get drunk and make decisions they'll both regret. Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:43:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://stateofnature.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-politics-of-car-destruction/#comment-575 Thomas W. Hobbes Wed, 16 Jan 2008 04:13:23 +0000 http://stateofnature.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-politics-of-car-destruction/#comment-575 There are quite a few songs written about the cuckold boyfriend that I neglected to include in this post. The two best known would be "Gimme Three Steps" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans. They're essentially the same song; a guy meets a girl in a bar, they hit it off and are having a great time when the girl's cheated boyfriend arrives. The key difference between these songs and "Before He Cheats" is that the cheated party's rage is exclusively directed at the other man. "Judy's Turn to Cry" takes a more subtle angle on this same theme, complete with the man-on-man violence. These songs are all about revenge, like you pointed out; the "teaching her a lesson" theme evident in "Before S/He Cheats" would bring in an even creepier, patriarchal, "that'll learn her" feel to the song if the target were a woman. There are quite a few songs written about the cuckold boyfriend that I neglected to include in this post. The two best known would be “Gimme Three Steps” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Come a Little Bit Closer” by Jay and the Americans. They’re essentially the same song; a guy meets a girl in a bar, they hit it off and are having a great time when the girl’s cheated boyfriend arrives. The key difference between these songs and “Before He Cheats” is that the cheated party’s rage is exclusively directed at the other man. “Judy’s Turn to Cry” takes a more subtle angle on this same theme, complete with the man-on-man violence. These songs are all about revenge, like you pointed out; the “teaching her a lesson” theme evident in “Before S/He Cheats” would bring in an even creepier, patriarchal, “that’ll learn her” feel to the song if the target were a woman.

]]> http://stateofnature.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-politics-of-car-destruction/#comment-574 Tom Foss Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:40:59 +0000 http://stateofnature.wordpress.com/2008/01/12/the-politics-of-car-destruction/#comment-574 "Two-Seater" by Bowling For Soup is about the only song I know where a guy vandalizes his ex-girlfriend's car. It manages to stay away from creepy, I think, because it's so upbeat and apologetic. And perhaps because it's "revenge" as opposed to "teaching her a lesson," as it would be in the Carrie Underwood song. “Two-Seater” by Bowling For Soup is about the only song I know where a guy vandalizes his ex-girlfriend’s car. It manages to stay away from creepy, I think, because it’s so upbeat and apologetic. And perhaps because it’s “revenge” as opposed to “teaching her a lesson,” as it would be in the Carrie Underwood song.

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