Avril Lavigne Is Portraying A Positive Message To Girls
Contributed anonymously:
Before I start this article, I’d like to say that I have always hated Avril Lavigne. I have plenty of nicknames for her that would probably get me banned form Popdirt, and the whole “punk” image (tie and all) that she tries to play out is tired, but I have to applaud her for ‘Don’t Tell Me’. ‘Punk’ image aside, the song has a very uplifting message for girls. In this sex obsessed culture, girls all too quickly give away their bodies. Here are a few lyrics that I think show the meaning of the song best.
“Don’t think that your charm and the fact that your arm is now around my neck
Will get you in my pants I’ll have to kick your ass and make you never forget
I’m gonna ask you to stop, thought I liked you a lot, but I’m really upset
Get out of my head get off of my bed yeah that’s what I said”
Plenty of girls have been in that exact situation, and it’s good to know that Avril has the courage to write about it and let girls in on the “secret” that they don’t need to have sex with the guy, just because he’s nice to her. I won’t name names, but plenty of pop stars today devote their albums EXCLUSIVELY to sex. I think I speak for a lot of people here when I say that “pop” music needs to rise above this concentration. Look into the past, and you’ll see bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, who created quality music that was popular, and much of it was unconnected with sex.
Back to the topic at hand, though…
Of course, ‘Don’t Tell Me’ is getting much less airplay then that corny “punk” song, ‘Complicated.’ That’s the way it goes, though. Release ANYTHING of substance nowadays on the radio, and it’s thrown out like yesterday’s news. However, I applaud Ms. Lavigne for making a statement.
‘My Happy Ending’ Video Debuts On ‘TRL’
June 13, 2004 - MTV’s Total Request Live announced that Avril Lavigne’s new video ‘My Happy Ending’ will be released on Monday (June 14). The video was shot in the last week of April in the streets of New York.
Related News
7 thoughts on “Avril Lavigne Is Portraying A Positive Message To Girls”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Yeah, I have to say I agree with you so much. (I don’t like Avril either) But yeah there is so many songs about sex, and it’s making girls think that’s what they have to do to get guys to like them. I wish girls understood that we have the upper hand! Honestly, as soon as we give into sex we lose that. And with all these singers these days singing about that they’ve got their ideas messed up on what you have to do to get a guy to like you. Honestly think about it. When Brad Pitt first met Jen, she wouldn’t sleep with him until after 8 or 9 months. Now he could have easily tossed her aside and found someone else who would have, but instead it intrigued him. Guys like challenges, and by giving in to early you bore them and they move on. So yeah I know I tend to ramble, but I agree with what your saying. And props for mentioning Nirvana and Pearl Jam
I agree with you completely! I was not much of an Avril fan til “Don’t Tell Me” came out. I bought the CD and it really is pretty good. The album is diverse in content. It is not all cheesy love songs that are bullsh** to begin with. I can relate to that song, even now when I am 28 years old. It is important for girls to know that we don’t have to have sex to keep a guy. And if a guy won’t stay because we decide we are not ready then he isn’t the ‘one’ anyways. The radio stations in Atlanta play Avril a lot so I am glad to see a song with such a powerful statement get great airplay :) As far as her ‘punk’ image. Like most girls her age, she is just trying to find herself. Avril is no different than most girls who want to experiment with looks. And who said you had to be just one image? I can look sexy, bummy, professional and even innocent. I am a little of everything so why can’t Avril or any other celebrity? Great essay even tho essays are usually lame.
Here are some messages Avril sends to young girls: 1) Pretend you are something you are not. It is preferable to be phony. 2) Talk bad about your peers in order to get attention for yourself.
Well, I agree with you on some things, but saying that we have lost the upper hand just because we give into sex doesn’t make any sense. If you’re giving into sex just for the sake of pleasing a guy and not equally doing it for the passion, the love, the intimacy, and the pleasure that both must have and share before making love, then that is just sad, but nothing is lost from doing that unless you don’t gain some wisdom and sense from it. Songs about sex aren’t what real sex and love making is all about, girls most of the time don’t even imitate what’s sung in the songs, if they’re thinking having sex is the only way to get a guy to like you than there has to be more influences such as peers, or just pressure, other than just the lyrics of a song. Most girls have more common sense than that, we can’t always blame the songs. Not all guys are into challenges, a mature guy whose looking for an actual relationship with someone is better than that, it all depends on the guy. And by the way, I didn’t get why you had to talk about Brad Pitt and Jennifer to make a point about your opinion. They are adults, they aren’t 14 year old teens, what they do behind closed doors is not our business.
I agree with you, but just because most artists devote their albums exclusively to sex doesn’t mean they are saying to young girls that the only way to get a guy to like you is to have them get in your pants. Their music is aimed towards a more mature audience that wouldn’t take the lyrics so literally. If a person is not mature and doesn’t have the common sense to think for themselves than they shouldn’t listen to it, simple as that. Avril is younger than most of the artists that have more sexual songs, and she’s aiming herself to a younger audience anyways, so it’s no surprise that she’s more of a “role model” compared to others. There’s nothing wrong with having songs with sexual content in it, young girls that aren’t mature enough to know what it means to be in a relationship with a guy with or without sex need someone to tell them the common facts, and a role model, like Hilary Duff or somebody.
Not all artists target themselves to a young fan base, and they don’t need to be. There are music for mature people, older people, and younger people. And obviously artists like Britney Spears and Christina aren’t making music that’s for the younger fan base, as well as many other artists. They have every right to move on and keep up with the times and to do music that’s for their age and for an older fanbase, there are plenty of artist that are rolemodels and are obviously aiming their music to young people, it doesn’t make sense to expect artists like Christina and Britney to do that when that’s not their motif.
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, and for the peeps that are talking about the other negative messages Avril puts out…she’s not perfect. But it IS nice that someone is letting teens know that it’s ok to be yourself (i.e. be abstinent until you’re ready) and still fit in. BTW…that song gets tons of airplay where I live….I’m sick of it already.
I think you are totally wrong. First off, Avril is not the first one to make this message. Remember that Monica song “I don’t get down”. Talking about how the guy wanted to have sex with her but she said I am not going to?? And Avril is not setting any good example for girls. She lies about who she is, how much input she really has on her songs, and that she can play guitar. Everything she does is fake and filled with lies all for people to think she is so real and original. She lied her way up to where she is today, it has nothing to do with talent. She doesn’t have a strong voice, nor guitar playing skills/writing skills. Just because people like Britney and Christina sell sex, doesn’t make them less than Avril. Christina can sing better than Avril EVER could. And them selling sex is just about the same thing as Avril selling her phony skater image to appeal to young kids. Avril just like Britney, is using her clothes to get where she is today, just as Britney did. And the fact that you are acting like Avril made some big statement, after all the lies, hypocrisy, fakeness and lack of talent makes me sick.
Whoever wrote this is an idiot. As maypillow said, Avril wasn’t the first person to say this. And their are also plenty of artists out there, NOT selling sex. Even people like Hilary Duff whom Avril hates is not selling sex in music or clothing. Aside from Avril’s lies and no talent. You are saying Avril sets a good message for girls in that song hmm? Well is bashing other pop artists for no good reason a good respectable thing to do? How about talking about getting drunk every night when she was 17..and to this day talks about getting drunk. Which is ILLEGAL. At least what Britney and Christina wear is legal to do, Avril is setting examples to drink underage. Which could lead to drunk driving, death etc. But Britney wears a tube top, and SHE is the bad role model? Or what about Avril lying about being a skater and a rocker? Or lying about writing her music, or playing guitar when she was caught on tape tons of times PRETENDING to play. Avril lies about everything, and does things that are illegal and she is a good role model. And Britney wears a short skirt and is the anti Christ all the sudden? Maybe you should re think your essay.