I've been reading and hearing buzz everywhere for the last several days about the video for Erykah Badu's song, "Window Seat", in which she strips naked. At first, I deliberately avoided having anything to do with it, as I often do with anything the media dubs controversial. But curiosity got the best of me, and after all, I do write a music blog. I watched the video, and I think it's bold and daring. I'm not a fan of her music, I could really care less about her, but she made a statement. It's unfortunate in this modern age that something as simplistic as shedding your clothing is considered a "statement", but she went for it nonetheless. So did Matt&Kim, Alanis Morrisette, and Blink-182 . If you've never seen Matt&Kim's video, for which Badu's was inspired, do check it out. I actually like theirs much better. Call it performance art, a cry for media attention, whatever you wish. But the thing to be disappointed about is the sentiment that fairly liberal people have been echoing for years: "What is the big deal?". Many raise the point of exposing children to nudity. If you don't want your children exposed to it, that's a personal decision you have control over. But why are we sheltering the general public from something that we all see every day? Just because you are nude does not mean you're going to have sex. Just because you're exposed to violence, such as Badu getting shot at the end of the video, does not mean you are going to commit an act of violence. If given the knowledge of right and wrong, as guided by a parent or guardian, you know the difference.
But I digress, as this debate is older than I am, and I'm sure will continue to rage on for years to come.
What are your thoughts on Window Seat, and other videos like it?
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