Kimberly Steele

Katy Perry’s new video “I Kissed a Girl� is an attempted throw back to 80’s excess with a dash of pin up doll vulnerability. Katy starts the video with quick glances of legs, lips and little bit of cleavage to get the interest of the viewer, male or female, and then quickly takes her next shot into a slow rise up from her feet, which are incased in six inch stilettos, to her legs and finally pans up to her face. Here is where we see the full shot of Katy in a short dress, 1920’s pinned back hair and holding a cat. I think the reference for what the cat stands for doesn’t need to be mentioned. This follow up to her song “Ur so Gay�, which was a standout to what all girlfriends wish they could say to their exes, is essentially the one song on the album made to hook the listener. It’s the guaranteed number one on the CD while the video to this hit, well, sucked. After the scene moves into something other than her lying on a bed, we get to witness her standing in the middle of a room trying to figure out just what exactly she is supposed to be doing. Meanwhile in the background, women are surrounding her, wearing castoff clothes from Madonna’s Truth or Dare tour and a Pussycat Dolls B List audition, trying to appear sexy. The image they give instead is of a brothel waiting room where women wait to be picked to go upstairs. Katy is waving a cheap fan in front of her face, trying to think of actions to do, while she stands in one spot singing the same words over and over again. Next we get four or five shots of a bad 80’s video complete with fingerless gloves, pink bow leopard print shoes and a harsh orange lighting. Here’s Katy though, coming in with the aforementioned vulnerability. She starts leaning up against a wall and staring seductively into a camera, the video attempting to show that good girls, aka Katy, can behave badly and that you’re the one she wants to behave badly with. Except that, with her hand moving to cover up her face half a dozen times, she looks like she’s hiding and again, doesn’t quite know what to do. Vulnerability? Check. Now we need excess. Here we get to witness more lingerie only on Katy this time and longing looks at other women. Apparently cherry chapstick goes well with the dominatrix. The only thing missing from this sequence in the video was Katy or one of the background girls writhing on the hood of White Snakes car. Finally, 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the video things start to actually have some action to it and wouldn’t you know, it’s a pillow fight. Oh Katy. Who would have ever thought of that? At least here she looks like she is actually enjoying herself and doesn’t have to worry about singing along to the music track. Don’t worry though, that fan makes it back in and we’re back to her shaking her shoulders. To end the video, Katy’s back in the same position that she started, lying on the bed. Only this time gone is the kitty and here enters that boyfriend, sleeping soundly next to her while she awakes from a dream about kissing a girl and liking it. Leaving us with a little, all knowing smile Katy fails back into her dream. No Katy, your boyfriend won’t mind it but for our sake, keep it to yourself.