when the last season of american idol aired, i just knew there was no way fantasia was going to win. why? because reuben studdard won the previous season and kelly clarkson the season before that. so it was time for a white male to win. this is just how america works, right? i was wrong. (don't look surprised, i can admit when i'm wrong.)
when it got down to fantasia and diana, i knew it was going to be diana. she was younger and cuter. i was wrong again. my jaw literally dropped when fantasia's name was announced. i thought a teenage single mother as america's idol? and she can't even sing that well. when i have children i won't encourage them to idolize any person, but you can't control kids. and if they choose to admire a celebrity type, i certainly wouldn't want it to be someone advocating single parentness (is that a word?). well, you're probably thinking how is fantasia advocating single parentness? perhaps she just made a poor choice. okay, i could go with that until i heard her (and folks there just isn't a better word to describe it) GHETTO song on the radio this morning — BABY MAMA. the title itself is uplifting those who get pregnant before marriage and (surprise surprise) get left holding the bag (or baby).
don't get me wrong. i know there are mothers who choose single parenthood (that's a better word) because they don't get married and adopt. or others who were married, had kids, then divorced. or even others like, mrs. beamer, who were forced into single parenthood status due to tragedy. but these girls who go out, have premarital sex, and disrespect themselves by not keeping it safe(r), and then get pregnant ... they do not need to be idolized. they do not need to be made to feel as if that is something to be proud of. now they do need to be uplifted because obviously there are some self esteem issues. and their children should be uplifted, but the act itself does not. and this is exactly what fantasia's song does:
[chorus]B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A This goes out to all my baby mamas This goes out to all my baby mamas B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A This goes out to all my baby mamas I got love for all my baby mamas I
t's about time we had our own song
Don't know what took so long
Cuz now-a-days it like a badge of honer
To be a baby mama I see ya payin' ya bills
I see ya workin' ya job
I see ya goin' to school
And girl I know it's hard
And even though ya fed up
With makin' beds up
Girl, keep ya head up All my
[chorus]
I see you get that support check in the mail
Ya open it and your like 'What the Hell'
You say 'This ain't even half of daycare'
Sayin to yourself 'This here ain't fair'
And all my girls who don't get no help
Who gotta do everything by yourself
Remeber: What don't kill you can you stronger
My baby mama...
[chorus]
Cuz we the backbone (of the hood)
I always knew that (that we could)
We can go anywhere, we can do anything
I know we can make it if we dream
And I think it should be a holiday
For single mothers tryin' to make a way
But until then
Here is your song
Show love to my....
[chorus]
(lyrics courtesy of top hits online)
other people work and go to school. but because they don't have a baby, they have it better? if you make your bed, lie in it. a holiday for single mothers? please. ... we all now how sex works ... wrap it up or don't do it at all if you don't want to be a single mother.
my only solace is that (hopefully) fantasia isn't receiving government assistance since she won the television contest. so, congrats to her for becoming america's idol — but she's certainly no idol of mine. my aspirations are just a bit higher.
when it got down to fantasia and diana, i knew it was going to be diana. she was younger and cuter. i was wrong again. my jaw literally dropped when fantasia's name was announced. i thought a teenage single mother as america's idol? and she can't even sing that well. when i have children i won't encourage them to idolize any person, but you can't control kids. and if they choose to admire a celebrity type, i certainly wouldn't want it to be someone advocating single parentness (is that a word?). well, you're probably thinking how is fantasia advocating single parentness? perhaps she just made a poor choice. okay, i could go with that until i heard her (and folks there just isn't a better word to describe it) GHETTO song on the radio this morning — BABY MAMA. the title itself is uplifting those who get pregnant before marriage and (surprise surprise) get left holding the bag (or baby).
don't get me wrong. i know there are mothers who choose single parenthood (that's a better word) because they don't get married and adopt. or others who were married, had kids, then divorced. or even others like, mrs. beamer, who were forced into single parenthood status due to tragedy. but these girls who go out, have premarital sex, and disrespect themselves by not keeping it safe(r), and then get pregnant ... they do not need to be idolized. they do not need to be made to feel as if that is something to be proud of. now they do need to be uplifted because obviously there are some self esteem issues. and their children should be uplifted, but the act itself does not. and this is exactly what fantasia's song does:
[chorus]B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A This goes out to all my baby mamas This goes out to all my baby mamas B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A This goes out to all my baby mamas I got love for all my baby mamas I
t's about time we had our own song
Don't know what took so long
Cuz now-a-days it like a badge of honer
To be a baby mama I see ya payin' ya bills
I see ya workin' ya job
I see ya goin' to school
And girl I know it's hard
And even though ya fed up
With makin' beds up
Girl, keep ya head up All my
[chorus]
I see you get that support check in the mail
Ya open it and your like 'What the Hell'
You say 'This ain't even half of daycare'
Sayin to yourself 'This here ain't fair'
And all my girls who don't get no help
Who gotta do everything by yourself
Remeber: What don't kill you can you stronger
My baby mama...
[chorus]
Cuz we the backbone (of the hood)
I always knew that (that we could)
We can go anywhere, we can do anything
I know we can make it if we dream
And I think it should be a holiday
For single mothers tryin' to make a way
But until then
Here is your song
Show love to my....
[chorus]
(lyrics courtesy of top hits online)
other people work and go to school. but because they don't have a baby, they have it better? if you make your bed, lie in it. a holiday for single mothers? please. ... we all now how sex works ... wrap it up or don't do it at all if you don't want to be a single mother.
my only solace is that (hopefully) fantasia isn't receiving government assistance since she won the television contest. so, congrats to her for becoming america's idol — but she's certainly no idol of mine. my aspirations are just a bit higher.
5 lovely comments:
Melissa said...
I totally agree. And that song is ghetto.
-Me said...
I hated Fantasia. I agree with the single momness, and I think she is arrogant, and can't sing. I didn't want her to win.
Until the one in second place was Diana. Who also couldn't sing. Acutally, the one in third place (Jasmine) also couldn't sing. (I'm seeing a pattern.)
The only one I felt was "worthy" of winning was LaToya. I felt she was robbed.
melyssa said...
i liked latoya too!
mrcrazyone said...
I am feeling this. If you are paying your bills and taking care of your children you are only doing what you are supposed to do. People need to think about the fact that they could be entering a life long contract with everyone they decide to sleep with.
Sid said...
whew, I haven't heard this song, but I'm rolling my eyes just reading the lyrics. But what are you going to do? We live in a self-esteem obsessed, self-congratulatory society. People want kudos just for waking up in the morning these days. Blah.