The Brainwashing Resistance: I don't wanna like "Low"

I'm a channel flipper. A remote flicker.

And every time Flo Rida's "Low" comes on I switch the station.

I don't know why exactly. It's something about that catchy chorus that rubs me all wrong.

The lyrics go something like:

Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans [Jeans]/Boots with the fur [With the fur]/The whole club was lookin at her/She hit the flo [She hit the flo]/Next thing you know/Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Then I switch.

I fully enjoy the power to size up a song or music video in 8 seconds and switch before its pending wackness high jacks my brain and an incessant head bop tricks me into thinking its not so bad . . . when it is.

I change stations in my car like a speedracer changes lanes because I refuse to be beat over the head with bad music.

And playing it 750,000 times on every station every day isn't going to change my mind.

I won't be whipped into praying to the heavy rotation wack music god.

Then one day "Low" came on and I didn't switch. And when the song was over I didn't vomit. The hip hop gods didn't thump me over the head with my own copy of Beats Rhyme and Life and lightening didn't strike.

Thus the beginning of my foray into the anti flip, a stark departure from the brainwashing resistance.

I was growing tired of switching stations, annoyed that my high musical standards made it look like I had attention deficit disorder. I was weary of the switch.

So I made it official: I would learn to love something about the music I hate.

I don't hate everything. I'm not a neo hip hop hater, a new south basher, or the mad rapper.

But for every dirty club ditty that gets the blood flowing, there's another one that makes me want to climb a wall.

So its these songs (we all have THAT SONG) that I made myself watch and find some ounce of creativity in the sess pool of ridiculousness. Lucky for me, a whole string of em ran on one video station uninterrupted.

I watched Gucci Mane's "Icy"; Plies' "Shawty"; Sean King's "Take You There"; Flo Rida's "Low" followed by his latest "Elevator" as in "She's stuck on the elevator." I watched a whole slew of songs I usually flip from.

Then I started laughing. These artists weren't anti artistry, they just had a keen knack for making super silly songs.

It helps if you're in a club. The bass from the subwolfers overpower the senses, a drink or two blurrs the lyrics, and if you shake really fast you can whip yourself into a self induced frenzy and pretend you're dancing to something else.

But I was in my living room.

I just couldn't take this stuff seriously anymore. It didn't help that it was topped off by a hip hop commentary that included David Banner and Princess arguing over when you're too old to be "Lil" as in "Lil Wayne."

Rivetting.

My anti flip stance lasted for less than an hour and I flipped to CNN for a Wisconsin primary update. In addition to the anti flip, I'm currently weening myself from an addiction to political analysis and election results. Obama was in the lead, so I switched back.

Fortunately, Rihanna's "Don't Stop"; Janet Jackson's "Feedback " and Snoop's "Sensusual Seduction" came on reminding me that talent lives. Dem Franchize Boys followed it up with "Talkin Out Da Side of Ya Neck" which I quickly addicted as my dirty south get hyped song.

I took a break from music appreciation 101 and flipped back to CNN. Obama won. I caught his powerful speech which was as long as my anti flip hour. But It was a reality check.

There's more to change than flipping channels.