georgeleecunningham.com

A place to share some words of beauty, inspiration, and fun. This week we talk about the bad old days, when both men and women desired and flirted with one another, made fools of themselves in the process, sometimes regretted it the next morning, and hopefully learned from the experience.

In the first selection, featuring Elvis Presley, there is cultural stereotyping, objectification of women, and teaching young children that this is all OK.

In the second piece, Gwen Verdon tells Tab Hunter that she is not only going to seduce him, but steal his heart and soul. Unknown to most fans at the time was that Hunter was gay, so Verdon in effect was not only trying to bully him into sleeping with her, but also to deny him the right to be open about his sexual orientation – a double no-no.

The third song by Lady Gaga has her pressuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt to stick around and make whoopee with her, even though he wants to leave so his mom won’t be worried. She doesn’t care, as long as she gets her way.

And the last song, by Little Richard features a video of Jayne Mansfield, who is being lusted after by every man she walks past, including a milkman, whose bottle explodes into a geyser of cream. The message is clear. She is valued only for her body, not her intellect or personality. Don’t put all the blame on Little Richard, the writer of the music was Bobby Troup, who is most famous for the song, Get Your Kicks on Route 66.

Click on the name of the piece to get a video.

Girls, goin’ swimming, girls in bikinis
A walkin’ and wigglin’ by, yay, yay, yay
Girls, on the beaches, girls, oh, what a peaches
So pretty, Lord I could cry, I’m just a red blooded boy
And I can’t stop thinkin’ about

Girls, sailin’ sailboats, girls, water skiin’
They’ll drive me out of my mind, yay, yay, yay
Girls, big and brassy, girls, small and sassy
Just give me one of each kind

I’m just a red blooded boy
And I can’t stop thinkin’ about
Girls! Girls! Girls! Girls!

– Girls Girls Girls  Singer: Elvis Presley; Writers: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller

Whatever Lola wants
Lola gets
And little man, little Lola wants you
Make up your mind to have no regrets
Recline yourself, resign yourself, you’re through
I always get what I aim for
And your heart’n soul is what I came for

– Whatever Lola Wants  Singer: Gwen Verdon; Writers: Richard Adler, Jerry Ross

My mother will start to worry
(mama, what’s your hurry)
Father will be pacin’ the floor
(he’s gotta go…he’s gotta go)
Really I’d better hurry
(please don’t hurry)
Well maybe just a half a drink more

(take some ‘swiss kriss’ while I pour)
The neighbors might think
(mama, it’s bad out there)
Hey pops, what’s in this drink
(ain’t no fun to be had out there, you know)
This evenin’ has been
( it is outta here…..)
So nice and fine
(take another drink-a-wine…and
Maybe you’ll change your mind)
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
(you don’t have to call me sir)
At least I’m gonna say that I tried
(give it up…give it up…give it up)
I really can’t stay
(and, don’t hold out)
both ahh, but it’s cold outside

– Baby it’s Cold Outside Singers: Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Original Writer: Frank Loesser

If she walks by, the men folks get engrossed
(She can’t help it, the girl can’t help it)
If she winks an eye, the bread slice turn to toast
(She can’t help it, the girl can’t help it)

If she got a lot of what they call the most
(She can’t help it, the girl can’t help it)
The girl can’t help it, she was born to please
(She can’t help it, the girl can’t help it)

And if she’s got a figure made to squeeze
(She can’t help it, the girl can’t help it)
Won’t you kindly be aware, the girl can’t help it
(The girl can’t help it)

– The Girl Can’t Help It  Singer: Little Richard; Writer: Bobby Troup

The complete movie of The Girl Can’t Help is available HERE.