“She’s saying that’s ok
Hey baby do what you want
I’ll be your night loving thing
I’ll be the freak you can taunt
And I don’t care what you say
I want to go too far
I’ll be your everything
If you make me a star”
A question that I know must bug even the most sane of people has to be ‘did Michael Jackson have anyone particular in mind when he wrote Dirty Diana?’ Lord knows it’s bothered me for longer than I care to remember. In honour of, well nothing really I deemed it time to actually sit down and listen perhaps a little too intently to the lyrics. Hell, I even put the song on repeat playback.
Quite frankly if he’d written it about me he’d have got a bloody good right hook, and probably a kick in the shins to boot. It’s not the most flattering of songs, let’s put it that way. I first heard it and pretty much thought that if it wasn’t about a whore I’d eat my hat (the only one I own being of the somewhat unappetising knitted bobble variety). But after careful reflection I conclude that it was not written about somebody, more a complete breed of woman. Now I don’t want to call her the slut, because not only is it a decidedly unpleasant description it isn’t accurate right now. Neither do I want to call her the doormat, although she exhibits several doormat characteristics, not to mention a few from the aforementioned slut. No, we’ll call her easy. But not in the conventional, or not so conventional- I get confused, sense. Easy to please. Easy to take advantage of. Easy to disrespect and easy to take for granted. I, unfortunately, know several of these ‘dirty dianas.’ I most certainly do not mean that I am unfortunate in knowing them as they are all perfectly lovely people and good friends. No, I mean that it is unfortunate that this breed of woman was ever allowed to propagate and continue to exist. These women, with all due respect, give the female species a terrible name. Their list of crimes is extensive and a suitable punishment would be a stretch in a correctional institute- run by the type of woman I wish to see more of in this world. Released only once enlightenment has been achieved.
Dirty Diana does not want to be alone. She would rather be treated with disrespect, distrust and dictatorship by her significant other than risk the stigma of not having one. This, in my opinion, is the worst kind of relationship to be in, and yet everyday, everywhere I look I see women in just these sorts of situations. People I care about, yet there’s no talking to them. Alone = bad, relationship = essential. One nameless friend is completely controlled by her boyfriend. He uses guilt and emotional blackmail to prevent her from having her own opinions or a life away from him. She is slowly cutting off her friends and restricting her life to only him. God help her if the relationship should fail as she would be lost. Another allows her boyfriend to treat her with the amount of respect I would only reserve for a piece of dog shit on the pavement. She gives him money as and when he demands it, does what he says when he says it and declares it’s all in the name of love. Bollocks. I know what love is, I’ve been there and it involves mutual trust and respect. There’s no talking to them though. However hard I or others try, they don’t or can‘t listen. They must remain in a relationship, they must not be single, they must be needed or wanted by a man, no matter whether he deserves them or not. They sacrifice themselves for these men that claim to love them, yet how can they? Selling your identity and your soul in the name of ‘love’- does this make them any better than the common whore? Not my place to decide. I only wish their eyes could be opened to the fact that love shouldn’t come with included shackles and a one way ticket to losing your character and personality. Dirty Diana trades her dignity and self-respect just so she can have a man. I’ve had the real kind of love, the kind all women deserve. I let it go- separate issue, but it does exist and Dirty Diana needs to clean up her act, stop giving all women a bad name and start treating herself with a little more respect.
Joey~X~