So, I was driving along, and Jody Watley's "Don't You Want Me" came on the countdown. I used to absolutely love, love, love her music - but really her fashion sense for the most part. I remembered how she had these huge crinoline skirts that would flow as she danced in her first hit video, "Looking for a new Love." I really wanted one of those skirts. There was no way that a 7th grader would be able to integrate that into her daily wardrobe, but hey, when it was time to dance around the bedroom singing into a twirling baton, I wanted to be properly attired. Ms. Watley just seemed so cool and the epitome of current fashion. She was a trendsetter, too, with everything pretty much over-the-top -- huge hoop earrings, long hair down to the waist, those huge puffy crinoline skirts, and of course, bustiers and other undergarments as tops. The video is really well-directed, and it certainly adds a sophistication to the song that I didn't capture as I listened to the radio. Goes to show how important videos were to the success of songs back in this time period. They could really make or break the tune and certainly boost the wow factor of something seemingly "okay."
The song alone (without video) made me smile as I drove. The song is about a woman and a man, and a potential romance. Seems as if the man is giving the woman mixed signals, and she is saying, "Hey, uh, what's the deal here? Yes or no?" I guess it's kind of fun to build intrigue. We saw that with sitcoms back in the day. So, in the first verse she talks about him smiling "as though to say 'oh yeah'." That made me smile, actually. Wouldn't it be interesting if we all simply communicated by expression? Maybe that would make the whole man/woman thing better. Just kidding. It actually made me think about middle school again, which I guess is why this song appealed to me at the time. I'm kind of smirking now and thinking, "hmmm...." but it is all in good fun once again. If you watch the video, you'll see that in the end she gets the guy, and everyone lives happily ever after :)
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