Behind Carly Rae Jepsen’s upbeat, simplistic and extremely catchy “Call Me Maybe” hit song are a plethora of reasons why we can’t just get enough of this summer’s favorite tune.
I won’t deny my fascination for the Canadian-born musician’s song. You can find me jamming right along to every word while at work, in the car, on a walk.
I even requested it one night at a bar — and, despite feeling awkward in doing so, the deejay and bar patrons all danced and sang right along.
While some scoff at any Top 40-type song, you can’t disregard the cultural impact this song has made. And just last week, the song hit the No. 1 spot. So this song has some staying power.
And if you can’t get enough of the original version, YouTube offers plenty of amateur remakes — from the Harvard baseball team, to any number of random groups of friends recording the tune. Even Katy Perry and friends made a video.
But the version making the biggest Internet splash features five Tennessee guys in their parody titled, “Call Me Gaybe.”
Uploaded May 16, the video has been viewed more than 1.6 million times. Check the video out below before reading on:
In the video, five seemingly straight guys — they say so in a New York Daily News column — prance around offering their best rendition of the popular song with an apparent sexual tone.
In that column, writer Jim Farber calls the guys’ version of the song “revolutionary” because “all indicators of gay identity displayed in the clip avoid the satiric or condescending exaggerations you might expect from young men presumed to be uncomfortable with homosexual desire.”
Say what?
Who would have thought the three-minute, 14-second song would make such an impact? Though, it might not be as surprising considering the impact pop music has made on our society for decades.
Chances are, the guys who created the video probably never considered the cultural impact of their video. They just were having some good, friendly fun.
Though, they seem to be enjoying the fame as they published a new parody — this time to Karmin’s “Broken Hearted,” which they’ve titled, “Brokebackhearted.”
Of course, there are other reasons why this song is so damn good.
Among the reasons listed in an ABC News blog include a catchy chorus (agree!, upbeat musical arrangement (agree!) and Justin Bieber (uhh...). Seriously.
Whatever the reason, this song surely will remain a hit throughout the summer, and possibly could go down in history as one of those pop songs that makes a difference in the world.
So call me, maybe?
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twoday magazine wants to know: Do musical parodies like this encourage tolerance? Share with us your thoughts on our Facebook, or "Tweet us, Maybe!" @twodaymag.
Like this article? Bobby Cherry writes a fantastic column every Monday exclusively for twoday magazine. Check out some of his other pieces:
Looking Beyond Sex to Find a Fulfilling Relationship
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