Deep Sociopolitical Implications of "The Safety Dance"
In this faux-analysis of Men Without Hats' "The Safety Dance", there is a reference to the band's name:
No one can hold him back from going where he wants to go, when he wants to go there - although, for some reason, no matter what neat outfit he wears, he is constantly intent on doffing a hat on his head. This inherent contradiction with the band's moniker, Men Without Hats, is no doubt a psychological exploration of man's need for safety and security in spite of an underlying nature attuned to daring and risk-taking behaviors. Some have argued that this particular lyric, in the early advent of the AIDS epidemic, was one of the first public service announcements - veiled as thin as sheepskin to avoid the censors - urging young people to practice safe sex. The reference to the victory cry, and its surprising nature, may have less to do with a sartorial triumph and more to do with really making your girlfriend cut loose with an amazing orgasm. For once.
This, for some reason, reminds me of Fear of a Black Hat, and the explanation of how the rap band's name, Niggaz With Hats, came about:
Nina Blackburn: So, what's the deal about the hats?
Ice Cold: Shit, the hats're what it's all about! See, back when we was still slaves, the white man made the black man work in the fields.
Tone Def: Word. Heads totally exposed to the sun.
Ice Cold: So when the slaves got back from the fields, they was too tired to fight the white man. So what we're sayin' now is: Yo, we got some hats now muh-fuckas!
Tasty Taste: And we ain't too tired to bust a cap in yo' ass!
And holy crap, talk about coincidence, Homer just did The Safety Dance on The Simpsons. Yeah, just now! I'm 100% completely serious! (Not to mention fair and balanced.)
