TITLE: "What's a Bling Bling?"
AUTHOR: Cindy ()
RATING: A
CHARACTERS: The Men of the West Wing
SUMMARY: The Guys discuss the Power of Sex and Music
"It's wrong is all I'm saying."
"How can you say it's wrong?"
"Easily. I believe in talent. If you have talent than that is all you need. Nothing more."
Josh sighed. He wasn't getting through and it always disturbed him when others didn't agree with his opinion.
"Are you telling me that you've never bought a CD of any sort based solely on the singer's looks?"
"Nope."
"Are you hearing this?" Josh turned to Toby who shrugged.
"Let me get this straight…are we arguing the fact that we buy solely on how one looks BEFORE we purchase their CD or afterwards?"
All three men glanced at CJ making her feel uncomfortable. "What?"
"I'm just saying that someone like Christina Aguilera has a lot of talent because she has an incredible voice. And she doesn't have to go and ruin her character by dressing like some tramp in order to sell her music."
"Have you ever considered that maybe she likes to dress that way?" CJ asked Will.
"She likes to have a wedgie?"
Toby and Josh chuckled. Even CJ chuckled as she responded, "Well I can't be sure of that but I would hope not. But maybe she dresses to how she feels. You can't characterize a person because of the clothing they wear Will."
"My point is that they don't wear ANY CJ. Haven't you been listening?"
"Not really," she admitted smiling at Toby as he glanced her way.
"Haven't you ever bought something because it looked good?" Josh asked Will.
"Sure I do. It's called art or furniture. But I don't look at pictures of scantily dressed young girls and go, 'wow I've got to get her CD because it's probably awesome'," he replied in full sarcastic mode.
"How about you Toby?"
"What about me?" He asked of CJ.
"What makes your decision on whether or not to purchase a CD?"
"If I like their music then I buy it," he stated. "There's no science behind it or anything."
"So would you buy a CD of Britney Spears because she looked hot in her latest video?" Will asked Toby.
"First of all I wouldn't buy a Britney Spears CD if there was a gun to my head. And second of all, the last video I watched was Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen."
"Ooh that was a great album," Josh said.
"Wasn't it from Born to Run?" CJ asked Josh.
"No, uh….," Josh began snapping his fingers as if this would suddenly bring him the answer he was looking for.
"Born in the U.S.A.."
Josh, CJ and Will all glanced at Toby. Shock value written clearly across their faces.
"I'm impressed," CJ said with a sly smile.
"I never would have taken you for a Springsteen fan," Josh admitted.
"To be honest, I never did care for him much. But I was standing in this record shop years ago and I thought 'what the hell' and I bought it."
"Just like that?" CJ asked.
"Just like that," he repeated and then turned to Will quickly adding, "And no it wasn't because his ass on the cover turned me on or appealed to me. I just happened to like the title and figured what did I have to lose except for a few bucks and an hour or so of my time."
"Hmmm," Josh said completely impressed. Never in a million years would he have guessed this information.
"So you liked his music then?" Will started up again.
"Well it wasn't his sideburns that was forcing me to play it repeatedly," Toby shot back. "Of course I liked it. I like a lot of music. And the majority of the time I don't even know what they even look like until I'm ready to buy their CD. Not everybody buys on the basis of their sexuality Will."
"So you do agree that the musicians of this generation push their music using their bodies?"
"No," Toby said as he shook his head. "I never said that. You can't blame all this sexuality on this generation alone Will. It's been going on for decades."
"Two decades or so ago the videos that are out now would never have been put on the air due to their indecency," Will argued.
Toby raised his finger, "If you recall Elvis Presley was never allowed to be shown from the waist down after his little pelvis stunt on Ed Sullivan. Using sex to sell music isn't new Will, it's just getting more inventive."
"Well there are a lot of singers that have been pushing the envelope," CJ agreed.
"Exactly!" Will exclaimed, thrilled someone had finally seen his point.
"But Will it's up to the consumer to fall for it. If the artist wants to make a fool of themselves by gyrating in their videos or appearing naked on the cover of their latest CD so be it. We as customers are the ones that make the final decision as to whether or not we purchase it. I mean I'll admit I love Christina's work and I even own both her CD's. But I'll also be the first to admit the little trollop should have Grandma knit her a top that actually goes to her waist. But disallowing myself the enjoyment of her music because I don't like how she dresses makes no sense to me."
"Well put CJ," Josh said.
"Thank you Joshua."
"I am just shocked."
"Seriously Will what's there to get upset over?"
"CJ these girls are selling their bodies in order to push their merchandise. It's wrong. And I think that we as part of the Government should step and do something about it."
"What would you have us do Will?" Toby said tossing his hands up. "Arrest every girl who wants to be what Madonna was before she found motherhood? It's impossible and it's not our choice."
"So when Molly grows up and wants to become a rock star and starts dressing like a streetwalker wearing five pounds of makeup, are you telling me there isn't anything you'd do to stop it?"
"Of course I would. And that would be my job as her parent. I'll be damned if she thinks she can step foot outside my door without at least four layers of clothing underneath the two snowsuits I've had stitched to her body."
"I see your point Will and you just have to let it go," CJ said to him. "It's a losing battle and you're never going to win."
"I just feel so bad for those kids who-"
"Why do you feel bad? Why should you even take into consideration anything about them?" Josh chimed in. "They have their own parents and from what I have seen I don't think the Britney's, or Christina's or Beyonce's of this world care about how we might feel about their appearances. And they're also getting rich from it. They dress for themselves and I know for a fact that one of them has their mother's choosing their clothes for them."
"Beyonce."
"What?" Josh asked CJ.
"Beyonce," she repeated. All eyes once again cast on her. "What? I read the celebrity magazines at the salon. And I just happened to read an article where Beyonce said her mother makes her clothes for her."
"I worry about you sometimes CJ," Toby said with a wink.
"I try to worry about me too but sometimes I just don't have the time," she said with a smile.
"Out of curiosity," Josh began. "Just what kind of music do you have at home or in your car Will?"
"Why?"
"Well, I've been sitting here praying for a quick death rather than this topic of conversation and then when that didn't happen, I figured I'd ask what sort of music you liked."
"I like all kinds of music."
"Okay so name us a few."
"Do you want them by genre?"
"For the love of God Will just give him some names you big geek," CJ screamed out.
Toby lowered his head so he wouldn't be caught trying to stifle his laughter. CJ was surely some kind of woman.
"Well I'm quite fond of Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, and Joni Mitchell."
"What no Engleberg Humperdink?" Josh asked causing CJ and Toby to burst out laughing.
"I bet you had the Osmonds lunch box as a kid," CJ said through her laughter.
"Do you like anything from this decade Will?"
"The music that they release now is not music. It's just crap with a beat."
"He's got a point there," Toby agreed easing out of his laughing fit. "Half the junk Charlie listens to I can't even decipher what it is they're even trying to say."
"Ugh, if he plays that 50-Cent CD one more time I'm going to throw the damn thing out," CJ said.
"I actually don't mind the 50-Cent, it's the Missy E that gets on my nerves," Josh chimed in. "That girl has some anger issues."
Will stared at them as if they were all from another planet, "Who are these people?"
"They're I guess today's kind of music. Hip Hop I believe is what Charlie calls it," CJ answered.
"Oh you know who he got me hooked on? That Kylie Minogue. I don't know what it is about her but I like quite a few of her songs," Josh directed to CJ.
"You like the locomotion?" Will asked of Josh.
CJ and Josh started to laugh again. "The what?" Josh asked.
"Didn't she sing 'The Locomotion?"
"Back in the 80's," he said laughing.
"You really have no clue what sort of music is out there do you?" CJ asked Will.
"You must save a lot of money on CD's then," Josh started. "Because hasn't it been like a decade alone since any of the one you liked even released something new?"
"For your information I am aware of today's music actually. I have the new Celine Dion CD and I have watched episodes of the Osbournes and Newlyweds. I know that Britney is full of toxic, Shania is going up and that Enrique whatever his last name is addicted."
"Oooh," Josh teased. "Watch out for Will the rebel. By the year 2014 he'll be going to work chanting like Eminem, dressed in full bling bling and going by the name of ."
CJ started laughing at the imagery that Josh had painted while Toby sat back thinking they were all insane. The laughter died down and it was then that Toby burst out laughing when Will asked with innocence, "What's a bling bling?"