Leah Carroll: Why Does Ke$ha Exist?
She may be the perfect pop-culture koan.
"A palimpsest written in glitter pen, she evokes Janis Joplin, early Madonna—and Liberace. A pop star who could only exist in the post-pop-star era, Ke$ha is what comes after Fergie’s lady lumps and Britney’s breakdown."
"Kesha’s book is [...] beautiful and indulgent, more a record of fame than an analysis of it."
"Why is there all this hate for Ke$ha, anyway? What is it about, as the New York Times recently put it, Ke$ha’s challenging of “double standards by seizing male rock’s license to misbehave” that makes her such a "lightning rod"?"
"The best stuff of her songs, that winking, self congratulatory and trashy candor, informs the substance of the book."
"All this speaks to the mystery of Ke$ha’s existence as a pop star, and a truly great one at that. She is sparkly and pretty but she posts pictures of herself peeing in the street. She is sexy but never kittenish. She is likely, at this point, very rich, but her most flashy possesion is a vintage car. Is she a third-wave feminist or some kind of terrible digital chimera created by the music industry?"
"Most importantly, is it okay for me to like Ke$ha so much?"
Read the full review at the beautifulsource!