A few months ago I was on a distribution list that delivered the mini-movie version of Katy Perry‘s video for her single Last Friday Night to my laptop. One viewing and I entered the camp of those who wondered How-many-young-girls-is-the-song-going-to-harm?

Perry played a braces-wearing 13 year-old who experienced a makeover that turned her into a teenage dream bombshell that wakes up after a night of debauchery, gauche and 13 again. With lyrics of the song appropriate for a jaded, world-weary 21 year-old, Last Friday Night turned Perry from a pop princess into a pop tart.

I wrote, but never, published a half dozen righteous and indignant reviews of the mini-movie. Then Glee returned last night, and I had to face my double standard. Why would I download Glee’s version of the song, yet rail against the wickedness of Perry’s version?

After reflection the only answer I can live with is that Glee’s version didn’t reinforce the adult content with explicit images the way the original did – or at least not as much. The song was Gleeified – like Ce Lo Green’s F* You, and a number of other songs with questionable lyrics that are sung by the ersatz high school students of WMHS.

Damn, this Friday night, I guess I’ll continue to try to connect the dots – shame-faced.