Thank you for the very cool essay. Yeah, with Cyndi Lauper, it was easy to dismiss her as just another bubblegum pop star, but she was actually pretty progressive. And I hadn’t thought of how a guy might approach this song — I can see how if you think it’s aimed at you, you might think it’s saying girls are just there for partying. I didn’t actually know any guys who listened to her, lol. All my guy friends listened to metal. \m/

She’s continued through the years to fight for progressive — particularly feminist — causes, and even though I was never a big fan of her music (it does kinda fall into bubblegum territory), I respect her a great deal.

Anyway, it’s fun to chat with someone from my era, who also recognizes how powerful music can be! I look forward to reading more of your stuff!