Here Alex, I hope you're happy now.

A few months back, some friends who work for the US Embassy hosted a "Best and Worst of America" party in which we were all encouraged to dress up.  The hostesses themselves were super lame (sorry girls!) and just wore cheeky pro-gay marriage t-shirts.  There were, however, some fun tea-bagger costumes and I think I remember Sarah Palin making an appearance. 

Back in December when I was in the States, I had some post-Christmas money to burn at Sephora, the holy grail of makeup stores.  I bought some gold glitter gel eye liner, figuring I could use it at some point.  The Best and Worst of America party was my chance.  I decided to go as Ke$ha, that wonderful young woman who brought us American classics such as Tik Tok ("wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy, before I leave brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack") and Blah Blah Blah ("come put a little love in my glovebox"). 

If you're not familiar with Ke$ha's signature style of "crazy" - in which she tries overly-hard to convince you she's a Native American, drunk, high, hung-over, sleeping with a hobo, on meth, on coke, sleeping with your dad, etc. - let's just say it relies heavity on torn clothing, "morning after" hair, and glitter.  Lots of glitter.

This pretty much covers it all.

I'll admit it.  I kind of love Ke$ha.  Admittedly, she probably fell closer to the "worst" side of what America has to offer the world, but I can't really help myself.  She's not particularly talented, tries too hard, and her whole career is schtick, but she's a hell of a lot more fun than Paris Hilton or the Pussycat Dolls to dance to.  What can I say, I'm a sucker for mindless, well-done pop music.

In any case, here was my interpretation:

Apologies to Cher-Wen for having to be beside me in this picture

If you're curious about what I'm holding in my hand there, it's a bottle of Maker's Mark whiskey re-purposed to look like a bottle of Jack Daniels with a toothbrush taped to the side.  (Get it?  Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack.  GET IT?!)

Let's just say that....most people at the party were not dressed up like me.  I clearly had gone all out.  It was worth it though - getting to act like a complete asshole for the night was fun.  I get requests to bring this costume back almost every weekend. 

In all seriousness though, I could have written an A+ paper in college dissecting Ke$ha's resistance to the Male Gaze often portrayed in today's popular music videos by likewise objectifying men throughout the song:

 "I don't really care where you live at / just turn around boy / let me hit that / don't be a little bitch  with your chit-chat / just show me where your d*ck's at."

My favorite sentiment in the song, however, and perhaps the reason I love Ke$ha so much comes from this one line in Blah Blah Blah.  It echoes the exact feeling I've had so many Friday nights out on the dancefloor when men decide they really need to take the very moment you've finally let the week go to ask about where you're from and how you like DC:

"Music's up / listen hot stuff / I'm in love with this song / so just hush / baby shut up / heard enough."