The song was written in forty minutes. It was reportedly offered to Beyonce and Adele, who turned it down. So the author (in collaboration with Kevin Kadish), recorded it herself. The rest is history. Following its release in June 2014, “All About That Bass” became a cultural phenomenon, reaching number one in nineteen countries and generating well over two billion views for the accompanying video, along with endless buzz. Not least among the reasons for its astounding success is the most obvious one — the tune is maddeningly catchy. But behind the hoopla was a perfect storm of deeply felt issues involving body image, self-assertion, and the evolution of intimate tastes.
As day follows night, a host of parodies ensued. A few were direct send-ups, most famously one by Bob Barker featuring a grotesque Meghan Trainor caricature spewing venom at “thin people.” Most of the imitations, however, co-opted the song for unrelated purposes. There was a Star Trek version (“All About Deep Space. No Tribbles”) and a Harry Potter version (“All About That Magic. No Muggles”). Some boosted sports teams (“All About the Saints. No Cowboys”) or private businesses (“All About That Brace” by Showtime Orthodontics — not to be confused with “We’re Taking Off That Brace” by Mori Orthodontics). There were occasional commentaries on political issues: “He’s Just a Pretty Face” (an attack on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau”), “All About That Hill. No Donald” (total views to date under 450 — an omen), and even “Police Will Shoot You in the Face.” Two different videos were made by women advocating the practice of breast-feeding (“All About That Breast” and “All About That Boob”). Two others poked fun at Bill Cosby’s legal difficulties (both entitled “All About That Rape”). Several focused on fishing (“All About That Bass. Same Spelling,” “All About That Bass. No Minnows,” etc). And there were further permutations I could never have imagined: “I Go to Palengke” touts Filipino street markets; “All Aboot the Toon,” sung in the Geordie dialect, celebrates the Tyneside region of Northeastern England.
Of the many versions I have sampled as a dogged investigator, however, this is the one that sticks in my mind. And not in a good way:
Twenty years ago this month, a lawsuit was filed that resulted in a significant ruling on First Amendment protection for satire, a subject close to the Dog’s heart. The defendants included MCA Records, a music distributor. And the plaintiff was Mattel, the maker of what is probably the world’s most famous (and infamous) doll: the Barbie.
A few weeks earlier, the Danish eurodance band Aqua had released a single entitled “Barbie Girl.” Almost immediately, it charted at Number 7 in the United States, the fastest rise ever for a new group according to Billboard. In other countries, including Australia, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, it reached number one. Not everyone was pleased; years later, a poll by Rolling Stone Magazine rated it the 11th most annoying song of all time. But no one was more dismayed than Mattel, which complained that the “adult-oriented lyrics” detracted from their product’s “wholesome image.”
Take a look at the famous Aqua video, which has been viewed over 400 million times. And keep an eye on what happens to “Barbie” after two minutes and forty seconds:
Mattel’s lawsuit was filed in a federal district court in California and assigned to Judge William Matthew Byrne, Jr., who is best remembered for his decision dismissing charges against Daniel Ellsberg in the Pentagon Papers case based on governmental misconduct. In essence, Mattel alleged that the song had infringed its trademark and confused the public concerning its brand. To support its argument, it hired an expert to