Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom” was released in 2003. It’s unclear when the song became so integral to the University of Dallas, but no one can deny that its presence is felt everywhere. Every TGIT, wedding, dance and any other celebration will always end with everyone coming together to sing about how Stacy’s mom has got it going on.
But the song’s subject matter – a high schooler finding his friend’s seemingly divorced mom attractive – is somewhat dubious, especially at a Catholic university. Some have called for its removal from school events, while others will blast the song at full volume till their dying day.
Many different points are put forth in favor of or against the value of the song as our school’s unofficial anthem. Professors, students and alumni all raise their own arguments, from “It’s crude and disrespectful to our Catholic understanding” to “It’s hilarious and allows us to let loose and have fun.” Clearly something needs to justify our love of the song, and that something is the fact that “Stacy’s Mom” is a clear case of satire.
The definition of satire given by the Oxford Dictionary is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices.” Ignoring its use in UD culture specifically, “Stacy’s Mom” already fits these criteria perfectly.
With the absurdity of the song’s “situation,” it is obvious that the songwriters intended to make an audience laugh by pointing out this boy’s utter stupidity. But with its use in UD culture, the satirical nature is heightened beyond its original intent.
We, at the University of Dallas, are a pretty smart bunch. Our highest priorities tend to be our grades, we all have to work through the difficulties of the Core, and a vast majority of us are literate. Listening to a song with such base humor seems counterintuitive to our mission of becoming intellectual and independent thinkers. But that is where the true comedy of “Stacy’s Mom” lies.
The song itself is already absurd, but what makes it incredible is the fact that UD students, people who find debate to be the pinnacle of entertainment, are willing to belt it out every Thursday night. With it already making fun of false values, UD students singing the song truly lets it live up to the level of satire. By having us laugh at it, it shows how sincerely listening to crass music is an issue. There is also something to be said about “Stacy’s Mom” uniting us as a culture. While a lot of us are here for similar reasons and with similar values, there is still quite a bit of variety to be found in terms of how we spend our time and what we enjoy. Because comedy is something everyone can enjoy, Stacy’s Mom provides an anthem that brings UD students together. Whether you’d rather be holed up in your room reading Jane Austen or be out every night of the weekend in the center of a mosh pit or whether you are the wonderful type of UD person who does both, you can enjoy “Stacy’s Mom.”
It is difficult to draw clear moral lines in comedy. Some jokes involve lying, most have a person or thing that is made fun of in the process and all can vary in propriety depending on the audience and context within which they are said. A lack of clarity doesn’t mean we should do away with any standards what-so-ever, but it also doesn’t mean we have to be scrupulous with every single thing we do or say.
Finding something funny does not mean agreeing with it; if anything it can mean the opposite. “Stacy’s Mom” is funny precisely because it’s so ridiculous because no one would ever actually agree with it.
However, the only way this campuswide joke achieves its humor is if we make UD worthy of it. When a bunch of Catholic nerds who truly are seeking moral and intellectual virtue sing a song about finding a mom attractive, it’s only hilarious if their search for virtue is legitimate. If we understand what our actual goals are in life, then it shouldn’t be a problem to enjoy a pretty stupid song. But if we don’t live our lives with that higher standard and instead follow the morals of something like “Stacy’s Mom,” then the comedy is lost. It’s just sad, not funny.
Everyone needs more laughter in their lives. While it is still up for debate, I believe that “Stacy’s Mom” is a legitimate place to find that humor. If it is used with respect and an understanding of satire, then why not? And if it really is not right for our school, we can always listen to “Jessie’s Girl.”