Every summer, pop culture blesses us with an anthem sure to become the musical marker for all our favorite memories that year. For better or for worse, these songs become the soundtrack to our summers. One of the most notable of these hits, LFO’s “Summer Girls,” goes a step further, listing literal items of pertinent nostalgia right in the lyrics. Profoundly lazy songwriting aside, this little ditty also boasts a music video that depicts the Summer Girls who inspired the song, constantly getting catcalled or unexpectedly picked up and danced on by the boys in LFO. Anyway, we caught up with the Summer Girls to see if any of them ever pressed charges.
The Hard Times: Thank you for agreeing to do this. First off, we want to make sure you’re comfortable. Is there anything you don’t want us to bring up?
Summer Girls: Chinese food. That bottom-shelf boyband couldn’t just harass us, they had to permanently tie our favorite cuisine to horrible memories of our worst summer ever. It’s weird what trauma does to the brain.
Noted. Your strength throughout all of this has been incredible. Why don’t we start by talking about the summer in question?
We were playing summer rec league volleyball when 3 adult men suddenly began sing-rapping at us. Last week my primary concern was my parents’ recent separation, now I have to deal with horny grown-ups with frosted tips and I’m expected to know who The New Kids on the Block were.
That must have been jarring.
We’ll never forget how the blonde one stood there in front of us, cotton white shirt flowing in the summer breeze, truly expecting our braces-wearing asses to know who Larry Bird was.
That must have made you feel so uncomfortable. Do you recall anything else?
You know, we really can’t remember everything that happened that day because we were busy being traumatized.
Did you ever receive any compensation?
No, we didn’t. But who cares? Everyone focuses on that. Not the psychological damage that was done to us and all the girls on the beach that day. Not all the years in therapy or the flashbacks that make us feel unsafe going out in public. This is bigger than just financial compensation.
We would just like to say we are very sorry that this happened to you.
Thank you so much! Honestly just sharing our side of the story is such a relief.
Yeah, for sure. So what are your thoughts on O-Town?