61-934: Jill Sobule ( / ˈ s oʊ b j uː l / SOH -byool ; born January 16, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single " I Kissed a Girl ", and " Supermodel " from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless . Her folk-inflected compositions alternate between ironic, story-driven character studies and emotive ballads, a duality reminiscent of such 1970s American songwriters as Warren Zevon , Harry Nilsson , Loudon Wainwright III , Harry Chapin , and Randy Newman . Autobiographical elements, including Sobule's Jewish heritage and her adolescent battles with anorexia and depression, frequently occur in Sobule's writing. In 2009, she released California Years , an album funded entirely by fan donations, making her an early pioneer of crowdfunding. To date Sobule has released eight studio albums of original songs, four EPs , and
122-559: A TED (conference) and performed together at TED in 2008. They brought the show on the road in 2009 and 2010, performing in New York and Denver among other locations. The show is an autobiographical mix of music, stories and commentary. In 2008, Katy Perry issued her own " I Kissed a Girl " for her debut album One of the Boys . The song received mixed reviews but skyrocketed to #1. Sobule shared her feelings about Perry's song and use of
183-517: A greatest hits compilation album. Sobule's output also includes original songs available only via the Internet, a cover of Robert Earl Keen 's Christmas novelty track "Merry Christmas from the Family," and a version of the late Warren Zevon 's "Don't Let Us Get Sick" included on both Sobule's acoustic album and on a posthumous Zevon tribute record . Sobule's debut album Things Here Are Different
244-650: A Girl (Jill Sobule song) " I Kissed a Girl " is a song by American singer-songwriter Jill Sobule . The song, released on May 2, 1995, reached number 20 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 , and number 36 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart . In Canada, it debuted and peaked at number 15 on the newly established RPM Alternative 30 chart. In 2008,
305-417: A Roberts cover version of "Mexican Wrestler" from Sobule's album Pink Pearl; "Punch Rocker" and "94 Weeks (Metal Mouth Freak)," both written by Sobule for Roberts' character to "compose" on the program; and "New Shoes," a track co-written by Sobule with Unfabulous series creator Sue Rose. In 2006, Sobule met Julia Sweeney, the actress, writer and comedian, and started performing the " Jill and Julia Show ",
366-531: A case-by-case basis. The Crown prosecution guidelines state "[I]t is not in the public interest to prosecute children who are of the same or similar age and understanding that engage in sexual activity, where the activity is truly consensual for both parties and there are no aggravating features, such as coercion or corruption." Northern Ireland follows a similar legal framework, under the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 . This act overhauled
427-471: A charge of sexual assault if all of the following apply; A similar affirmative defence exists in the Texas Penal Code for the related crime of "continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children". Any defence under either law, however, does not apply to the separate crime of "improper educator/student relationship" (sexual relations between a licensed teacher or school employee and a student of
488-486: A child under the age of 15, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to 8 years, unless the situation is covered by § 216 paragraph 2. In determining the penalty, it shall be an aggravating circumstance if the perpetrator has gained intercourse by exploiting their physical or mental superiority. Paragraph. 2. If the offender has gained intercourse by coercion or threats, the penalty may be increased to imprisonment for up to 12 years. The content of § 216 paragraph 2 specifies
549-705: A compilation of songs and stories. They performed at the James Randi Educational Foundation meeting in Las Vegas on January 19, 2007, as well as at regular showings for the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles. Also in 2006, Sobule created a theme song for blogger Arianna Huffington's self-help book On Becoming Fearless . In 2007, Sobule teamed up with John Doe to produce and record a cover of Neil Young 's "Down by
610-550: A fruitful mid-90s movement of female singer-songwriters that included such artists as Lisa Loeb , Juliana Hatfield and Alanis Morissette . The album contains Sobule's best-known composition "I Kissed a Girl", a story-song about a lesbian flirtation between two suburban girlfriends which became an unlikely radio success thanks in part to a comedic music video featuring beefcake model Fabio Lanzoni . "Supermodel" (sample lyric: "I didn't eat yesterday ... and I'm not gonna eat today ... and I'm not gonna eat tomorrow ... 'Cause I'm gonna be
671-560: A graphic novella by Hanrahan, tells the story of a fierce young woman, Sara (a musician) and her father Arvin, a neuroscientist, who relocates his family from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australia to study REM sleep in the platypus , a unique species native to Australia. Shattered by her mother's recent suicide and unhappy with the side-effects of her own treatment for depression, Sara renames herself "Prozak," rages through her songwriting, and rebels. Meanwhile, in her father's lab, Sara finds an unexpected confidant in her father's current lab subject,
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#1732800999936732-449: A jaunty platypus who speaks to her and calls himself "Frankie". In the piece, according to its website, "Music club and science lab become testing grounds in which angry teen and scientist father pit aboriginal mythology against modern neuroscience research. The dreams of a platypus prove to be the link between the two." In 2009-10, Sobule performed with Julia Sweeney in a revue called "Jill and Julia". Sobule and Sweeney originally met at
793-400: A little bit, however, when she said she came up with the idea for the title in a dream. In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the very same guy that signed me in 1995. I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don't want to sound bitter or petty ... Okay, maybe, if I really think about it, there were a few jealous and pissed-off moments. So here goes, for
854-429: A minor past the age of puberty , and may therefore be distinguished from child sexual abuse. Sexual relations with a prepubescent child is typically treated as a more serious crime. In many jurisdictions, the age of consent is interpreted to mean mental or functional age. As a result, victims can be of any chronological age if their mental age makes them unable to consent to a sexual act. Consensual teenage sex
915-414: A minor, statutory rape laws aim to give the minor some protection against adults in a position of power over the youth. Another argument presented in defence of statutory rape laws relates to the difficulty in prosecuting rape (against a victim of any age) in the courtroom. Because forced sexual intercourse with a minor is considered a particularly heinous form of rape, these laws relieve the prosecution of
976-523: A string of over the top dumb-ass profanities, purposely out of character and completely in jest ... I have never really been angry or had ill feelings towards Katy herself. I was actually in a small way happy to not be the 'Kissed a Girl' girl anymore". The music video featured Italian model Fabio playing Sobule's heterosexual love interest. It parodies his romance novel covers, and features young women in 1960s-style hair and dresses. Statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape
1037-576: A supermodel") managed to both send up and celebrate American teenage lifestyles, and became well known after its inclusion in 1995's hit teen comedy film Clueless . The Jill Sobule album seemed to establish Sobule's commercial prospects, but her third album slowed that momentum while setting what has so far been the musical and production patterns for the rest of her career. 1997's Happy Town featured Sobule's most elaborate pop productions to date and contains songs about an eclectic range of topics including reactionary Christianity ("Soldiers of Christ"),
1098-454: Is anchored by three female character studies: "Lucy at the Gym", about an anorexic exercise addict; "Claire", about an aging lesbian aviator succumbing to Alzheimer's disease ; and "Mary Kay", about Mary Kay Letourneau , the notorious real-life schoolteacher who became impregnated and was imprisoned as the result of the statutory rape of a 13-year-old male student, whom she married when he reached
1159-476: Is common in the United States. A 1995 study revealed that 50% of U.S. teenagers have had sexual intercourse by the age of sixteen. It is estimated that there are more than 7 million incidents of statutory rape every year. However, it is clear that most incidents are not prosecuted and do not lead to arrests and convictions. Laws vary in their definitions of statutory rape. Statutory rape laws are based on
1220-453: Is less than five years older, and sex with minors aged 12–13 is permitted if the partner is less than two years older. Other countries state that the sexual conduct with the minor is not to be punished if the partners are of a similar age and development: for instance, the age of consent in Finland is 16, but the law states that the act will not be punished if "there is no great difference in
1281-413: Is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behaviour). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual contact with minors under the age of consent, it is a generic term, and very few jurisdictions use the actual term statutory rape in the language of statutes. In statutory rape, overt force or threat
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#17328009999361342-558: Is usually not present. Statutory rape laws presume coercion because a minor or mentally disabled adult is legally incapable of giving consent to the act. Different jurisdictions use many different statutory terms for the crime, such as sexual assault , rape of a child , corruption of a minor , unlawful sex with a minor , carnal knowledge of a minor , sexual battery , or simply carnal knowledge . The terms child sexual abuse or child molestation may also be used, but statutory rape generally refers to sex between an adult and
1403-576: The 1990s. Until the late 1970s, sex involving an adult female and an underage male was often ignored by the law, due to the belief that it often constitutes sexual initiation of the younger male. This view still exists in modern times, as there is a gender bias in courts on teacher–student sexual relationships resulting in far lesser punishment of female offenders. In 2005, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention estimated that five per cent of statutory rape victims were male, and that 94% of
1464-765: The Doris Day theme song " Que Sera Sera " and " Sunrise, Sunset " from the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof . The more elaborately recorded Underdog Victorious , also released in 2004, was one of the last albums distributed by legendary personal manager and media entrepreneur Danny Goldberg 's now-defunct Artemis Records . The liquidation of Artemis Records led Sobule to extend her experiments with online music distribution and to relocate from New York City to Los Angeles. She continued to write and perform prolifically and to compose original music for television, including for
1525-622: The River" for the American Laundromat Records benefit CD Cinnamon Girl – Women Artists Cover Neil Young For Charity . Other contributing artists included Lori McKenna, Tanya Donelly, Josie Cotton, Kristin Hersh, Britta Phillips, and The Watsons Twins. Also in 2007, Sobule's song "San Francisco" became the first single released by Don Was as part of his Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music, an advertiser-sponsored means for
1586-816: The Train" on Barone's Clouds Over Eden album. They also appeared together (as Mr. and Mrs. Sobule) in the underground film Next Year in Jerusalem , which featured another of their compositions, "Everybody's Queer". The pair continue to collaborate, including "Odd Girl Out" for Barone's 2010 album, Glow ( Bar/None Records ), and to perform together. Their songs have been used on The West Wing . Felicity , Dawson's Creek , South of Nowhere and other television shows. In 2018, Barone produced and sang backing vocals on "Island of Lost Things" on Sobule's album Nostalgia Kills . In 1997-1998, Sobule joined Lloyd Cole 's short-lived band The Negatives. In 2004, she played one of
1647-724: The age of consent. Pink Pearl also contains some of Sobule's most directly confessional songwriting, especially the atheist's prayer "Somewhere in New Mexico" and the insomniac's lullaby "Rock Me To Sleep". Don Henley contributed a promotional quotation to the ad campaign for the album and selected Sobule to open for him during his solo tour that year. In 2004, Sobule self-released an album of acoustic tracks titled The Folk Years 2003–2003 . In addition to some of her rarer compositions and several tracks that would later receive fuller arrangements on Sobule's next major-label release, Sobule performed offbeat cover versions of such standards as
1708-417: The ages or the mental and physical maturity of the persons involved". Another approach takes the form of a stipulation that sexual intercourse between a minor and an adult is legal under the condition that the latter does not exceed a certain age. In Slovenia , the age of consent is 15, but the activity is only deemed criminal if there is "a marked discrepancy between the maturity of the perpetrator and that of
1769-488: The amount of the donation. These ranged from a free download of the album upon its release ($ 10) to the opportunity to attend a recording session and sing on the record ($ 10,000). On March 8, 2008, 53 days after the public launch of the site, Sobule reached her target through donations from more than 500 people in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and 11 foreign countries. The subsequent album, California Years ,
1830-405: The burden to prove lack of consent. This makes conviction more frequent in cases involving minors. The original purpose of statutory rape laws was to protect young, unwed females from males who might impregnate them and not take responsibility by providing support for the child. In the past, the solution to such problems was often a shotgun wedding , a forced marriage called for by the parents of
1891-401: The case of a 15-year-old male victim and a 34-year-old female perpetrator where the sexual assault resulted in the birth of a child. When questioned, the male victim stated that the sex was "a mutually agreeable act". The 34-year-old perpetrator was prosecuted and convicted of unlawful sex with a minor. However, the lawsuit in question demanded child support from the male victim for the child who
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1952-508: The child consented to this act is irrelevant". The term rape is used with regard to children under 13; consensual sexual penetration of a child above 13 but under 16 is defined as sexual activity with a child , and punished less severely (section 9, which requires the perpetrator to be 18 or over). A minor can also be guilty of sexual contact with another minor (section 13), but the explanatory notes state that decisions whether to prosecute in cases where both parties are minors are to be taken on
2013-414: The first time in an interview: Fuck you Katy Perry, you fucking stupid, maybe 'not good for the gays' title-thieving, haven't heard much else, so not quite sure if you're talented, fucking little slut. God that felt good. Days later, in an article she wrote for The Huffington Post , Sobule stated: I thought maybe this time I would have fun with it and goof on what many of my fans were hoping to hear over
2074-435: The five leads in the film Mind The Gap with six of her songs featured on the soundtrack. In 2005, Sobule contributed music to Unfabulous , a popular Nickelodeon TV series about a 13-year-old aspiring songwriter, including a title song performed by Sobule under the program's opening credits. Four Sobule compositions or co-compositions appear on the series star's debut album, Unfabulous and More: Emma Roberts : credits
2135-475: The girl in question. This rationale aims to preserve the marriageability of the girl and to prevent unwanted teenage pregnancy . Historically, a man could defend himself against statutory rape charges by proving that his victim was already sexually experienced prior to their encounter (and thus not subject to being corrupted by the defendant). A requirement that the victim be "of previously chaste character" remained in effect in some U.S. states until as late as
2196-433: The last year. I prefaced my reply with a wink, and then rambled on with a string of over the top dumb-ass profanities, purposely out of character and completely in jest ... I may be a touch cynical about the business, but I have never really been angry or had ill feelings towards Katy herself. I was actually in a small way happy to not be the "Kissed a Girl" girl anymore. Sobule identifies as bisexual . I Kissed
2257-493: The legal framework of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 differentiates between sexual contact with children under 13 , and sexual contact with those at least 13 but under 16 . Sexual penetration of a child under 13 is termed rape of a child under 13 , an offence created by section 5 of the act, which reads: (1) Rape of a child under 13 A person commits an offence if— The explanatory notes read: "Whether or not
2318-501: The negative impact of anti-depressant medication on the libido ("Happy Town"), and a track that uses Anne Frank's enforced Nazi-era hibernation as the metaphor for a love song ("Attic"). Though embraced by record reviewers from publications as diverse as The Advocate and Entertainment Weekly , Happy Town sold poorly, simultaneously solidifying Sobule's critical reputation while stalling her commercial momentum. The 2000 record Pink Pearl may be Sobule's most characteristic set. It
2379-480: The other party was over the age of consent). This has led to the release of persons held under the statutory rape law and has led to public demands that the law be changed by emergency legislation being enacted. On 2 June 2006 the Irish Supreme Court upheld an appeal by the state against the release of one such person, "Mr A". Mr A was rearrested shortly afterwards to continue serving his sentence. In
2440-468: The penalty can be increased to 12 years, if the child is under the age of 12. In Italy the age of consent is 14. A Romeo and Juliet rule applies for an age difference of one year. However, if the older person has a position of authority over the younger, such as a relative, teacher, parish priest, or doctor, the age of consent is 16. Note on marriage; Notes on the Dutch law; For England and Wales ,
2501-425: The penalty of the crime in cases where the couple's age difference is minor and the sexual contact would not have been rape if both partners were legally able to give consent. Such laws vary, but can include: Such laws generally apply to a couple whose ages differ by less than a specified number of years. They are, however, generally unavailable in any case where the older participant has an authoritative position over
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2562-623: The perpetrators in these cases were female; 73% of the female perpetrators were aged 21 or over, while 76% of the male victims were aged 15 or younger. A 2006 review of scientific research found that the majority of men who had sex with women as underaged boys hold a positive reaction about the relationship, with a third of them being neutral and less than 5% being negative toward it. However, these men expressed slightly higher levels of psychological distress than men who had not had these experiences. The authors suggested that societal views may disincline men from recognising negative or abusive elements of
2623-424: The person who has reached the age of consent is guilty of statutory rape. In some jurisdictions, if two minors have sex with each other, they are both guilty of engaging in unlawful sex with the other person. The act itself is prima facie evidence of guilt when one participant is incapable of legally consenting. Many jurisdictions have passed so-called "Romeo and Juliet laws" which serve to reduce or eliminate
2684-741: The popular Nickelodeon series Unfabulous . Sobule also acted and performed her songs in writer-director Eric Schaeffer 's 2004 film Mind the Gap , as a street musician in Astoria, Queens with a heart condition, who aspires to play in Manhattan. In mid-January 2008, Sobule launched a website, jillsnextrecord.com, which sought to raise $ 75,000 through fan donations in order to produce, manufacture, distribute and promote an upcoming studio album. In exchange for their donations, Sobule offered her patrons an assortment of rewards with values commensurate with
2745-409: The premise that an individual is legally incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse until that person reaches a certain age. The law mandates that even if he or she willingly engages in sexual intercourse, the sex is not consensual. Another rationale comes from the fact that minors are generally economically, socially, and legally unequal to adults. By making it illegal for an adult to have sex with
2806-618: The production of her next album, "Nostalgia Kills". Rolling Stone listed the first single from the album, "Island of Lost Things", among the 10 best new country and Americana songs. Since 2020, Sobule has acted as musician-in-residence at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice , an LGBTQIA community center. In the late 90s, Sobule toured with Richard Barone as "The Richard & Jill Show". Together they wrote "Bitter" on Happy Town , "Rock Me To Sleep" on Pink Pearl , "Big Shoes" on I Never Learned to Swim , and "Waiting for
2867-580: The recording and distribution of new music, part of the multimedia website mydamnchannel.com. The pair also collaborated on a 16-minute concert video entitled "Jill Sobule's Dance Party," distributed for free in two parts on both mydamnchannel.com and YouTube. In May 2008, Sobule released a CD of music from Prozak and the Platypus , a multi-media collaboration of Sobule, playwright Elise Thoron , and graphic artist KellyAnne Hanrahan. The play, written by Thoron (book, lyrics) and Sobule (music) and illustrated in
2928-424: The relationships. In contrast, women who were involved with adult men when they were underage mostly had negative reactions once they left the relationship, seeing them as sexual deviants who could not find willing same-age partners and who instead exploited young girls. U.S. courts have held that male victims of statutory rape are liable for child support for any children resulting from the crime, uniformly taking
2989-407: The same school), or for "aggravated sexual assault" (the forcible rape statute of Texas law). Some countries other than the United States also have Romeo and Juliet laws. Ireland's 2006 law has been contested because it treats girls differently from boys. In Canada , the age of consent is normally 16, but there are two close-in-age exemptions: sex with minors aged 14–15 is permitted if the partner
3050-550: The same sex. For example, in the US state of Kansas , if someone 18 or older has sex with a minor no more than four years younger, a Romeo and Juliet law limits the penalty substantially. As written, however, this law did not apply to same-sex couples, leaving them subject to higher penalties than opposite-sex couples for the same offence. This resulted in higher statutory rape convictions, larger fines, and sex offender registration for teens involved in same-sex statutory rape. The Kansas law
3111-658: The sexual offences laws in Northern Ireland, and fixed the age of consent at 16 in line with the rest of the UK; prior to this act it was 17. In Scotland, the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 also fixes an age of consent of 16, and is also two-tiered, treating children under 13 differently than children 13–15. Section 18, rape of a young child , applies to children under 13. Before the enactment of this act, Scotland had very few statutory sexual offences, with most of its sexual legislation being defined at common law , which
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#17328009999363172-535: The song received renewed attention after Katy Perry released a song with the same title . Some music critics unfavorably compared Perry's song to Sobule's due to their titles. In a 2009 interview with The Rumpus , Sobule criticized Perry, stating, "Fuck you Katy Perry, you fucking stupid, maybe 'not good for the gays,' title-thieving, haven't heard much else, so not quite sure if you're talented, fucking little slut." Sobule later claimed that her comments were meant to be facetious. She stated that she "rambled on with
3233-403: The title in a July 2009 interview with The Rumpus : When Katy Perry's song came out I started getting tons of inquiries about what I thought. Some folks (and protective friends) were angry, and wondered why she took my title and made it into this kind of " girls gone wild " thing. ... As a musician I have always refrained from criticizing another artist. I was, "Well, good for her." It did bug me
3294-505: The victim". While there is broad support for the concept of statutory rape as criminal in the United States, there is substantial debate on how vigorously such cases should be pursued and under what circumstances. In May 2006, the Irish Supreme Court found the existing statutory rape laws to have been unconstitutional , since they prevented the defendant from entering a defence (e.g., that he had reasonably believed that
3355-460: The view that the criminal act of the mother is irrelevant to a child support obligation. In many cases, the boys were not characterised as victims, but as willing participants. Courts often rely on the consent of the victim to the sexual intercourse when imposing child support orders, even though within the context of statutory rape prosecutions minors are deemed legally incapable of giving consent. County of San Luis Obispo v. Nathaniel J. examined
3416-425: The younger regardless of relative age, such as a teacher/student, coach/player or guardian/ward relationship, or if any physical force was used or serious physical injury resulted. This is normally accomplished by making acts involving these circumstances separate crimes to which the "Romeo and Juliet" defence does not apply. An example is Texas Penal Code , Section 22.011(e). It provides an affirmative defence to
3477-421: Was born. The court found that the boy was "not an innocent victim", and had responsibilities to the child despite the fact that he had been the victim of a sexual assault and had not been of the age of consent. The court ruled that the victim would be responsible for child support once he reached the age of majority . In some jurisdictions, relationships between adults and minors are penalised more when both are
3538-414: Was increasingly seen as a problem in particular for the issue of consent. The creation of a two-tier age limit was deemed very important during the drafting of the act. Often, teenage couples engage in sexual conduct as part of an intimate relationship. This may occur before either participant has reached the age of consent, or after one has but the other has not. In the latter case, in most jurisdictions,
3599-423: Was released in 1990. Produced by pop legend Todd Rundgren , the album failed to sell. During this period a follow-up record was produced by British New Wave rocker Joe Jackson (for whom she opened during 1991) but Sobule was dropped from her label and the second record was never released. It was five years before Sobule landed another recording contract. Her 1995 album Jill Sobule established Sobule as part of
3660-412: Was released on April 14, 2009 on Sobule's own label, Pinko Records . On Sobule's next record "Dottie's Charms" in 2014, she put music to lyrics of her friends and favorite authors including David Hajdu , Jonathan Lethem , Vendela Vida and Lucy Sante , with each song relating to individual charms on an antique charm bracelet she had been given. In 2018, Sobule again used crowd funding to assist with
3721-1030: Was successfully challenged as being in conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court rulings Lawrence v. Texas and Romer v. Evans . The Lawrence precedent did not directly address equal protection , but its application in the case of State v. Limon (2005) invalidated age of consent laws that discriminate based on sexual orientation in Kansas. The law reads in Danish: § 222. Den, som har samleje med et barn under 15 år, straffes med fængsel indtil 8 år, medmindre forholdet er omfattet af § 216, stk. 2. Ved fastsættelse af straffen skal det indgå som en skærpende omstændighed, at gerningsmanden har skaffet sig samlejet ved udnyttelse af sin fysiske eller psykiske overlegenhed. Stk. 2. Har gerningsmanden skaffet sig samlejet ved tvang eller fremsættelse af trusler, kan straffen stige til fængsel indtil 12 år. Which translates roughly to: § 222. One who has sexual intercourse with
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