Joy Retro Disco presents:

Uplifting tunes for your weekend

“What have you done today to make you feel proud?” asks Ms Small, in this anthem to self-belief and the power of positive change.

I thought this was a fitting tune for this weekend as the show that made it a mainstream earworm, The Biggest Loser, is back on the box this Sunday. That show’s use of this tune as its theme song in previous seasons has had me loving and loathing it – sometimes at the same time. Sure, on one level it is a cheesy 90s dance anthem with double-doses of self-help cheerleading lyrics, but on another level it’s, um, actually there is only one level.

There’s a certain irony about choosing this song as a positive tune because “pride” is not regarded as a virtue in the mainstream world. Not only is it forever cursed as one of the seven deadly sins – and it’s apparently the thing that comes before a fall  – but it is also regarded as a “low energy” state by those of a new-age bent. Pride gets a caning in David Hawkins’ book, Power vs Force, as yet another example of the ego-gone-wild destroying the world.

But these people have obviously not been gay. If they had, then they would understand that being proud of who you are when the world tells you that you are worthless, or worse, you should be strung up, is not about ego. It’s about believing that you are a worthwhile human being who deserves to be loved and treated with respect.

And that’s what this song is about. As its recent popularity has shown, it’s not just queers who need a little pride. I reckon whenever we can say, “I am living true to my values and my self”, we should feel proud because we live in a society that has other ideas. 

So, go on, step out of the ordinary! Feel your soul ascending! Get on your way! No one can stop you now!

What have you done today to make you feel proud?