Today a coworker became my best friend instantaneously when he handed me a three-disc Janet Jackson greatest hits compilation. I must admit, I’ve loved Janet Jackson for quite some time and as an eighties baby its only right. I mean- I practically knew every move to her dance videos and every lyric to each song (minus the Velvet Rope album, I couldn’t get on that boat). Needless to say, I was pretty amped to have the cd’s…now I can go home and practice the dance moves! To coincide with my happiness, I decided to view one of my favorite Janet videos- The Pleasure Principle. As I watched and sang along, I started to pay very close attention to the lyrics- something I didn’t really try to understand at age 10- and realized that this song is something we as women go through in most of our relationships with men.
In the song Janet recognizes that the relationship is no longer what it seems, in actuality it was never really for her. Guys have a tendency to sell women a dream relationship, but its what happens after the harsh reality sets in that makes all the difference. Some women (and I can admit to being one of them) tend to turn to/rely on the “pleasure principle” when things go sour in a relationship. They look to find some kind of pleasure/happiness in their situation…to run from or avoid the pain. Here’s the true definition of the pleasure principle:…



