Saturday Night Social: Don't Be Negative, Just Be Positive

By Marie Lodi  |  June 13, 2015 | 11:45pm
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If you recall the 1992 classic Untamed Heart which starred Christian Slater as a shy busboy with a baboon heart and Marisa Tomei as the waitress who falls in love with him, you may also remember Rosie Perez playing a fellow waitress and Tomei’s best friend. There was a scene where Perez was dancing and cleaning a jukebox to a little tune called “Bad Bad Boys” by a group called Midi Maxi & Efti.

Midi Maxi & Efti consisted of three Ethiopian and Eritrean refugee teenagers who met while living in Sweden. In the video for “Bad Bad Boys,” the stylish trio appears to be unimpressed with everything. As they sing about rebellious boys, there is one lyric in particular that has always stood out to me. So much, that I transformed it into my own personal PMA mantra:

Hi it’s me, if you know what I mean
I said it’s me, my name is Efti and
I want you to see that positive people live longer
don’t be negative (negative)
just be positive (positive)

Sometimes when I’m feeling like the world slapped me with a cold fish, I just think of Efti singing that to me, with a bored look in her eyes:

don’t be negative (negative)
just be positive (positive)

I hope you too are lifted by Efti’s words. Happy Saturday!

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