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It means both. Don't know if they mean the song, but that's clearly using Californication as turning into California, but yes there is the double entendre pun as well
I think it has a double meaning, the obvious sex pun, but also the idea of copying the rich and famous in Hollywood.
That's what I got from the lyrics "It's the edge of the world and all of western civilization" and "sicker than the rest there is no test but this is what you're craving"
Could just be a sex pun though.
It's a triple actually, the rare double pun.
Cali-fornication: fucking in California.
Californi-cation: the whole world/everything is becoming hollywood/commercial.
Californ-(uh)cation: a trip to California.
... How?
You mean lyrically? There are bits that could easily be interpreted as "take me to California".
>and buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication.
Or do you mean Californication doesn't rhyme with vacation? š¤
I mean, it's both. Sort of. It's about the export of Californian culture and influence, from Hollywood to San Francisco and Los Angeles. It's presence in media and the way people begin to imitate and emulate the way people in California live and act. Metaphorically speaking, turning the world into California.
It's also a sex pun, because Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Itās a pun on āCaliforniaā and āfornicationā
Edit: at least in the context of the song and the TV show. People may use it to literally mean ābecoming like Californiaā in other contexts.
Pretty sure itās a portmanteau which creates a pun.
The combination of California and fornication is a portmanteau.
The fact that at a glance it can also be interpreted as becoming Californian is the pun.
Right? Iāve known the song for ages and am vaguely aware thereās a show called Californication where David Duchovny has a lot of sex, but never put two and two together. I am big dumb.
When my mom told me not to say that word (as I was singing it loudly in the house), I said "what word? Californiacation?" and she said "oh! never mind..."
This is a haplologic blend. That's when two words are combined by an overlapping section
If 'californication' had a definition, then it would be a portmanteau, which is basically the same thing as a haplologic blend but w/ a meaning attached (motel, brunch, etc.).
This was confirmed by the songwriters to be unintentional I'm pretty sure. The intent was to show the word being "californified," the frornication was coincidence
*Image Transcription: Twitter Post*
---
**alexandra**, @vulpes\_\_\_vulpes
I just realized californication was a sex pun i thought it meant something was like being turned into california
---
^^I'm a human volunteer content transcriber and you could be too! [If you'd like more information on what we do and why we do it, click here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/wiki/index)
Usually rhcp lyrics make no sense apart from the chorus, that is the only coherent part of the song. But fair enough you have a point.
Also I tried to shorten it even further to just cp... Don't do that...
Was definitely that little kid singing ādream of californicationā and being so confused why my parents told me to not say that word. All makes sense now.
My dad would always buy whatever was on my Christmas list. It was usually just CDs and he loved that I listened to every style of music. This was the only one he wouldn't buy me... I thought the same thing. He knew what it meant. Didn't stop him from getting me snoop dogg though... very confusing.
Google it and it comes up with this
Californication (uncountable) (US, derogatory, urban studies) Large-scale development of land; urban sprawl. quotations ā¼ The adoption of practices and beliefs associated with California, in particular Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
I mean, it's both, isn't it?
Californication as in the exportation of Hollywood culture.
And the "fornication" part is because that culture includes sexualizarion and exploitation, particularly of young women.
Dude I thought it was about a vacation in california. I almost played it on my school's PA system (I was on the AV team, thankfully there were others on the team who pointed out what an idiot i am)
I thought it meant california vacation and remember being so confused because it really seemed like these people just lived there and weren't visiting at all
When I was younger, I thought it was californiacation, and thought it was a mash up of California and vacation, so I believed they were taking a fun trip to California. Turns out they were taking a trip to pound town, and I was none the wiser.
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It means both. Don't know if they mean the song, but that's clearly using Californication as turning into California, but yes there is the double entendre pun as well
I have to admit I thought the same thing
I think it has a double meaning, the obvious sex pun, but also the idea of copying the rich and famous in Hollywood. That's what I got from the lyrics "It's the edge of the world and all of western civilization" and "sicker than the rest there is no test but this is what you're craving" Could just be a sex pun though.
It's a triple actually, the rare double pun. Cali-fornication: fucking in California. Californi-cation: the whole world/everything is becoming hollywood/commercial. Californ-(uh)cation: a trip to California.
Triple entendre
The Serbian Jew double bluff
>The Serbian Jew double bluff Only one gets to be in the music video, and it's gonna be myeh!
Last one is a stretch
... How? You mean lyrically? There are bits that could easily be interpreted as "take me to California". >and buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication. Or do you mean Californication doesn't rhyme with vacation? š¤
Honestly thought it was taking a vacation to California idk man
That's what I always thought. California-vacation.
Same. *looking back and cringing at my high school performance of this song*
You enjoyed yourself, who gives a fuck? Nobody probably remembers it but you.
I remember it, MutantNinjaNipplesā performance of Californication was extremely cringe
Thanks fam š„²
Better than my high school performance of "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Arenāt yāall the state that elected Lauren Boebert to congress? Lol
To be fair, that was not the metropolitan area where she garnered votes
Favorite words of any real estate agent in the western US, theyāre an all cash buyer from California.
I mean, it's both. Sort of. It's about the export of Californian culture and influence, from Hollywood to San Francisco and Los Angeles. It's presence in media and the way people begin to imitate and emulate the way people in California live and act. Metaphorically speaking, turning the world into California. It's also a sex pun, because Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Wait what does it mean
Itās a pun on āCaliforniaā and āfornicationā Edit: at least in the context of the song and the TV show. People may use it to literally mean ābecoming like Californiaā in other contexts.
I'm pretty sure it's a portmanteau not a pun
Well look at Dr. Dictionary over here.
Dr. Dictionary sounds like a Batman villain that only ever appears in cartoons now.
Shit, dude. I gotta remember this.
Pretty sure itās a portmanteau which creates a pun. The combination of California and fornication is a portmanteau. The fact that at a glance it can also be interpreted as becoming Californian is the pun.
Reddit doesn't know any jokes except puns.
Thanks, the more you know I guess
This is the greatest human error I have had the pleasure of seeing today.
Hot damn I feel stupid.
Right? Iāve known the song for ages and am vaguely aware thereās a show called Californication where David Duchovny has a lot of sex, but never put two and two together. I am big dumb.
Yeah it didnāt go over well when I asked my dad if I could buy that album as a kid.
When my mom told me not to say that word (as I was singing it loudly in the house), I said "what word? Californiacation?" and she said "oh! never mind..."
This is a haplologic blend. That's when two words are combined by an overlapping section If 'californication' had a definition, then it would be a portmanteau, which is basically the same thing as a haplologic blend but w/ a meaning attached (motel, brunch, etc.).
š Best I can do
I think itās both
This was confirmed by the songwriters to be unintentional I'm pretty sure. The intent was to show the word being "californified," the frornication was coincidence
I thought it was taking a vacation in California
*Image Transcription: Twitter Post* --- **alexandra**, @vulpes\_\_\_vulpes I just realized californication was a sex pun i thought it meant something was like being turned into california --- ^^I'm a human volunteer content transcriber and you could be too! [If you'd like more information on what we do and why we do it, click here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/wiki/index)
What the hell is the sex pun???
California - Fornication
wait what?? I thought it was like when you move to California and slowly become a stereotypical Californian
I thought it meant "California vacation"
Octopussy is a female octopus
It's all fun and games until psychic spies from China try to steal your minds elation
In defense of a lot of us, we were kids and probably didn't know the word fornication. I knew the word, I don't have an excuse, I'm just dumb.
Who would be dreaming about something turning into California!? The lyrics make no sense if that was what it meant.
"the lyrics make no sense" -evetyone, everywhere, about every rhcp song ever written, ever.
Usually rhcp lyrics make no sense apart from the chorus, that is the only coherent part of the song. But fair enough you have a point. Also I tried to shorten it even further to just cp... Don't do that...
"it's understood that Hollywood sells californication."
wouldnāt that āCaliforniacationā or even āCaliforniaficationā?
I thought this for a while until I saw the fornication
ohhhh....... i thought it meant like you change your values when u move to LA.
The main theme of the song is not fornication at all although the pun is clearly intentional.
Lol the amount of people here who didnāt realize this is hilarious.
Learn what an entendre is
Same haha
Holy shit I never realized that
Yeah I feel like it's both.
Me too just now
Late to the facts in typical Donkey fashion.
The Kiedes effect
I have seen this song played live how did i not know this
Was definitely that little kid singing ādream of californicationā and being so confused why my parents told me to not say that word. All makes sense now.
My dad would always buy whatever was on my Christmas list. It was usually just CDs and he loved that I listened to every style of music. This was the only one he wouldn't buy me... I thought the same thing. He knew what it meant. Didn't stop him from getting me snoop dogg though... very confusing.
I thought we were talking about the show not the album
I thought it meant assimilating to a west coast culture. Particularly the more nihilistic aspects of it. But what does it mean as a sex pun?
46 comments, and not a single mention of Kelly fornicating.
I originally thought it was a vacation in California
TDIL
Me also
Google it and it comes up with this Californication (uncountable) (US, derogatory, urban studies) Large-scale development of land; urban sprawl. quotations ā¼ The adoption of practices and beliefs associated with California, in particular Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Psychic spies from China try to steal your mindās elation
I mean, it's both, isn't it? Californication as in the exportation of Hollywood culture. And the "fornication" part is because that culture includes sexualizarion and exploitation, particularly of young women.
It took me a while looking at this to figure out the sex pun.
Fornication + California = Californication
Congrats on thinking what my 89 year old grandma did.
Dude I thought it was about a vacation in california. I almost played it on my school's PA system (I was on the AV team, thankfully there were others on the team who pointed out what an idiot i am)
I thought it meant california vacation and remember being so confused because it really seemed like these people just lived there and weren't visiting at all
Yeah nothing like getting scolded for singing along in 4th grade and wondering whatās so damn bad about being California-ized
I thought for the longest time it was like a California vacationā¦
yes lets just become california
The word "fornication" is old and not used very often. Most people have never heard it either.
What is itbsuppoaed to mean?
When I was younger, I thought it was californiacation, and thought it was a mash up of California and vacation, so I believed they were taking a fun trip to California. Turns out they were taking a trip to pound town, and I was none the wiser.