Robin Thicke Blurred Lines Music Video
By this time I'm sure most of you have already
seen or heard the song "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. Its played
constantly on the radio and it has captured the attention of many women and
feminists. It also raises an important knowledge issue-how women are portrayed
in the music industry. Recently the University of Edinburgh has forbidden the
song to be played on campus, and to no surprise, the song promotes
non-consensual sex and an unhealthy attitude towards it. Issue number one for
me are the words:
OK now he was close, tried to domesticate you
But you're an animal, baby, it's in your nature
Just let me liberate you
In this section he compares women to animals, basically degrading them.
I hate these blurred lines
I know you want it
The way you grab me
Must wanna get nasty
Go ahead, get at me
Saying "I know you want it" seem to say that the female is the one who "wanted it". One in six females in America have experienced rape or attempted rape and a vast majority by someone they knew. And by blurred lines he means that there wasn't a clear indication of what the female wanted, so it was safe to assume that she "most likely wanted it." This is instead encouraging the rape culture that exists. "I know you wanted it" encourages the idea that "no doesn't always mean no" and that women are asking for it when they are raped.
You the hottest b**** in this place
I feel so lucky
Hey, hey, hey
You wanna hug me
Hey, hey, hey
What rhymes with hug me?
When a man uses the word b****, he is degrading the women and asserting his dominance over her. Also the lyrics go from "hugging me" to "what rhymes with hug me-which is obviously f*** me". So he is basically saying lets get past the stage of hugging and go to the next one.
So hit me up when you passing through
I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two
.......He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that
Now this is just disgusting, women are being portrayed as sex toys to play around with. Not only is this graphic and showing violent behavior, there is the assumption that women are put on earth to please a men's sexual drive and serve his fantasies. When asked about the derogatory meaning of the song by GQ magazine, Robin Thicke dismissed accusations of rape connotations as being "ridiculous", insisting that he has always "respected women". You're kidding, right?!?! It definitely doesn't seem like that looking at the lyrics and music video!
Issue number two is the video. In the video the men walk around the women, touching them wherever they want and the women are standing without any facial expressions. The women seem instead like sex dolls and are there for the amusement of the men. The men are also fully-clothed while the women are stripped of their clothing, they also don't say a single word, the women are not portrayed as beautiful, intelligent or creative but are celebrated as sexual objects. Also, when the women are stripped of their voices, it's symbolic because once you lose your voice, you lose your personality, style and individuality. And nowadays women are portrayed in such a manner, in a very limited way.
When women are continuously portrayed as being sexy or sexual, we create a standard for women in our society. That standard and goal is to be sexually appealing, the feminine contribution to society is reduced to being or looking sexy. That is setting an erroneous example to the young people and teenagers that are growing up and witnessing this first-hand. Also, what kind of example is this video setting for men? To be a true man who has honorable intentions and respect for women? Nope, definitely not, young teenage boys are growing up and thinking that it is "ok" to do such things to women. We must change our portrayal of women in the music industry, and hopefully standards for women will change, so instead of looking sexy, why not be beautiful, creative and intelligent, exposing the true beauty of women?
OK now he was close, tried to domesticate you
But you're an animal, baby, it's in your nature
Just let me liberate you
In this section he compares women to animals, basically degrading them.
I hate these blurred lines
I know you want it
The way you grab me
Must wanna get nasty
Go ahead, get at me
Saying "I know you want it" seem to say that the female is the one who "wanted it". One in six females in America have experienced rape or attempted rape and a vast majority by someone they knew. And by blurred lines he means that there wasn't a clear indication of what the female wanted, so it was safe to assume that she "most likely wanted it." This is instead encouraging the rape culture that exists. "I know you wanted it" encourages the idea that "no doesn't always mean no" and that women are asking for it when they are raped.
You the hottest b**** in this place
I feel so lucky
Hey, hey, hey
You wanna hug me
Hey, hey, hey
What rhymes with hug me?
When a man uses the word b****, he is degrading the women and asserting his dominance over her. Also the lyrics go from "hugging me" to "what rhymes with hug me-which is obviously f*** me". So he is basically saying lets get past the stage of hugging and go to the next one.
So hit me up when you passing through
I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two
.......He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that
Now this is just disgusting, women are being portrayed as sex toys to play around with. Not only is this graphic and showing violent behavior, there is the assumption that women are put on earth to please a men's sexual drive and serve his fantasies. When asked about the derogatory meaning of the song by GQ magazine, Robin Thicke dismissed accusations of rape connotations as being "ridiculous", insisting that he has always "respected women". You're kidding, right?!?! It definitely doesn't seem like that looking at the lyrics and music video!
Issue number two is the video. In the video the men walk around the women, touching them wherever they want and the women are standing without any facial expressions. The women seem instead like sex dolls and are there for the amusement of the men. The men are also fully-clothed while the women are stripped of their clothing, they also don't say a single word, the women are not portrayed as beautiful, intelligent or creative but are celebrated as sexual objects. Also, when the women are stripped of their voices, it's symbolic because once you lose your voice, you lose your personality, style and individuality. And nowadays women are portrayed in such a manner, in a very limited way.
When women are continuously portrayed as being sexy or sexual, we create a standard for women in our society. That standard and goal is to be sexually appealing, the feminine contribution to society is reduced to being or looking sexy. That is setting an erroneous example to the young people and teenagers that are growing up and witnessing this first-hand. Also, what kind of example is this video setting for men? To be a true man who has honorable intentions and respect for women? Nope, definitely not, young teenage boys are growing up and thinking that it is "ok" to do such things to women. We must change our portrayal of women in the music industry, and hopefully standards for women will change, so instead of looking sexy, why not be beautiful, creative and intelligent, exposing the true beauty of women?
What an interesting blog, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and hearing your perspective. I find myself interested in this topic and want to learn more. I didn't know that there was so many connections to the rape culture. Although I disagree with rape culture, I do have to point out that this is entertainment and that many controversial topics surface when dealing with this industry. That being said, in no way shape or form am I condoning the message of the song but just as a heads up this type of controversy isn't uncommon within the entertainment industry.
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