The video that makes Blurred Lines look like an innocent romp.

By AMY STOCKWELL

Warning: this story includes images implying violence against women and stalking. It may be distressing to some readers.

Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines might need to take a step back because there’s a new heir to the rape anthem crown.

Maroon 5’s latest contribution, ‘Animals’, depicts a woman being stalked, raped and killed. And then lead singer Adam Levine, makes out with his apparent victim, covered in blood.

For those who plan to give the video clip a miss (which is wise – it’s both bloody and bloody disturbing), the song plays out like this:

The lyrics make it pretty clear that this pair have had some kind of sexual relationship in the past – but in the film clip he’s a stranger who works in a butcher shop where she buys her meat.

Having met her, he plans to stalk her (note his serial killer glasses which flag his intentions early)…

And after wrestling and dancing with some bloody meat carcases (because women are like meat, get it?), he’s off to rape her…

And then kill her (And then, like any stalker/murderer/rapist/prince, he’s rewarded with a kiss).

(The model in the video is Levine’s wife in real life, Behati Prinsloo, which is an insight which is equally mystifying and nauseating.)

The US Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network have already slammed the video, saying in a statement: “Maroon 5’s video for ‘Animals’ is a dangerous depiction of a stalker’s fantasy — and no one should ever confuse the criminal act of stalking with romance. The trivialisation of these serious crimes, like stalking, should have no place in the entertainment industry.”

What is clear is that this video is a tribute to stalking and equates it with normal sexual attraction.

The video also implies that sex predators are driven by something that is natural, normal and part of the usual course of a relationship.

It objectifies women and glorifies violence against them.

Unsurprisingly, almost 10 million people have already watched it.

And, that’s the kicker. It’s easy to write women off when they call something out as sexist or belittling or objectifying. Because clearly we don’t understand that “this is art” or “it’s just a video” and we love getting upset about little things.

But this is 10 million views in five days of a video that tells you that stalking is sexy and a great way to get women to make out with you.

Violence against women is not a small thing. One in three women around the world will tell you that. Music is hugely influential in our culture. Hang out with a bunch of seven year olds and ask them what their favourite song is – chances are, it’s some crap you’ve never heard, but once you’ve heard it from them, you’ll hear it every day after in the car, the supermarket and on the tv.

The shocking research about Australian attitudes to violence against women shows us that somehow men are being taught from an early age that women are (quite literally) at their disposal. That women might say that they don’t want to be with you, but they’re just lying and denying an animal attraction between the two of you. That not wanting to sleep with a man is somehow a personal slight that women must apologise for or face the consequences.

And Maroon 5’s song reinforces all of these revolting and perverse attitudes.

In Animals, Adam Levine sings, “you can start over, you can run free…But you can’t stay away from me”.

Yeah, Adam, I’m pretty sure it would be for the best if we all stayed away from you. And hopefully we will.