entertainment

Blurred Lines: the music video everyone's talking about.

“One thing I ask of you
Lemme be the one you back that ass up to
From Malibu to Paris boo
Had a bitch, but she ain’t bad as you
So, hit me up when you pass through
I’ll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two.”

Nice isn’t it?

If you were one of the 2 million plus viewers that caught the finale of The Voice last night then chances are you also saw US R&B singer, Robin Thicke perform his hit single – and the current number one in Australia – Blurred Lines.

Even if you missed it the show chances are you’ve heard Blurred Lines, inadvertently bopped along to it and/or seen that music video.

You know the one that features topless models prancing around in flesh-coloured g-strings playing with a variety of nonsensical props such as a goat, dice and riding a stationary bike and a dog – but not at the same time, that would be weird.

 American news site, The Daily Beast have described the song as kind of “rapey” due to the lyrics that appear to promote non-consensual sex. And when you break it down, they do have a point, the bridge of the song features the repetitive line, “I know you want it” and “But you’re a good girl, The way you grab me, Must wanna get nasty, Go ahead, get at me” imply a ‘no doesn’t mean actually no’ kind of attitude.

Watch the “clean” version of the video below and the unrated NSFW one here.

In interviews yesterday the 36-year-old singer and son of tv dad, Alan Thicke, is defending the NSFW “Terry Richardson kind of video” that has been removed from YouTube.

“It’s art. It was the director’s idea (Diane Martel) and she’s a woman. She picked the girls, it was her idea to take their clothes off. And let’s not forget, everybody — they got paid handsomely to take their clothes off,” Thicke told News Ltd.

“Do you notice we are just standing in front of a white wall? Where do you think the money went? I’m wearing one suit, a suit I already own. All the money went to the girls.”

Wait a second, I hope he’s not suggesting that it’s okay to objectify women as long as there is an exchange of money?

The fact that the men, Thicke, T.I and Pharrell, are fully clothed while the models are semi-naked is the very reason why some women have taken issue with the clip.

“The women are clearly being used as objects to reinforce the status of the men in the video. The men have all the control and status because they are not vulnerable—they are completely covered. Whereas the women have no status and are totally open to be exploited ogled and used,” Canadian model, Amy Davison says in a YouTube video entitled Robin Thicke is a Dick.

Thicke who has previously admitted that he asked his wife, Paula Patton, permission before filming the video insists the only reason why you would take offence to the clip is because you “don’t understand why that is funny or fun”.

“It’s like going to the Louvre with your 10-year-old and asking why they have all these breasts on the wall and would they take it down.

“Sorry, Rembrandt painted that. Mind if we leave it up?” Thicke said.

You see, a widely celebrated 17th Century artist and the controversial photographer, Terry Richardson? They’re pretty much interchangeable. Ahem.

The video has spawned several parodies, including this hilarious one from Fox FM’s Jule Lund and Sophie Monk, take a look:

During Thicke’s performance on The Voice, actor and comedian Eddie Perfect tweeted his disapproval of the popular song.

Yes, this tune is funky, and maybe being a Dad has something to do with it, but I find this song incredibly sexist. #thevoiceAU

— Eddie Perfect (@Eddieperfect) June 17, 2013

“Be a good girl and put out” is the gist of this tune. Fuck that, Thicke. #thevoiceAU

— Eddie Perfect (@Eddieperfect) June 17, 2013

We’re torn on this one so we’re going to throw it over to you, what do you think of the song? And is it possible to like the song – because it’s so damn catchy – even though the lyrics are “rapey” and the music video sexist?

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Top Comments

stlp84 11 years ago

Pretty sure you've grossly misunderstood the lyrics.. I'm fairly certain that when it is saying thE lyric about her ass they're more so talking about black men having large...... And it will stretch a lot...


Roadhoney 11 years ago

I think this entire video is a shiny example of how small Robin Thicke's di*k actually is.