“Rapey” – that’s what outraged female fans are calling Robin Thicke’s catchy single Blurred Lines.
The R&B crooner’s song, featuring rappers Pharrell and T.I. is doing brisk business, and has already clinched the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Some critics, however, feel that the song’s questionable lyrics are an invitation to rape, reports the Huffington Post.
“Has anyone heard Robin Thicke’s new rape song?” complained blogger Lisa Huyne.
“Basically, the majority of the song… has the R&B singer murmuring ‘I know you want it’ over and over into a girl’s ear. Call me a cynic, but that phrase does not exactly encompass the notion of consent in sexual activity… Seriously, this song is disgusting – though admittedly very catchy.”
Daily Beast writer Tricia Romano claimed several female fans were “unnerved by (Thicke’s) creepy lyrics and NSFW (not suitable for work) video”, and declared the song “kind of rapey”.
The video in question, which was banned by YouTube in March, features Thicke, Pharrell and T.I. performing the song next to models wearing nude thongs.
“The nudity might be fine if the song was called Let’s All Have Some Fun, but it’s called Blurred Lines and the subject itself is enough to make some female music fans uncomfortable,” continued Romano. “The song is about how a girl really wants crazy, wild sex but doesn’t say it – positing that age-old problem where men think no means yes into a catchy, hummable song.”
Thicke himself has added fuel to the growing fire, with a bizarre interview in GQ magazine.
He responded to criticism of the video by saying: “We tried to do everything that was taboo. Bestiality, drug injections and everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, “We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this.
“People say, ‘Hey, do you think this is degrading to women?’ I’m like, ‘Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I’ve never gotten to do that before. I’ve always respected women.’ So we just wanted to turn it over on its head and make people go, women and their bodies are beautiful. Men are always gonna want to follow them around.”
Naturally, his explanation didn’t go down well with everybody, with one blogger commenting: “The fact that they are all married with kids does not make it okay for him to say these things or depict them in a song. Because songs like this are dangerous”. - IOL