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Original poster

To find the blurred lines song offensive

340 replies

Winter123 · 14/08/2013 23:37

Here's an extract of the lyrics if you are lucky enough to have not been subjected to them...

Baby, it's in your nature
Just let me liberate you
You don't need no papers
That man is not your maker
And that's why I'm gon' take a
Good girl
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
You're a good girl

I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two

Nothin' like your last guy, he too square for you
He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that
So I'm just watching and waitin'
For you to salute the true big pimpin'

Do it like it hurt, like it hurt
What you don't like work

I know it's a bit old now... But it still makes me so Angry

OP posts:
Rooners · 16/08/2013 10:45

Oh Ok. Just watched the unedited version and seriously?!!!!!!! JESUS

which one is robin thicko? If it's the slightly beardy bloke with the ice cream, no, he does not look 'nice'.

I don't get the point of it at all, crap song, no tune, no interesting lyrics, rubbish basically.

BinksToEnlightenment · 16/08/2013 10:53

I don't get the outrage. It's a filthy and suggestive song, but not of rape.

There are far, FAR worse songs out there, if you're of a mind to be spitting feathers.

Wasapea · 16/08/2013 11:02

It's all so reverse Daily Mail. 'Ban this sick filth!!!!'

I see 212 is getting it now as well. Why not just ban all swearing in case it corrupts us all? People are clearly so basic and thick they can't identify whether something is right or wrong if they've heard it referenced in a song or seen it on the telly. Hmm

Alisvolatpropiis · 16/08/2013 11:09

Love 212 Wasapea Grin

Wasapea · 16/08/2013 11:15

Haha! Me too Alis!

Quangle · 16/08/2013 13:41

Love the track, hate the lyrics. Also hate that some people don't get why it's offensive. It's more than offensive because offensive is in the eye of the beholder often. It actively proposes violence. The words may be just a figure of speech - but that figure of speech pictures ripping a woman into two pieces. This is not ok.

It's not the "good girl" stuff that gets me because that's not about violence. That's a very common and not particularly upsetting trope - that women can and should explore other sides to their personality/sexuality. It's probably not particularly nice coming from Robin Thicke but it's ok and no worse than Sexual Healing for example. It's the anatomical bit that is simply vile.

Brodicea · 16/08/2013 13:59

I think it's horrible, but it's part of a long tradition of sexist male-fantasy type songs: think 'Stray Cat Blues', and 'Midnight Rambler' by the Stones, various songs by The Who ('Ivor the Engine Driver' - although Townsend says this is about his own abuse from the persepective of a female twin). Even 'Me and the Devil' by Robert Johnson. It's horrible because it expresses verbally that which is tacit in our culture and everyday lives: women should be 'shown their place' and love to be degraded. Once we start banning it, it makes it more exciting, risque and makes us women 'bosom hoikers' (someone on here came up with that). It's deeply ingrained, and appeals to male and some female sexual identities. If you ban it, it's hidden, 'naughty' and exciting.
Women need to make their own songs and images about their own true sexuality, parody this kind of crap and show up how grim and grimy these fantasies are.

Brodicea · 16/08/2013 14:01

I should say SOME male fantasies, not all!

Quangle · 16/08/2013 14:39

I take your point Brodicea although it's hard to fathom how this gets played without comment or judicious fadeout on mainstream stations. An equivalently racist song visualising brutality to a black man in approving tones would never ever be played on a mainstream station.

Al0uise · 16/08/2013 14:50

Absolute tune.

Emily Rs profile has soared since the video. A woman directed it, they look like they're having an absolute party, not just the men, all of them.

It was number one in 46 countries.

RightsaidFreud · 16/08/2013 14:58

Do they not play 'rock dj' at school discos anymore? 'Give no head no backstage passes'. Didn't realize what we were all singing until I got older!

Wasapea · 16/08/2013 15:48

Sorry but comparing it to racism is just ridiculous. Men and women in equal measure have fantasies as described by Brodecia above.

But I suppose that's a whole different issue. You can like stuff like that and still be a feminist. Same as you can like Blurred Lines and still be a feminist.

BeCool · 16/08/2013 15:51

This thing I like the least about this song is it has been so incredibly successful worldwide and has turned the singer into a superstar.

Robin Thicke was an OK artist with a mediocre career, but never had a big hit. This one song, based on so much nastiness, has propelled him into an international superstar.

Not only has the single been a number one smash hit the world over, but it has taken the album (Thickes 6th) along for the ride. The album is this weeks number one album in USA as it was in the UK, and it is top 10 in many countries.

All off the back of a nasty misogynistic exploitative but catchy and quite nice to listen to if you don't listen to the lyrics song. Clearly sexism and promoting rapey culture is alive and well and pays handsomely.

Thicke, Pharrel & co are earning millions off the back of this.

Al0uise · 16/08/2013 15:53

Have you ever seen the old newsreels about uptight Americans denouncing Elvis Presley for being the devil.

That's you lot with a 21st century slant.

BeCool · 16/08/2013 16:07

On the bright side, the old adage "where there's a hit there's a writ" remains true.

Youcanringmybell · 16/08/2013 16:16

I was round a friends house a couple of nights ago - about 7 of us friends were there. This song came on in the garden and everyone started dancing around mooning over the Robin Thicke idiot. When I raised the point that the lyrics were disgusting and were promoting rape I got literally blasted by every saying it was a fun song, sexy song and I was overeacting and a killjoy etc etc

They all love it but have no idea about the lyrics in general and because a pretty man sings it they all do not care. So I guess their lyrics reflect what GROWN UP women in their 30's and 40's actually think now Hmm

Poogate · 16/08/2013 16:37

Its a shit tune anyway. Cheesy, unoriginal, commercial bollocks.

Quangle · 16/08/2013 16:44

I don't know many women who fantasize about having serious bodily harm done to them. And if they do, those fantasies should be explored on an adult channel not on mainstream pop channels.

BinksToEnlightenment · 16/08/2013 16:55

It's not suggesting serious bodily harm. The line about ripping in two is clearly hyperbole.

RightsaidFreud · 16/08/2013 17:25

I've got to agree with Binks, the music industry is littered with hyperbole, look at the pussycat dolls 'don't cha' lyrics when busta rhymes raps in the middle 'Looking at me all like she really wanna do it
Tryna put it on me till my balls black an blueish'. I'm sure he doesn't actually mean having sex until his balls turn black and blue.

SinisterSal · 16/08/2013 17:28

No, I don't buy that, it hyperbolic sure, but it's still coming from a nasty place.

RightsaidFreud · 16/08/2013 17:32

the song contains lyrics about rough sex, its not going to come from a place of rainbows and unicorns.

SinisterSal · 16/08/2013 17:35

I would prefer if pop culture did come form a place of unicorns and rainbows tbh, hate that DD hums along to songs about rough sex (the most charitable interpretation) as she skips to playschool of a morning.

RightsaidFreud · 16/08/2013 17:39

Like I said earlier, we used to hum and sing along to 'Rock DJ' by robbie williams and blues 'too close', and i'm pretty sure it didn't cause any long lasting damage. It's not nice, i agree, to hear young children singing/humming along to such songs, but unless you think your going to totally overhaul the music industry, i don't think it's going to change anytime soon. Sex, as they say, sells.