To pull my friend up on her Facebook comment?

[thismousebites]

Just read my friends update on FB.
"Robin Thicke is coming to my hometown......yippee!"
I commented that he was an arse whose view of women was completely wrong, and I was surprised that she was looking forwards to his visit.
She replied that his song lyrics and video were "just a bit of fun" and I needed to chill out.
I am slightly unchilled to say the least and did not want to get into a huge argument with her on FB. But I am quite shocked by her reaction. AIBU?

Agree,Alis. Last time I took part in a discussion about this song I was told in no uncertain terms that liking it is NOT ALLOWED.

Sorry, bolding fail.

I like the song.

I interpret it as being about a man trying to get a woman to shag him and cheat on her current partner to do so on the grounds that they are both filth and both know her current partner is not really, and therefore not suited to her

But I can see why people would interpret it differently / take offence at the language and find the video appallingly sexist.

No one ever clutches pearls on the drug reference bits though

I find RT very sexy and I love Pharrel

Pharrell is just ace. It's a great pop song, regardless of how badly thought out the video/lyrics are.

Yanbu. She invited comments on her comment by posting it on facebook. Facebook is a broadcast, is it not? Say what you like! I would do the same.

"You see the thing about this song that confuses me is that the chorus below could be seen as feminist....unless he means it in a sarcastic Taming of the Shrew type context..can anyone shed some light on this for me please?"

Thicke, says that this part is about seeing a woman as equal to a man and being able to behave in the same way.

OP, if i was your friend i would point you to the interpretation by Thicke and Pharrell to the lyrics and then to the comments from his wife (since teenage years) and his Mother, whose permission he sought before shooting the video.

It is a pity that many on here do not look up the historical meaning of "Moron" and some of the other words used, as they are demeaning and insulting towards people with LD's and cease using them, seeming as they want others to do the same with words they use, even if the person's meaning is different to their own interpretation.

Birds do you have a link to that?

MrsDeVere has a good point about separating musical taste from what the artist is like as a person. People still enjoy Michael Jackson songs even though he had some very questionable goings on in his private life. Chris Brown seems to have a lot of fans too.

Who asked about the lyrics being ironic?

Robin Thicke claims that they are about empowering women so you may be right that, taken at face value they are quite pro-feminist.

I've no excuse for the rest of it. And the video....just, no.

However, OP, I think you look a bit of a tit using her status to give her a pearl-clutching lecture.

www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=29390

What bearing on anything is his wife's opinion?

(I'm a bit meh about the song, it's crass but I'd be a hypocrite to get all offended I like plenty of music with questionable lyrics/themes. I LOVE Under my thumb and that's probably more vile in its lyrical content than this one)

I do wonder why so many of MN's get so wound up on song lyrics - just enjoy the rhythm and the beat - how many people really go through the lyrics like its an English Lit exam

Also the reason to why they are dancing and doing movements like an old man might, is because they equate it with three old men sitting on the porch looking at younger women and thinking that they have the right to shoat inappropriate comments because the girls look sexy and nubile, so therefor "owe" the old men something and deserve bad behavior.

I like the song as ds. He does a kind of Michael Jackson oowww in time.
Robin would be very welcome to join in my mum dancing.

ANOTHER thread on this? Seriously?! At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, they're SONG LYRICS. Get a grip.
People have been up in arms, fainting and pearl clutching at 'rude' pop singers since the day dot.
Most normal people don't sit and analyse and pore over every word and sentence in pop songs.
They just enjoy the tune and beat. Until the lyrics were repeatedly printed and beaten over everyone's head on here, I bet half of the people hadn't even realised what the lyrics WERE.
I know I didn't.
Who says it's about rape anyway like so many seem to say on here? I read it as just a bit of rough sex.
Which doesn't always have to be rape

Oops, in my little rant I forgot to say - Yes! YABU! If your friend likes Robin Thicke, then what the jeepers has got to do with you?
She obviously doesn't get the same feminist rant head on that you do. She likes the music. End of.
Not your place to be telling her what she should or shouldn't be thinking.

I also don't think about rape when I hear this song. I think of rough sex which is fine with me! I do enjoy the rhythm and beat of this song very much; one of the catchiest tunes of the summer but I do think it's ok to analyse song lyrics as if they are a form of poetry if you so wish and it is also reasonable to take offence if you feel so inclined.
I don't mind watching the video myself as I am old enough and ugly enough not to want to prance around in front of a group of men half naked holding a goat! mind you I might do it for Pharrel
I didn't really feel comfortable with my 5 year old dd watching the video as kids are impressionable and it gives a very confusing message about women being there for the pleasure of the man when it could be the other way around!

And I do think that song lyrica are very improtant as many of the gender stereotypes in the world are formed by them (Eminem for example; take Stan) In his book on domestic voiolence, Lundy Bancroft cites music as one form of anti-feminist brainwashing.
I don't feel that this song promoted dv however, whereas something like Stan does. (I still quite like Stan tune wise though).

I like the song and I'm a feminist who likes rough sex. So fucking what?

Agree with that Superstar - lots of songs/films/books/art i enjoy but feel uncomfortable about. I think you can enjoy a song and still see it for what it is.
I don't like this idea that if the song/video doesn't offend/bother you then you should roll your eyes at those who do think there's a discussion to be had.
And it's not as if the theme here is some abstract airy-fairy nonsense. How young women are viewed and objectified is huge.

Absolutely, AKiss.

And we should all take this moment to remind ourselves gettin upset at pop lyrics is the first sign of turning into your mother.

My grandma was told not to dance the jive as it was to risque.

My mother had her mother convinced she was headed straight to hell with her love of the snake hipped Mick jagger and his sympathy for the devil.

My mum about fell off her chair the day she heard me singing along to Nirvana 'Rape Me'

And so it comtinues.

YABU. I would certainly let RT grab my hair and slap my arse, but then I kinda like that. Horses for courses! X

Profound!