Are the DSU right not to ban Blurred Lines? NO!

Before I was asked to write this article I wasn’t exactly Blurred Lines biggest fan – it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t much worse than all the other misogynistic music out there, or so I thought.

Then I went on Google – I found photos of rape victims holding up quotes from their attackers alongside Blurred Lines lyrics. I found it hard to read. There was no difference.

For rape victims, Blurred Lines is an abhorrent encore of their experience and it’s EVERYWHERE.

‘I know you want it’ is used in the song 18 times. It’s one of the most common lines used by rapists and afterwards in court when they claim the victim was asking for it. The song actively spreads the myth that silence equals consent, that no can mean yes, that all girls want anal sex and that they want it NOW.

She doesn’t want her ass torn in two…

And it’s not just this phrase, victim blaming is prolific throughout the (unfortunately) catchy tune. The line “The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty” makes it sound like the line of consent isn’t clear.

If a girl dances with you, it doesn’t mean she wants to have sex with you. If a girl kisses you, it doesn’t mean she wants to have sex with you. If a girl gives you her number and lets you buy her a drink, it doesn’t mean she wants to have sex with you.

Even if she’s ‘twerking’ it does not mean she’s on the hunt for ‘something to tear her ass in two’. Don’t even get me started on that. I mean that doesn’t fill me with joy. Can you imagine – “Hey, what college?”, “What’s your name?”, “I got something to tear your arse in two.”

You’re not gonna leave Klute with him, it’s just a bit…rapey.

“Good Girl” seems harmless but it’s no less offensive. I’m a very good girl – I hardly ever break the law, I hand in all my essays on time, go to the majority of my lectures, I’m very nice to other people (even men) and I ask for exactly what I want in bed. Sorry Robin. Oh, and once again, rapists have been reported to commonly use this phrase.

Blurred Lines is hardly an isolated example, it’s the rape glorifying cherry on top of a misogynist cake spanning all genres. Including but not limited to: Enrique Iglesias, “Tonight (I’m F*cking You)” (uses my favorite phase “I know you want it”), Eminem ft. Rihanna, “Love The Way You Lie” (shame such a beautiful song justifies domestic abuse) and David Guetta, Sexy Bitch. I could go on.

Now you mention it…

The man himself is not unaware of the controversy that surrounds his song. When asked if Blurred Lines was degrading to women replied ‘of course it is, what a pleasure to degrade a woman, I’ve never gotten to do that before’.  Good for you Robin.

Should the DSU ban this song? I’m not sure. But I know that after reading how close Thicke’s world famous lyrics are to the whisperings of real life rapists, I don’t think I can forget that and I doubt the rape victims can either. So maybe to save us all from being reminded of that, let’s not play it again.