NUS Tells Uni to Ban Blurred Lines

The National Union of Students have called on Sheffield Uni to join the ban on ‘Blurred Lines’ by Robin Thicke.

In a joint statement with her Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish colleagues, Women’s Officer Kelley Temple slammed the song as “deeply offensive and dangerous”.

Thicke “glorifies and reinforces rape culture”

Sheffield’s Women’s Officer said the summer anthem “glorifies and reinforces rape culture” but denied a ban was imminent.

The news comes after Edinburgh, Leeds, Exeter, Kingston, Derby and West Scotland Universities all banned Blurred Lines, which includes lyrics like: “I’ll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two.”

Speaking exlusively to The Tab, Sheffield SU’s Women’s Officer Kat Chapman said: “as a students Union we are committed to combating sexism on campus and in the wider community.

“We support the move for other student’s unions to ban the song which glorifies and reinforces rape culture. I believe it is the discussion as to whether the song should be banned which is most important and so we are looking into what possibilities there are for Sheffield Students Union.”

In the statement, the NUS Women’s Officers said: “We, as the Women’s Officers of NUS across the UK and the Nations, would like to make our position clear. We consider “Blurred Lines” to be deeply offensive and dangerous.

“The idea that consent is a ‘blurry’ concept is outrageous. It reinforces the shameful way sexual assault is often represented in the media and wider popular culture.”

The Tab imagines the plot will thicken as Freshers’ Week goes on…