ARE YOU ALL THICKE?

MATT ARNERICH says: look at the lyrics – what is the fuss about?


Personally when I first heard blurred lines my initial reaction almost entirely consisted in my joy at the excessive use of the much maligned cowbell. By the time I got listening to the lyrics I instantly stopped listening to the lyrics and got back to focusing on the cowbell, because they are pretty awful and this had to be the second best song featuring a cowbell I’d ever heard.

Having since studied them at great length I still fail to see any lyrics which evoke or promote rape of any kind. I interpret the lyrics as being about the blurred lines of people’s interest. They encourage women to be liberated from social taboo, ‘girl just let me liberate you’, that can make them feel judged for expressing their sexuality, ‘he was close, tried to domesticate you’, and be honest about whether or not they want to have sex with Robin Thicke.

Sure he’s pretty adamant that they do, but it doesn’t seem that the option to turn round and slap him in the face isn’t available to them. Anyway I hardly blame him for feeling confident, he’s got really excellent hair and his eyes are as blue as the ocean. I’m even finding my lines a little blurry.

Robin in his early days as a Johnny Depp impersonator

However you interpret this song, that’s all it is, your interpretation. People can say I’m wrong to interpret it in that way but all you’re doing is disagreeing with my opinion based on your opinion, that’s the beauty of art. Of course if the song explicitly promotes rape then it is dangerous and should be canned. But this is not what is going on here.

A song that proclaims ‘the man is not your maker’ is hardly a feminist’s nightmare. Where are the NUS calls for banning Chris Brown songs? Do we have to ban ‘Summer Nights’ because the T-Birds want to know if she put up a fight? If we’re putting it to vote I’d like to register my interest in getting this banned from everything everywhere.

I’m gonna tear your ass in two

Even the most cited lyrics in the song are not quite what they appear to be, ‘I’ll give you something big enough to tear your arse in two’ may seem pretty vulgar and even predatory but in all honesty it’s just another rapper finding a new way to brag about his manhood. Dull and probably inaccurate? Certainly. Promoting rape? Hardly.