Meaning of "Blurred Lines"

Cafe Society
1

Okay, I thought it was just a catchy pop tune with a provocative video. But now I’m reading that several people are saying this song promotes (or at least trivializes) rape.

I’m not seeing it. I think people are missing the point. The song is set in some kind of nightclub and the singer is flirting with the women he sees. But I think the lyrics make it clear that the women are also flirting with the men. So the song is about men trying to pick up women and women trying to pick up men and the “blurred lines” over who is seducing and who is being seduced.

2

No. It a classic “carpe diem” song/poem - “you’re a good girl, but you know you need to take a chance every now and then - seize the day, live in the moment, blah, blah…”

The problem people have is the language he uses to try to get her to work on her sexy side - “you know you want it; you know you need it”, etc. - it sounds like something a date-rapist might say while forcing himself on a girl. It could be simple, sexy interplay - but there is a darker view.

3

The feminist view of the song is definitely on the “date rape” end. I can’t tell you how many “outraged” articles I’ve seen/read online stating why.

When I first heard it, I took it as flirting too – c’mon, the lyrics point to that back-and-forth gameplay that flirting entails. And yeah, I can see why there would be outrage; OTOH I think there are more important issues needing that fueled outrage than a song.

4

Reading the lyrics, the “blurred lines” were obviously (to me) to be between “good girl” and “bad girl” and between flirting and actually hooking up. Nothing non-consensual about it. Sure, he’s trying to talk her into going with it but he’s not threatening her, drugging her or anything else.

Other say it’s the line between consent and lack thereof, which I don’t get at all and assume is based on a more casual listening/understanding of the lyrics, actively ignoring context or just wanting to be upset about something.

5

I always took it like it was that back and forth flirting, and that the “blurred lines” were about whether or not she was really a “good girl” or not and/or whether she was actually going to get it on with him.

I actually read a more respectful vibe into it; had it been less respectful and more rapistic(?), there wouldn’t have been any question about “blurred lines” or “good girl” or any of that.

6

It’s basically manufactured outrage because some people think that writing an article for Jezebel is more important than actually reading the lyrics first.

7

I think the debate itself is a bellwether for the changing view of consent we’re beginning to see talked about: a shift from “no means no” to “enthusiastic consent.” In the later paradigm, talking someone into sex IS rapey.

Why do I think it’s important? Because I’ve held far too many crying women and men, who were devastated, sometimes years later, because they “didn’t say no loud enough”, or they went numb and let the other person do want they wanted because they were too scared to say no. AND because I’ve held far too many crying women and men, who were devastated, sometimes years later, who realized that they took advantage of partners who weren’t really willing, but didn’t say no loud enough, or were too scared to say no. That shit ain’t helpful on either side. If you never try to talk someone in sex, but only have sex with the enthusiastically consenting, you never have to worry that you might have accidentally raped someone.

8

The song is disturbing as fuck and in my opinion, the people who think it’s just flirting are the ones ignoring context. One or two lines, I could see, but the entire song sounds like it was pulled from sexual assaults.

9

First, let me say that as a pop song, I think it’s catchy as all get out. I love it, it’s got a great sound.

At the same time, the lyrics are problematic. I don’t mean “problematic” in the sense of omg this song should be banned!!1!, but problematic enough in way that people should at least think about them and how they can be interpreted. The entire song presumes that the male singer has some special insight into the woman’s thoughts and desires. There’s a lot of comparing women to animals going on, there’s kind of an ownership theme – the previous guy couldn’t handle his role, so now the singer is going to step in and assert his (presumably) superior bitch-management skills.

It sounds like Robin Thicke is going to TELL YOU HOW IT IS, and how it is is that you’re going to sex Robin Thicke up.

Now, this all totally works for a harmless flirting song, too. It’s from the singer’s point of view, so by definition, we only know what the flirter is thinking, not the flirtee. That could really go in any direction depending on the gender of people. The problem, however, is that this song exists in a society where the the balance of power in sexual situations is far too often stacked against women, and it’s unclear from the song whether the singer is endorsing this or simply observing it.

And here’s where I get meta – my personal view is that Robin Thicke thinks he is winking at it, saying in essence, “oh yeah, guys like to act like we’re in charge, but we all know it’s the chicks who control sexual dynamics, wink wink heh.” BUT, this is even more infuriating to me, he fails to see that this view doesn’t even work as a joke because it is TOO, TOO CLOSE to typical justifications of date rape and he seems completely unaware of this (I’m using Robin Thicke to mean the singer of the song, I have no idea what Robin Thicke personally thinks about any of these things. He could be a post-structural feminist scholar for all I know.).

The video, by the way, is only fanning the flames here. And again, from a design standpoint, the video is fantastic. It absolutely captures a certain aesthetic, admittedly an aesthetic the with the specific theme of naked women parading around like barnyard animals at the world’s raciest 4H show. Everything I think about the song is magnified about 100X by the video.

10

:rolleyes:

And I’m on record as hating that emoticon, for what it’s worth.

11

Right back atcha. I think it’s telling that pretty much every single poster in this thread who thinks the song is fine and people are overreacting is a man.

12

Are you people serious? There is nothing at all that indicates lack of consent in the song. You are raping the song.

13

It’s not really worth anything, as it’s not a comment anywhere near deserving of rolleyes. I wouldn’t characterize it as “disturbing as fuck,” but it’s easy to see where someone would get that interpretation. (At least it’s easy for me to see.)

I’m a guy, and my personal view is that it’s a sexually charged alpha male flirty kind of song, but it straddles the line enough to make me feel a bit uncomfortable and hear the “rapey-ness” of it. It just kind of feels out of place in 2013 culture–I’d expect those kinds of lyrics more from the 60s and 70s. So I try to tune out the lyrics when I hear that song, as it’s a great tune.

14

This feels like a more thoughtful breakdown of my couple o’ sentences upthread - thanks. And I agree with pulykamell - I tend to tune out the words because they don’t come off as purely fun. Similar to **Foster the People’s Funked Up Kicks **after the gun lyrics were highlighted…

15

“Pumped Up Kicks” is a little different, I think, as the breezy-dark interplay is clearly conscious/intentional, just another one of those happy songs on the surface but, wait, the songwriter is subverting your expectations with these creepy lyrics, yaddayadda. I don’t think “Blurred Lines” is purposely going for that same vibe.

16

Jeez - what’s up with me? First it was Smashing Pumpkins “Cupid Rock” (actually Cherub Rock) and now it is Funked / Pumped up Kicks.

:smack: Sorry.

And your point is fair. But they both annoy me because I have to mentally tune out bits of the listening experience…

17

I’m just going to let this Robin Thicke quote stand on its own:

He’s also said he’s starting a “feminist movement”.

18

Sure, I guess. Except that nothing about the song makes it sound as though this is taking place in the bedroom. The song is taking place in a club or party or something (“You the hottest bitch in this place”) where this sort of “work for it” back and forth takes place all the time. There’s no reason to assume that she’s not enthusiastically consenting in the car, bedroom, whatever.

19

But…but…you guys! It’s OK because all the guys actually has wives, you guys. Super-hot wives! So it’s all just cool, Robin has your back…bitches.

My verdict is that he’s a troll. He’s deliberately trolling feminists of the Jezebel stripe. And succeeding marvellously. And the fun continues with his new video with the twerking cheerleaders, I’m sure.

20

I’ll have to castrate myself to win an internet disagreement. Yet again.