Project 4

Robin Thicke-Blurred Lines Music Video

Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke featuring Pharrel Williams and T.I. was published in 2013 and now has over 20 million views on Youtube. The lyrics and music video to Blurred Lines is seen as very sexist and misogynistic. The music video starts out with Robin Thicke in bed with a woman who is fully naked and then the next thing the video shows is Robin, Pharrel, and T.I. in a room with three women who are wearing all white clothing with red lipstick, dancing around while the men look at them.

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The “Good Girl” Title

The music video and lyrics are about men fetishing “good girls” or women who haven’t had sex yet. In Kilbourne “Three Ways a Woman can Get Hurt” it state that “Sometimes there seems to be no question but that a man should force a woman to have sex(Kilourne pg.494) In the video you can see all the women dressed in all white clothing which is a symbol of purity and innocence. The women are also wearing red lipstick which is a symbol of passion, love, and desire. A lyric from “Blurred Lines” says “That man is not your maker and that’s why I’ma take a good girl.” Robin Thicke is saying this to a woman while pulling on her in the music video. This line from the video is saying that no other men have had you, so that’s why I’m going to take you. In Kilbourne’s article it explains “It is too frightening to face the fact that male violence against women is irrational and commonplace.” (Kilbourne pg.496) It is crazy how commonplace violating women is, most women have to be armed just to walk outside at night. It is so common that some people got together to come up with a national rape day which is the so cruel and dehumanizing. It is also so common that most rape victims don’t come out as being raped because some people won’t believe them and Blurred Lines is one of the many reasons why people think it is okay to sexualize women.

The lyrics

On the third verse of the song it says “Tried to domestic ya, But you're an animal.” This line from the song is comparing women to animals. This line is also saying that men should keep women as pets. On the chorus it repeatedly says “I know you want it.” Telling women that they know they want to have sex with them. Basically giving women no choice in what to say. In Kilbourne’s article it states “Sex in advertising is more about disconnection and distance than connection and closeness. It is also more often about power than passion, about violence than violins.”(Kilbourne pg.489) Blurred Lines is all about men using their power against women. In the video they are seen catcalling women.This type of behavior is disgusting and makes women feel frightened In T.I. verse one of the lyrics said “I’ll give you something big enough to take you a** too.” Talking about male gentle area and how he is going to have sex with a women. In Kilbourne's article it explains “Male violence is subtly encouraged by ads that encourage men to be forceful and dominant, and to value sexual intimacy more than emotional intimacy.” (Kilbourne pg.489)This sentence from Kilbourne is exactly what Blurred Lines does to men, make them want to be forceful and dominant with women.

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The Conclusion

Throughout the music video there are many signs of chauvinism and sexualization of women. Many people may view this and don't see how harmful it can be towards women. When it first came out I was thirteen and I definitely didn’t know what it meant. That's why it is important to educate your peers and children on these types of things. Women are not to be sex objects for men and men are not to be sex objects for women.

Works Cited

Kilbourne, Jean. "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt." Rereading America, edited by Colombo, Cullen, and Lisle, Macmillen, 2016, pp. 575-599.

Images Cited

Pictures, Screenshots, RobinThickeVevo. “Blurred Lines”. YouTube. 20 Mar. 2013. Web 25 Apr. 2021

“Blurred Lines.” YouTube, Uploaded by RobinThickeVevo, 20 March 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU

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