One of the biggest songs from last year was also the most controversial. The song is indisputably catchy, but does "Blurred Lines" really portray a darker connotation of rape like many suggest, or is the hit song's original meaning being separated from what many say promotes sexual violence against women? I disagree with any opinion that this song is "rapey" but rather "Blurred Lines" is simply a great example of how pushing the envelope can lead to financial success.
It is quite possible that artist Robin Thicke wanted to intentionally use lyrics like "I know you want it" to create a stir among listeners. Trisha Romano of The Daily Beast definitely had a strong reaction to these lyrics. To her, those lines undeniably signify a rapey attitude towards women. However, Jennifer Lai of Slate took the line in a completely different direction. She thought the line merely was a poke at Robin Thicke's cockiness at picking up women. The point is, the meaning is very ambiguous if you listened to just that line. But looking at ALL of the lyrics of the song completely throws the rape theory away. Lai also talks about how Thicke numerous times "puts the ball in her court" with lines like "do you wanna get at me." There is no doubt in my mind that Robin Thicke knew this song would create controversy. In an interview with his manager, Jordan Feldstein states "I knew it would get banned quickly ... Getting something banned actually helps you." Before "Blurred Lines", Robin Thicke had never had a hit single on the radio. After much controversy and bannings of the song and video, you cannot disagree that the song was not a financial and commerical success, the one thing that I think Robin Thicke was going for.
