Two weeks ago a group of female students from the Auckland University School of Law released an impressively poignant parody of Robin Thicke’s controversial “Blurred Lines” music video.
The parody video – released on YouTube by the Law Revue Girls – was dubbed “Defined Lines,” and directly addresses the questionable connotation of Thicke’s lyrics, not to mention his choice of video content itself.
Thicke came under fire by critics, such as Tricia Romano of the Daily Beat, who called his choice in lyrics “rapey,” in reference to refrains that read, “I know you want it.” Additionally, Thicke’s video, headlined by three dancing female models in nothing but nude-colored thongs, has been deemed “misogynistic.”
However, it is Thicke’s defense of his lyrics that has gotten him into the most hot water. In an interview with GQ, Thicke stated, “Because all three of us are happily married with children, we were like, ‘We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this.’”
“What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I’ve never gotten to do that before. I’ve always respected women,’” Thicke continued.
I can’t count the number of things wrong with Thicke’s response. Not only does he consistently hide behind his marriage vows and also reference his “spotless” record of respecting women to justify his multimillion dollar public degradation of women, he also openly admits to enjoying every second of it.
And, on that point, why would any man be the “perfect guy” to make fun of respecting women? In what kind of twisted world does someone grant himself that kind of sick superiority where they see themselves, not only above the other sex and their respect, but above the reprimand of their actions as well?
No one holds the power to sit on that throne.
Granted, Thicke did later attempt to mollify his statements, though even those attempts were devoid of any remorse. Rather, he just tried to cover his tracks and classify himself as a feminist, referencing his line “That man is not your maker” as a respectful nod to the feminist movement itself.
It does seem just a bit pompous and self-assured to highlight one line out of a song that promotes cheating, raises questionable consent issues and all but parades women around as consistently promiscuous individuals and speak of respecting women and feminism.
Thicke gives a bad name to all men attempting to truly act as gentlemen and see women as equals. He undermines the very fiber of this by promoting a double standard in feminism: respecting women by disrespecting them through glorified “empowerment.”
Listen, I completely understand the necessary use of empowerment techniques; however, when they stem from a place of male dominance, they are nothing more than degradation.
Luckily this double standard is exactly what the Law Revue Girls capitalized on and highlighted as “bigotry.”
Parading submissive men around in their Calvin Klein boxers to vulgar lyrics, such as the Law Revue Girl’s video, may seem obscene to some, but it’s no different than Thicke’s original video. Just swap the genders.
After all, if men and women are truly equals, this swap should be just as acceptable as the primary video. It’s simply substitution.
And yet, their efforts got them blocked from YouTube in a matter of hours, while Thicke’s video remained on the website.
What’s so different about men in Hanes having whipped cream sprayed on their face and half-naked women playing with suggestive foam fingers? Apparently, the prior is more inappropriate.
Thanks, YouTube, for that display of solidarity and equality.
But there is good news: After the uproar that the removal of “Defined Lines” from the website received, the video found its way back onto the YouTube servers.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think that by exploiting Thicke’s ridiculous double standard, the Law Revue Girls have successfully achieved what the critics could not: They’ve made some much-needed noise.
I guess they were “just the perfect girls to make fun of this.”
Maxton Thoman is a sophomore majoring in biology. His column runs weekly on Wednesdays.
