The, Blurred Lines, By Robin Thicke - 1256 Words

On March 26, 2013, Robin Thicke released the single â€Å"Blurred Lines†, a song that went on to be the longest running number one single of 2013 (Dredge 1). Thicke anticipated gaining fame from the song’s catchy beat, but the song would also bring him infamy, as many thought the song promoted misogyny and rape culture. Thicke’s hit single eventually reignited a debate over the role of sexism and misogyny in pop culture and music lyrics in particular. A brief analysis of contemporary popular music evidences that sexist and misogynistic themes are prominent within the lyrical content of many songs. Once one recognizes the almost undeniable sexism in a significant amount of popular music, it begs the question how to address this issue, if at all. Many feminists and harsh critics deride such sexist music and seek to ban and censor sexist songs. Others believe that chastising sexist artists can be useful, but banning such music is an inappropriate response. Others c hose to ignore this issue, as they are ultimately indifferent to the prevalence of sexism in modern culture. In my opinion, many popular songs have disturbingly sexist implications and, while it is inappropriate to ban such songs, it is worth analyzing this issue and denouncing artists who are blatantly misogynistic. A brief analysis of the lyrical content of many popular songs substantiates the fact that sexism and misogyny are significant problems within music today. In an article called Music and Misogyny: why we’reShow MoreRelatedBlurred Lines: The Date Rape Song Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesFor twelve weeks Blurred Lines was at the top of the Billboard 100 charts and could be heard thumping from speakers everywhere. Sung by Robin Thicke and featuring prominent rappers T.I. Harris and Pharrell, this track was proclaimed the anthem for summer 2013 . At the surface the song is seemingly harmless with a cheery rhythmic beat and catchy lyrics, but when examining the song a nd accompanying music video, Blurred Lines is anything but harmless. Dubbed â€Å"that rape song† by many discerning listenersRead MoreAnalysis Of Robin Thicke s The Summer 1172 Words   |  5 PagesIn 2013, Robin Thicke, a relatively unknown but well-seasoned RB singer, found major success in his upbeat song â€Å"Blurred Lines,† which featured the big-named artists Pharrell Williams and T.I. (McKinley). The hit song broke records by spending 16 weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot RB/Hip-Hop Song chart, its popularity earning it the title of Billboard’s Song of the Summer (Ramirez). The uncensored video on Vevo features three female models wearing nothing but shoes and nude-colored underwear dancingRead MoreA Song Analysis: Blurred Lines693 Words   |  3 Pagesthrough speakers singing about blurred lines, but what lines are being blurred? Blurred Lines is a popular summer song that is constantly played on the radio. A song like â€Å"Blurred Lines† should not be played on public radio. A big problem with â€Å"Blurred Lines† is that it attempts to normalize disrespectful behavior towards women. Robin Thicke teamed up with rapper T.I. and singer-producer Pharrell to deliver arguably this summer’s most popular song. The song â€Å"Blurred Lines† has placed number one on theRead MoreThe Song Released By R B Singer1747 Words   |  7 Pagessong released by RB singer, Robin Thicke alongside of Pharrell Williams and T.I., called â€Å"Blurred Lines† was one of the top singles of 2013. While it became very popular and received a lot of praise, it was also criticized for its rough sexual implications throughout the song. The song describes Thicke telling a young woman that while she refuses to admit it, she really wants to have sexual relations with him. This creates the concept of blurred lines because Thicke believes the woman secretly wantsRead MoreIntellectual Property Rights ( Ipr )1413 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is where the legal aspect of musical intellectual property creates some ambiguity. These blurred lines make it hard to define when an artist is stealing and when there are just similarities in their music, which is a lesson artist Robin Thicke and Pharrell are learning about from their hit single â€Å"Blurred Lines†. A court case has been brought against the musicians claiming that the song â€Å"Blurred Lines† has infringed the copyrights of singer Marvin Gaye and his song â€Å"Got to Give It Up†. Gaye’sRead MoreCopyright Infringement Of The Happy Birthday Song, Along With The Walt Disney Company s Lobbying Tactics1180 Words   |  5 Pagesmay view this as a much needed law to prevent infringement, which grants the lawful artist the rights to their respective work. However, continuing this practice is redundant as copyright does not accomplish what it has been set out to do. The Blurred Lines Case is used to convey how the Lay Listener Test fails to determine copyright infringement. Adele’s plagiarism allegation is reviewed t o show the copies of other work, suggesting that copyright cannot determine who holds original authorship. TheRead MoreI Advocate For The Alteration Of Copyright Law1700 Words   |  7 Pagesprotected musical scores and lyrics. Even the â€Å"style† of a certain piece may now be protected, as shown in a recent settlement between the estate of Marvin Gaye and Robin Thicke Pharrell Williams. In this case, the Gaye estate sued Thicke and Williams due to similarities between â€Å"Blurred Lines† and Gaye’s â€Å"Got to Give It Up†. â€Å"Blurred Lines† contains no sampled material or even interpolation from â€Å"Got to Give It Up†, but the court ruled in favor of the Gaye estate because of stylistic similarities (FeldmanRead MoreCopyright Law And The Music Industry : Beyond Blurred Lines1268 Words   |  6 PagesCopyright Law and the Music Industry: Beyond Blurred Lines Introduction Copyright law in today’s music industry has become a tangle of litigation, complications, and bitterness. Overly-complex, multi-layered regulations and laws, double to quadruple fees, and arbitrary enforcement have led to a situation where songwriters and artists are hamstrung, the industry is in crisis, and listeners will be the ultimate losers. In the past, there has been a tendency to settle music copyright lawsuits beforeRead MoreHow Womens Sexuality Is Portrayed By Hip Hop Music Videos2020 Words   |  9 Pageswomen alike intend for women to follow these societal rules. Audiences do not realize the messages they are being fed through hip-hop music videos. The popular, male vocalized, music video for the summer hit of 2013 â€Å"Blurred Lines,† which appeared to be a lighthearted video of Robin Thicke and Pharell dancing with women wearing swimsuits. The male performers make faces at the camera and one another, while the women wear clunky shoes and nothing else. T he men attempt to grind on the ladies legs, but theRead MoreThe Effects Of Fast Food On Americans Sitting At A Blue Bus Stop Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesFlorida Georgia Line, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Robin Thicke. Their songs include talking about how they would like to â€Å"domesticate† their women and how they love that they are â€Å"dead inside† and how they should â€Å"learn to mistreat† the women. Chris Brown refers to his â€Å"girl† as â€Å"fine china† CLEARLY objectifying her. Most of theses songs also include part where the artist calls the girl â€Å"mine† implying that you can OWN a person, which absolutely distasteful. Finally, we all know Robin Thicke s song â€Å"Blurred