Top 10 Entertainment Stories of 2013 by Enstars: No. 6 - 'Blurred Lines' Video, Lyrics Controversy
While Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines was one of the biggest hits of 2013, the song and video received some serious backlash from people who deemed it sexist.
The multi-platinum song appears on Thicke's sixth studio album of the same name and features rapper T.I. and Pharrell Williams. Although it went to No. 1 on Billboard, the song was met with opposition, primarily from female critics who deemed it inappropriate.
"The song is about how a girl really wants crazy wild sex but doesn't say it-positing that age-old problem where men think no means yes into a catchy, hummable song," wrote The Daily Beast's Tricia Romano in June.
Top 10 Entertainment Stories of 2012
The video, which has over 200 million views to date, was also a major topic of discussion. The unrated version was even initially banned on YouTube because of the nudity. Yet for Thicke, the controversy surrounding his biggest hit to date is unwarranted.
"That's just America," Thicke told Billboard in May. "I definitely don't have any problem with nudity. I think people that are uncomfortable in their own bodies or are uncomfortable with their own bodies don't want to see other peoples'."
The video's female director, Diane Martel, also bashed the negative criticism the video received throughout the year.
"It also forces the men to feel playful and not at all like predators. I directed the girls to look into the camera, this is very intentional and they do it most of the time; they are in the power position," she said in an interview GrantLand in June. "I don't think the video is sexist."
Despite the controversy, Blurred Lines became Thicke's first record to go No. 1 throughout his 10-year career. The track also remained at No. 1 longer than any other song in 2013.
