A short and restrained response to Blurred Lines

“You the hottest bitch in this place.” –Robin Thicke

If a guy ever came up to me and told me, “Hey, you know, you’re the hottest bitch in this place,” I would slap him. Unquestionably and unapologetically. Mostly because the word “bitch” is not an acceptable thing to call anybody under any circumstances, and secondly because how dare he have the arrogant audacity to 1) rate my attractiveness against other women and 2) use something as shallow as exterior appearances to start a conversation.

But that’s not even the most offensive lyric in the now all-too-popular hit song Blurred Lines: “Nothing like your last guy, he too square for you/He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that.” Well. Actually, T.I., I’d prefer to not have my ass slapped and hair pulled, and I’d REALLY like for you to not assume that I do. Because, again, if anyone ever did either of those things to me without asking first and getting an affirmative answer, I would protest physically, because that is sexual assault.

“I’ll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two.” I don’t think I need to spend too much space elucidating how explicitly violent and emblematic of rape culture this line is. Moving on.

“Tried to domesticate ya, but you’re an animal.” Tried to domesticate me, eh? So, what, tried to tame me into some version of what you think women should be? And when I wouldn’t let you place your restrictions on me, that means I’m a crazy wild animal? You couldn’t possibly be much more dehumanizing.

Then we have the most repeated lines, “I know you want it” (no, you don’t know), and “The way you grab me, must wanna get nasty.” Just because a girl dances with you or says anything short of “hey, I want to have sex with you, would you like to have sex with me, too?” does not mean she “wants it.” That “I know you want it” mentality is indicative of rape and slut shaming. No does not mean yes, silence does not mean yes, and, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT EXISTS ON THIS GOOD GREEN PLANET, THE WAY I DRESS AND DANCE DOES NOT MEAN ‘YES.’

“That man is not your maker.” And neither are you, and neither is anybody else. So kindly back the fuck off.

-The Defiant Lion