[Note: this post was penned prior to last week’s provocative, public dance by Miley Cyrus. In other words, the lines were already blurry.]
Everybody get up!
I’m up. I’m dancing like any good un-retired disco queen of the late ’70’s. I love, love, love the beat of this song. It’s being called the song of the summer by media. I’ve watched the Robin Thicke/Jimmy Fallon version of Blurred Lines on YouTube an embarrassing number of times. This version uses school instruments and has a PG-rated solo. It’s a super fun vibe. The band is smiling, jamming, rocking, kidding around and having a terrific time. Then I read the original lyrics on several popular lyric websites.
Hey, hey, hey.
Prude would never be a word used to describe me. Each day less and less things make my chin drop. But some of those lyrics… oh, my! Now I know this isn’t the first rap song to use offensive (to me) words but it’s the first nasty rap I really have fun listening to. I want to buy it so bad.
You know you want it.
There exists controversy over whether or not the song is “misogynistic” or “rapey”, and when I read the words rapper TI sings, I wonder who really resonates with this sex slang. Why does any song any where in any language need to say what he says? This is where I get really confused. And then there is the original music video with nude dancers. They chose to do a remake on that one. Wonder why?
If you can’t hear what I’m trying to say.
Why add the obscene? Life can be sad and hard and even cruel all on its own. Why throw more violence and crass images into the universe? But I love the bounce of this song. Perfect for car dancing but I don’t have it on my iphone because I can’t justify some really bad lyrics in part of the song.
Maybe I’m out of my mind.
This isn’t about nasty rap; it’s about me trying to convince myself that if the beat is good, I can overlook the really negative message of the words. There is a disconnect with the fun loving, smiling men wearing wedding rings, everything-is-alright-then group singing this terrifically fun song. I actually had that argument in my head. They all look too nice and happy for it to be wrong!
Can’t let it get past me.
So now I wonder how many other things I excuse the nasty because I like the beat? Books, movies, TV shows, gossip, certain friendships, idle thoughts. Apparently I have selective vision, only focusing on the good and fun stuff when the obscene side is right there as well. It’s just a song, right? No big deal. What’s the real harm in buying the tune and ingraining the lyrics in my head?
Maybe I’m going deaf.
After 50 plus years I can recognize the little voice that whispers “good choice/bad choice. Sometimes I listen to the voice and sometimes I conveniently ignore it. This time I’m hearing the old adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” I combat that one in my head with “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” I really, really like this song…sort of.
I hate these blurred lines.
Respectfully,
CB