Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines has been banned from use at student events at Edinburgh University. Students' association officials announced that the ubiquitous and controversial track violates their policy against "rape culture and lad banter", requesting that DJs drop it from their setlists.

"The decision to ban Blurred Lines from our venues has been taken as it promotes an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent," association vice-president Kirsty Haigh told the Independent. "EUSA [Edinburgh University Students' Association] has a policy on zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, a policy to end lad culture on campus and a safe space policy – all of which this song violates."

According to the Student newspaper, the ban first came to light during a Sunday night "silent disco" overseen by DJ Magus Monahan. "I began to play Blurred Lines and about half way through the EUSA technician came up and said that song is banned in EUSA buildings," he said. Although the silent disco used headphones that allowed dancers to choose from among several different soundtracks, Monahan claims "at least half" were listening to Blurred Lines.

Edinburgh University's student association is not the only group to have taken issue with Thicke's summer hit. Feminist bloggers have taken aim at the song's "misogynistic" video and its provocative lyrics, highlighting the proximity of lines like "I hate these blurred lines" and "I know you want it". More than 50,000 people have signed an online petition asking YouTube to take down the Diane Martel-directed clip.

Thicke has dismissed these accusations as "ridiculous". The song is about "the blurred lines between a good girl and a bad girl", he told BBC Newsbeat, and "blurring the line between men and women". But the singer was less tactful in an earlier interview with GQ: "People say, 'Hey, do you think this is degrading to women?' I'm like, 'Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I've never gotten to do that before. I've always respected women.'" Because Thicke and his co-stars in the video, Pharrell Williams and rapper TI, are all "happily married with children, we were like, 'We're the perfect guys to make fun of [taboos].'"

After spending five weeks at number one, Blurred Lines is currently No 15 on the UK singles chart.