Alex Berliner/AP

there's a good chance you've seen the videos for Robin Thicke's ubiquitous song "Blurred Lines." You may love it. You may hate it. Smart debates raged over the last several months as to whether the song and the videos are sexist . Thicke himself may be just a dork . Director Diane Martin has defended the project as more pro-woman than misogynist. At the heart of the video is model Emily Ratajkowski, who dances playfully in both clothed and non-clothed options, staring into the camera with supposed subtle winks at the douchebaggery on display by Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I. For Ratajkowski, the video has been a breakthrough moment. She's being courted by Hollywood and a quick scroll through her Tumblr reveals a hefty adornment of fan art and GIFs, not to mention her popular Instagram . We recently talked to Ratajkowski while she was in San Diego for Comic-Con to help Axe launch its Black Chill line about the "Blurred Lines" controversy and what's next.

ESQUIRE.COM: The "Blurred Lines" video has prompted debates about whether it's sexist. Do you think it's sexist?

EMILY RATAJKOWSKI: I don't. I really appreciate the people who watch out for that stuff, and I'm sensitive to those sort of things. On the surface level, the naked women dancing, I understand that can be perceived that way. But we're directed to have a sort of confidence, a sarcastic attitude about the whole situation. That eye contact and that attitude really puts us in a power situation. The director, Diane Martel, is a woman, and so is the DP. We really worked on that and tried to convey that in the video. The way we are annoying them, being playful and having a good time with our body — it's something very important for young women today to have that confidence. I think it's actually celebrating women and their bodies.

ESQ: I read that Martel said the women in the video were all in on the joke. Did it feel that way after you shot it?

ER: Yeah, I really did. Her and I had a really great relationship. It was like "Okay, go have fun." Pop music is great, but there's a lot of BS about the attitude of guys being super-gangster — that's why the whole thing is silly. It's making fun of itself. That self-awareness is why people enjoy it. It's refreshing.

ESQ: How does it feel to be a part of something that has sparked this kind of conversation?

ER: I love that kind of conversation and I think it's so important now. We see so many images of nude women because of the Internet. I think it's very important to make that distinction. I think the video is a great way to do that.

ESQ: As a model, you've made a living being looked at. Is a video like this any different than doing a print ad for a bathing suit?

ER: No, and you completely hit on what a lot of people have been asking. "Did you know it was going to be such a big thing?" I'm like, "No, it was a job." This is how I make my money. I don't know what's going to be a hit song or what's not. This happened to be. It was like going to work.

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ESQ: It sounds like it was a good experience. I've heard stories of models who have had horrible experiences.

ER: Yeah, you know, I've never really had any of those experiences. I started modeling when I was — not older, but not 12. I have a mom who's a feminist, she's an English professor, an intellectual. She really gave me the equipment to understand that you can celebrate yourself without putting yourself down or needing to apologize for the way you look. I think that attitude is really crucial for a model.

ESQ: You also appeared this year in Maroon 5's video for "Love Somebody."

ER: I actually did that before "Blurred Lines."

ESQ: Adam Levine caresses and serenades you. How jealous are your girlfriends of you at this moment?

ER: It was split between my gay friends and my girlfriends. The jealously spread pretty far on that one.

ESQ: How does someone like you get a gig like this? These are two back-to-back videos with big pop stars. Do you audition?

ER: I didn't audition for either of them. They came to me. I did a magazine — I was on the cover of Treats magazine. I was nude for that and a lot people saw that and connected to that. That brought the attention from both jobs.

ESQ: I thought it might have been from the Carl's Jr. ad.

ER: No, I don't think so.

ESQ: Are these good-paying jobs?

ER: They are very good-paying.

ESQ: Did you treat yourself to something amazing afterward?

ER: You know, I'm trying to save up and hopefully make more money.

ESQ: That's the most responsible thing I've heard all day.

ER: [Laughs.] Well, this is what I'll tell you: I'm becoming bi-coastal so I'm paying two rents.

ESQ: How long did the video shoot take?

ER: One day. We did both versions in one day. I think I was wrapped at five or six.

ESQ: Did you do many takes on both?

ER: I remember when we did the shot with the car on the back, it was like, "We had this idea," and they were trying with trucks and finally decided on a red car. We just started shooting and I made the face and that was it. I think it was a lot of improvisation and fun.

ESQ: Has this video allowed for any new opportunities?

ER: One thing that I've found is that people could relate and see different qualities in the video that they enjoyed. That wasn't something I was necessarily expecting. I just shot with Bruce Weber for CR and obviously things that come with that kind of attention. I met with Karl Lagerfeld, and if you have those kind of connections, that takes you into that world and puts you on that level. But also, it is a video and people like to see the way I was playful. The movie industry has been contacting me. I have been auditioning — that's actually why I am in California. I was here meeting with studios and auditioning.

ESQ: You didn't speak in the video. It was all just using your body and facial expressions to convey sentiments.

ER: When I was a little girl, I loved theater a lot and I was always playing and making my own worlds. It's kind of the same thing, which is really fun. It's not actually that hard.

Have you always been a confident person?

ER: I don't know. I think everyone has their awkward phases. Growing up isn't easy for everyone. I definitely had my awkward moments. I basically had the same body when I was 14 and that was weird. But I think I had really good parents. I got really lucky. They said, "You're a woman, enjoy yourself, and believe that you can do things."

ESQ: Is "Blurred Lines" the song of the summer or is it Daft Punk's "Get Lucky"?

ER: It's so hard. I listened to "Blurred Lines" quite a few times that day. It's hard for me to say that I bump it in my car, and that would be a little bit obnoxious if I did that. I'd say I listen to Daft Punk, but that's not to say that "Blurred Lines" isn't the song of the summer.

ESQ: If I wanted to seduce my wife with naked-style dancing a la "Blurred Lines," what should I make sure I do?

ER: Definitely swinging the hips. Definitely take the shirt off first. Leave the socks on until the very last moment. That would really embody the experience of "Blurred Lines."

ESQ: Do I need a lamb?

ER: Yeah, why not?

PLUS: The Women We Love of Instagram: Emily Ratajkowski

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