Blurred Lines song banned by Edinburgh University

The Robin Thicke song Blurred Lines has been banned from all Edinburgh University student Union venues over its alleged references to non-consensual sex.

By The Newsroom Friday, 13th September 2013, 3:59 pm

Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke caused outrage with their performance. Picture: Getty

All student union buildings will now enforce a ban on playing the song, which features lyrics like “I know you want it, but you’re a good girl” and “He don’t smack that a** and pull your hair like that”.

The move comes after outrage at a recent performance of the song at the MTV awards with Miley Cyrus, in which a provocative performance featured overtly sexual overtones.

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According to ‘The Tab’, a DJ was instructed to fade out the track at a silent disco event on Sunday night - despite students having the choice to switch to another channel on their headphones.

An extract from an Edinburgh University Students’ Association policy details that ‘lad culture’ promoters ‘trivialise rape and by doing so contribute to a culturally permissible attitude to rape which is disgusting and cannot be allowed by our union.’

The campus-wide ban on Thicke’s global chart-topper fits the rules outlined in the policy, with a mission statement reading: “The solution to sexual violence is for rapists to stop raping, not for women to restrict their movement.”

EUSA vice president Kirsty Haigh said: “The decision to ban ‘Blurred Lines’ from our venues has been taken as it promotes an unhealthy attitude towards sex and consent.

“There is a zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, a policy to end lad culture on campus and a safe space policy, all of which this song violates.”

The American DJ has always denied that the song shows any disrespect to women.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Thicke claimed the video was a joke, saying: “The whole point was to go over the top .. and say, we’re gonna do things everyone is afraid to do, as brash and fearless as possible.”

The 36-year-old added: “We tried to do everything that was taboo .. everything that is completely derogatory towards women. Because all three of us [Thicke, Pharrell Williams and rapper T.I. who all appear in the video] are happily married with children, we were like, ‘We’re the perfect guys to make fun of this.’”