The Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) became the first group at an institute of higher education to ban Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines” from being played across each of its student-run venues.
EUSA said it made the decision to ban the song Sept. 13 amidst a wave of increasingly prominent campaigns to address the issue of consent amongst young people.
EUSA vice-president (services) Kirsty Haigh said the decision came about as an extension of its policy called “End Rape Culture and Lad Banter on Campus,” which she said has been well-received.
“Blurred Lines” has been accused of referring to non-consensual sex, particularly due to its inclusion of the the lyrics, “I hate those blurred lines . . . I know you want it, must wanna get nasty.”
The song is deemed to contradict EUSA’s policy of promoting healthy attitudes towards sex, according to Hague.
Haigh said the sentiment expressed in the song “impedes on the right of women to feel safe,” and not be surrounded “by a culture that accepts rape.”
Some Edinburgh students said they disagreed with the ban.
Emilie Beckwith, a third-year English literature student, said censorship is not the answer.
“As an institution of higher education, the university must facilitate campus-wide discussion of controversial issues,” Beckwith said. “Only this way can the entire student body reach an adequate level of information to formally cast a judgement on the issue.”
Third-year student Alex Townson said EUSA’s perception of “lad culture” at Edinburgh is unwarranted.
“In comparison to some other universities across the U.K., Edinburgh’s lad culture, if there at all, exists only within a very small minority of people,” Townson said.
Townson said his choice to listen to “Blurred Lines” does not reflect his own perception of consent, and EUSA’s decision to ban the song could demonize young men simply enjoying a catchy tune.
More student unions at post-secondary institutions have since followed Edinburgh’s lead to ban the song, including the University of Leeds, in addition to the University of Derby and the University of West Scotland.
Other groups at universities have taken action against the song as well.
One such group, comprised of law students from the University of Auckland, created a parody in which they reverse the gender roles of Thicke’s original video.
The group uses clever, tongue-in-cheek lyrics in its YouTube parody, “Defined Lines” to provide an amusing juxtaposition, which highlights Thicke’s alleged female objectification.
The song includes lyrics such as, “It’s time to undermine . . . the masculine confines,” and “Time for you to witness our liberation! There’s more to life than penetration . . . and sexual discrimination.”
