The lyrics of Robin Thicke's controversial song
Blurred Lines mainly focus on the discussion of the apparently thin line between consent and rape. While misogyny is a common theme usually found hiding just beneath the surface of popular music, Thicke's lyrics were a little bit more direct, for example:
"I hate these blurred lines/I know you want it".
Despite the lyrics, the song was extremely popular, which caused understandable outrage among people who found the lyrics offensive and damaging.
With her new song,
Hard Out Here, Lily Allen has established her as a feminist icon. In Thicke's music video, he parades around in front of a wall of balloons stating "Robin Thicke has a big dick"- Allen has copied Thicke's idea, but Lily's balloons say "Lily Allen has a baggy pussy". It is Allen's trademark cheeky humour combined with unapologetic assertiveness which make this video such a success: Lily is speaking honestly in a way which both women and men can understand, while creating catchy, bubbly pop song which will be played on radios, in clubs and on televisions all over the world.
Lily's video works because she puts herself alongside the music industry's projection of women: she wears attractive, flattering clothes and gorgeous makeup and dances next to the girls that we all recognise- girls who appear in so many music videos for songs which are damaging to female empowerment and self esteem. Lily dances with these beautiful, half naked girls and looks great, and therefore tells us that you don't need to behave the same way as the women in these videos do to be sexy and appealing- you can set your own standard.
The message of modern feminism is EQUALITY. Women are allowed to own their sexuality, women are allowed to make money and women are here for themselves. Songs such as
Blurred Lines portray women as objects for a man's enjoyment, but Allen takes back the power by placing herself in the center of the problem as a woman in the music industry:
"Forget your balls and grow a pair of tits – it’s hard out here for a bitch"
Allen's accessible pop music brings the debate into popular culture, and by using chart music to deliver the message, Allen makes her point even more powerful. She has gone directly to the source and is creating a catchy message that will get stuck in the head's of the public while poking fun at how women are treated within celebrity culture and society in general. The light-hearted but intelligent lyrics identifying the problem,
“Don’t you want to have somebody who objectifies you? Have you thought about your butt/who’s gonna tear it in two?”
mean that people will think about the situation, and hopefully realise the ridiculous ideas about women and sexuality that are promoted by the music industry and therefore filter into our culture. It needs to be understood that women are in charge of their bodies, and women need to fight for this message! As Lily says, tongue-in-cheek as ever,
"Always trust the injustice, Cause it's not going away"
