Music News

Blurred Lines is a song recorded by Canadian-American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke for his 2013 album of the same name. The song features guest vocals from American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell.

The single has peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as topping the Billboard R&B Songs chart. It has also become Thicke's most successful song on the Billboard Hot 100, being his first to reach number one. The song has been a worldwide hit, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom.

The music video was released on March 20, 2013, and was made in two versions; the first video features models Emily Ratajkowski, Jessi M'Bengue, and Elle Evans being topless, the second features them covered. The topless version of the video was removed from YouTube on March 30, 2013, for violating the site's terms of service regarding nudity, though it was later restored, but flagged as restricted to adults.

Critics such as Tricia Romano of The Daily Beast suggested that the song and the music video trivialize sexual consent. She charges that many female fans were uncomfortable with both the song and the video. Her article quoted feminists who interpreted the song's message as being promotion of rape culture because the title Blurred Lines and portions of the lyrics like I know you want it encourage the idea no doesn't always mean no and that some women who are raped are asking for it. Criticism was also leveled at the song's video, which has been labelled eye-poppingly misogynist . Thicke said that the Diane Martel--directed video was tongue-in-cheek.

Update: And now the parody

3rd September 2013. See  article from  sofeminine.co.uk
See Defined Lines video from YouTube

 Three Auckland law students have made a parody version of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines . The parody replaces the topless female models with topless men and changes the lyrics to voice their frustration at the claimed sexualisation and subjection of women in the original. Example lines from Adelaide Dunn, Olivia Lubbock and Zoe Ellwood are: We're feeling the frustration, from all the exploitation...what you see on TV, doesn't speak equality, it's straight up misogyny.

The well made tongue-in-cheek satire, entitled Defined Lines , immediately went viral, but the irony of the message was clearly lost on some, as it was removed by YouTube after being reported for indecency and featuring inappropriate content. It was later restored.

Its got a fair way to go to overhaul the original though, that has now racked up 17 million views.

Former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters has been accused anti-semitism by a leading rabbi because of a prop used on stage during a recent world tour.

The musician, who is a vocal pro-Palestinian campaigner, came under fire last week after he floated a balloon of a giant pig emblazoned with several symbols considered to represent fascist regimes including the Crucifix, the Star of David, the Crescent and Star, the Hammer and Sickle, the Shell Oil Logo and The McDonald's Sign, a Dollar Sign and a Mercedes sign

The move sparked 'fury' within the international Jewish community, including that of Rabbi Abraham Cooper, of the human rights group Simon Wiesenthal Center, who branded the showpiece a grotesque display of Jew-hatred . He said:

With this disgusting display Roger Waters has made it crystal clear: forget Israel, never mind "limited boycotts promoting Middle East Peace", Waters is an open hater of Jews. The video is beyond shocking. The only books this bigot should be getting should be with the Mullahs in Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.

But Waters almost immediately issued an impassioned retort on Facebook, in which he called Cooper's remarks:

So wild and bigoted they demand a response. I hold your outburst to be inflammatory and un-helpful and would suggest it can only impede progress towards peace and understanding between people. It is also extremely insulting to me personally in that you accuse me of being 'Anti Semitic, A Jew Hater and Nazi Sympathizer.

The Wall Show, so lamely attacked by you, Is many things. It is thoughtful, life affirming, ecumenical, humane, loving, anti war, anti colonial, pro universal access to the law, pro liberty, pro collaboration, pro dialogue, pro peace, anti authoritarian, anti fascist, anti apartheid, anti dogma, international in spirit, musical and satirical.

US rock group Bloodhound Gang has been banned from a Russian music festival in Odessa after a band member stuffed the Russian flag into his underpants on stage.

Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky described the band as idiots and added :

I spoke to the Krasnodar region authorities. Bloodhound Gang is packing their suitcases,

Bass player Jared Hasselhoff was seen in a video pushing the flag into the front of his pants and pulling them out of the back. Don't tell Putin, Hasselhoff said to applause as he grabbed a Russian flag from the wall behind and performed the stunt.

Local media reports later said that Hasselhoff had been questioned by police. The head of Russia's Investigations Committee, Vladimir Markin, said his department was prepared to pursue criminal charges against all those involved if prosecutors decided there was a case.

Hasselhoff later apologised for the stunt.

Rappers say 'outrage' over lyric on leaked track Jodeci Freestyle was learning lesson. Drake has joined J Cole in an apology for mocking autism on their new single. They said that the offending lyric will be removed from the upcoming official release.

The track had included Cole rapping: I'm artistic . You niggas is autistic, retarded.

Cole apologised:

Recently there's been a trend that includes rappers saying something offensive, only to be attacked for it in the media and pressured to apologise. I do not believe that an apology is needed every time someone is offended, especially when that apology is really only for the sake of saving an endorsement or cleaning up bad press. With that said, this is not the case today. This letter is sincere. This apology IS necessary.

Autism Speaks were among the 'outraged' organisations who spoke out against the line, accusing Cole of perpetuating negative stereotypes against people with autism.

Amanda Palmer, the singer of Dresden Dolls, has taken aim at the Daily Mail after the newspaper ran a story about her set at Glastonbury that failed to include anything about her actual performance and instead focused on the fact that one of her breasts escaped her bra while she played. The headline ran, Making a boob of herself! with photos of the incident.

During her show at London's Roundhouse at the weekend, Palmer responded by singing a new song, Daily Mail . Halfway through, she dropped her kimono and performed the rest of the song naked.

Palmer hopes her song will spread online. But this is one story that probably won't be turning up on the Mail website's famed sidebar of shame .

Daily Mail by Amanda Palmer

Dear Daily Mail,
It has come to my recent attention
that me recent appearance at Glastonbury festivals kindly received a mention
I was doing a number of things on that stage up to and including singing songs (like you do)
but you chose to ignore that and instead you published a feature review of my boob

Dear Daily Mail,
There's a thing called a search engine: use it!
If you'd googled my tits in advance you'd have found that your photos are hardly exclusive
in addition you state that my breast had escaped from my bra like a thief on the run
You do you know that it wasn't attempting to just take in the RARE British sun?

Dear Daily Mail,
It's so sad what you tabloids are doing
Your focus on debasing women's appearances ruins our species of humans
but a rag is a rag and far be it from me to go censoring anyone OH NO
It appears that my entire body is currently trying to escape this kimono.

Dear Daily Mail,
You misogynist pile of twats
I'm tired of these baby bumps, vadge flashes, muffintops
where are the newsworthy COCKS?
If Iggy or Jagger or bowie go topless the news barely causes a ripple
blah blah blah feminist blah blah blah gender shit blah blah blah
OH MY GOD NIPPLE

Dear Daily Mail,
You will never write about this night
I know that because I've addressed you directly I've made myself no fun to fight
but thanks to the internet people all over the world can enjoy this discourse
and commune with a roomful of people in London who aren't drinking kool-aid like yours

And though there be millions of people who'll accept the cultural bar where you have it at
there are plenty of others who're perfectly willing to see breasts in their natural habitat

I keenly anticipate your highly literate coverage of upcoming tours

Dear Daily Mail,
UP YOURS!

Justin Timberlake's new video was yanked from YouTube for violating no nudity policies.

The singer earlier posted a message on Twitter announcing the debut of the video for his single Tunnel Vision and warned of its nature:

Check out the new video for Tunnel Vision and be ready...it's explicit. -teamJT

The sparsely shot video featured Justin dressed head to toe in sober grey and black outfits from British brand AllSaints. Justin and long-term collaborator Timbaland are seen ogling a trio of models prancing around topless in nude-coloured thongs.

The Daily Mail printed plenty of not quite nudes to get in on the act...And of course you can see the video for yourself on... er...YouTube.