'Blurred Lines' banned from UK universities due to claims of encouraging "Rape culture" - Polidicks

[QUOTE=TheHydra;42310663]would you promote the idea of a song advocating the murder of non-white ethnicities being played at functions in schools where white people are the majority? it's simply a matter of making people feel safe. you of all people should agree with this based on your arguments in the GTA V thread.[/QUOTE] no i wouldn't promote that idea just like i wouldn't promote the idea of this blurred lines song being played at the school.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310704]no i wouldn't promote that idea just like i wouldn't promote the idea of this blurred lines song being played at the school.[/QUOTE] then why is it a problem if the student union votes to not play it at their functions? it's not about censoring a political idea or anything like that, it's about people being able to go in and not hear a song that promotes violence against them based on their status as a person

[QUOTE=TheHydra;42310730]then why is it a problem if the student union votes to not play it at their functions? it's not about censoring a political idea or anything like that, it's about people being able to go in and not hear a song that promotes violence against them based on their status as a person[/QUOTE] because, like i said, i don't promote censorship of ideas either.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310737]because, like i said, i don't promote censorship of ideas either.[/QUOTE] then what's the solution?

[QUOTE=TheHydra;42310748]then what's the solution?[/QUOTE] ...don't censor it, don't promote it.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310762]...don't censor it, don't promote it.[/QUOTE] That doesn't sound like a solution? The unis were never promoting it, but if it happened to play what would the solution be? The majority of the student body clearly don't want to hear it after all. And making the majority leave a place because of something isn't fair. So, why not just disallow the playing of it on university equipment? People are free to listen to the shit all they want, the uni just won't be the thing playing it.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310762]...don't censor it, don't promote it.[/QUOTE] and...they're opting to not promote it by removing it from their playlists.

I'd never really heard this song up until this point (I don't listen to the radio much). If anything this guy is just a massive douche with #thicke popping up in the music vid every few seconds and "ROBIN THICKE HAS A HUGE DICK" being written in the background at one point. Fuck it if the school wants to ban it from their facilities that's their choice. It's not like it's being stricken from the radio. Plus it has a horrid fucking message.

[QUOTE=hexpunK;42310783]The majority of the student body clearly don't want to hear it after all.[/QUOTE] source? this was done by the student union, not some sort of campus referendum. [QUOTE=TheHydra;42310784]and...they're opting to not promote it by removing it from their playlists.[/QUOTE] depends on how the playlists are selected. if the playlist is created by just taking whatever is leading charts, then it wouldn't really be a promotion to play it.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310830]source? this was done by the student union, not some sort of campus referendum.[/QUOTE] The unions over here actually represent the student body, the various roles are filled by students voted in by other students. It's a pretty fair representation for the most part.

[QUOTE=hexpunK;42310854]The unions over here actually represent the student body, the various roles are filled by students voted in by other students. It's a pretty fair representation for the most part.[/QUOTE] that doesn't automatically assume action was taken with the majority support of students.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310917]that doesn't automatically assume action was taken with the majority support of students.[/QUOTE] If they voted them in, they must agree with their views to some extent. I mean, it's not like this is real politics, where someone running won't be able to actually do what they say without ruining an entire country. It's still fairly decent representation. What the fuck does it even matter? The song spreads an awful message, and you can still play it if you love your rape fantasies. The uni just won't be playing it to avoid causing problems.

[QUOTE=hexpunK;42310940] What the fuck does it even matter? The song spreads an awful message, and you can still play it if you love your rape fantasies. The uni just won't be playing it to avoid causing problems.[/QUOTE] is the point of a university to advance and allow acceptable viewpoints or is the point of a university to provide a protected forum for the sharing and conflict of ideas? [editline]26th September 2013[/editline] or is it neither?

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310977]is the point of a university to advance and allow acceptable viewpoints or is the point of a university to provide a protected forum for the sharing and conflict of ideas? [editline]26th September 2013[/editline] or is it neither?[/QUOTE] If the students aren't happy, they are totally free to oppose the ban and the uni has to respond to their demands (within reason). Overruling the union if need be. Seeing as there isn't much about any real opposition, and to be honest, seeing as most unis are relatively progressive, I can't see much opposition. Opinions, ideas, etc. are still totally free to be shared, the union cannot overstep its bounds and start banning shit willy nilly, it needs reason, and numbers, to get the uni to allow and enforce restrictions. Lets take my uni for example, to combat the rising number of assaults on campus from non-students after club nights at our LCR, the union requested a restriction on non-student entry. The uni have approved it. There is currently opposition, and if they can gather numbers, or provide hard facts against such a measure, the uni will remove the restrictions. They've done it in the past with boycotts of various forms (though these still aren't lifted because, unsurprisingly, most students don't give a shit and just want to study and get wasted). Banning this shit isn't going to impede the ability for debate to occur or quell conflicting ideas. People are still totally free to go against it. Unions can implement shit faster due to being voted in and deemed a representation, the opposition has to actually form.

Just looked up the lyrics. Wow. There was always something off to me about that song, but wow.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;42310369]it's totally fair in the sense that music is an expression of ideas. even if that idea is dumb, it is still valid in a public forum. i'm more concerned because this is in a university, which is meant to be a place specifically designed for the sharing of ideas. it's obviously quite ironic to ban expression of certain ideas from such a place.[/QUOTE] but it depends on the idea, i think it's stupid how we always have to blanket everything, this isn't banning a song because it's giving different ideas or anything blah blah blah it's banning a specific song because it's a piece of trash about date raping drunk women

[QUOTE=TheHydra;42310663]would you promote the idea of a song advocating the murder of non-white ethnicities being played at functions in schools where white people are the majority? it's simply a matter of making people feel safe. you of all people should agree with this based on your arguments in the GTA V thread.[/QUOTE] Censoring something to make people "feel safe" is a fucking shitty reason to censor something, and you should feel shitty for defending that position. The university can ban anything it wants, it's a private organization, but it's still fucking terrible for them to censor art because they don't like the subject. I support this decision as much as I'd support them banning a painting depicting rape, [url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Rape_in_art]of which there is a shitload[/url].

So the song is about Robin Thicke trying to convince a girl to have sex with him. The blurred line in question is that the girl [I]does[/I] want Robin Thicke, but she wants to maintain her good girl composure, and Robin Thicke hates that. So through the song, Robin (and TI) are talking to the girl trying to convince her to get in bed with her. So it's almost like a notable amount of Hip Hop songs, and a few Pop songs too.

[QUOTE=hexpunK;42311034]If the students aren't happy, they are totally free to oppose the ban and the uni has to respond to their demands (within reason). Overruling the union if need be. Seeing as there isn't much about any real opposition, and to be honest, seeing as most unis are relatively progressive, I can't see much opposition. Opinions, ideas, etc. are still totally free to be shared, the union cannot overstep its bounds and start banning shit willy nilly, it needs reason, and numbers, to get the uni to allow and enforce restrictions. Lets take my uni for example, to combat the rising number of assaults on campus from non-students after club nights at our LCR, the union requested a restriction on non-student entry. The uni have approved it. There is currently opposition, and if they can gather numbers, or provide hard facts against such a measure, the uni will remove the restrictions. They've done it in the past with boycotts of various forms (though these still aren't lifted because, unsurprisingly, most students don't give a shit and just want to study and get wasted). Banning this shit isn't going to impede the ability for debate to occur or quell conflicting ideas. People are still totally free to go against it. Unions can implement shit faster due to being voted in and deemed a representation, the opposition has to actually form.[/QUOTE] i think it would be somewhat preferable if the student union held a referendum. that way students had to actively make a decision regarding the song and its acceptability in a public forum. at least then students could pat themselves on the back for taking a hard line against music that promotes rape and rape culture. [QUOTE=Lachz0r;42311064]but it depends on the idea, i think it's stupid how we always have to blanket everything, this isn't banning a song because it's giving different ideas or anything blah blah blah it's banning a specific song because it's a piece of trash about date raping drunk women[/QUOTE] well we blanket things because ideas and their acceptability are very subjective. i mean you can say things like "well rape is obviously bad", but 100 years ago our idea of rape was very different and in 100 years, the most progressive among us today might be looked at as barbarian rape apologists because of our current perspective on rape. instead of trying to make objective rules on subjective ideas, it seems more morally consistent to just allow the bad idea to promote discussion. ironically, banning the song might actually promote more discussion than allowing it though, so idk.

they're saying this song is obviously bad and shouldn't be played using their facilities and events, not all songs, not all of a kind of song, this one particular song. and they're not saying it can't be played fullstop, you can still listen to it on your ipod and probably still blast it with your own radio, it just can't be blasted at university events or using university facilities and equipment

What's the difference between this song and all those other rap/misc songs that objectify women too?

[QUOTE=goldenbuttocks;42311202]What's the difference between this song and all those other rap/misc songs that objectify women too?[/QUOTE]This one is very obviously saying it is ok to rape girls because they secretly want it.

[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;42311229]This one is very obviously saying it is ok to rape girls because they secretly want it.[/QUOTE] but arent there plenty of other songs that advocate other bad things?

[QUOTE=The freeman;42311138]So the song is about Robin Thicke trying to convince a girl to have sex with him. The blurred line in question is that the girl [I]does[/I] want Robin Thicke, but she wants to maintain her good girl composure, and Robin Thicke hates that. So through the song, Robin (and TI) are talking to the girl trying to convince her to get in bed with her. So it's almost like a notable amount of Hip Hop songs, and a few Pop songs too.[/QUOTE] haha what no its the girl being drunk being robin thicke trying to convince her to have sex with her just because shes doing shit while drunk and its consent all of a sudden

The song itself is pretty catchy. Lyrics on the other hand..... eh.......

[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;42311229]This one is very obviously saying it is ok to rape girls because they secretly want it.[/QUOTE] Point out where in the lyrics it actually says this.

yawmwen weren't you the one that started a multi-page argument because GTAV didn't have a "trigger warning" because it included a scene where a clothed woman was near a nude man. Yet here you're defending a song (that I'm told is) about rape?

or even implies it for fucks sake

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;42311564]yawmwen weren't you the one that started a multi-page argument because GTAV didn't have a "trigger warning" because it included a scene where a clothed woman was near a nude man. Yet here you're defending a song (that I'm told is) about rape?[/QUOTE] he never advocated banning gta5 or anything like that and he said he'd prefer if other forms of media had trigger warnings too [editline]26th September 2013[/editline] he's not defending the song he's defending it's right to be played

[QUOTE=jaegerisacunt;42311566]or even implies it for fucks sake[/QUOTE] The title? The "Blurred Lines" it's talking about are the blurred lines of consent when a girl is drunk. But at the end of the day, it's just a song. Robin Thicke isn't a rapist lol.