Boston University Students Want Robin Thicke's Concert Canceled, Call Singer's Work "Misogynist Music"

"It is a dishonor to our feminist history to symbolically idolize Robin Thicke by allowing him to perform his misogynist music at our university," the petition states

By Bruna Nessif Feb 21, 2014 12:14 AMTags
Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines Videovevo.com

While some may shriek with excitement at learning that Robin Thicke will perform at their school, a number of Boston University students are feeling quite the opposite.

In fact, members of the Humanists of Boston University have started a petition urging the school to cancel Thicke's performance at their spring concert on March 4, at the Agganis Arena, arguing that "it is a dishonor to our feminist history to symbolically idolize Robin Thicke by allowing him to perform his misogynist music at our university."

The Change.org petition, which as of Wednesday afternoon had more than 1,500 names attached to it in support, also states, "Thicke's hit song 'Blurred Lines' celebrates having sex with women against their will. Lyrics such as, "I know you want it," explicitly use non-consensual language. And while watching the extremely explicit video, the insinuations grow from subtle to explicit to obnoxious."

Kevin Mazur for iHeartRadio

Additionally, a Facebook event calling to protest Thicke's performance on March 4 was also created, restating what was argued in the petition.

BU spokesman Colin Riley responded to students' concerns, saying the school's administration had no role in scheduling Thicke's appearance. "This is not a BU concert," he said. "This is Agganis Arena, one stop of a 16-show tour, for Robin Thicke to perform."

He adds that it is highly unlikely that the show would be canceled. "You're talking about a college campus where it's anathema to ban things," he said. "We respect our students' views, but those are those students' views."

This isn't the first time Robin's been the center of controversy surrounding his lyrics in the popular track, and actually slammed the "ridiculous" criticism during an interview in July 2013.

During an interview with BBC's Radio 1, Thicke blasted the disapproving comments revolving around the track, which claim that the lyrics "seem to glamorize violence against women. Certain lyrics are explicitly sexually violent and appear to reinforce victim-blaming rape myths," by first telling listeners, "I can't even dignify that with a response, that's ridiculous."

"I don't want to be sleazy, I'm a gentleman, I've been in love with the same woman since I've been a teenager," he explained, referring to his actress wife Paula Patton. "I don't want to do anything inappropriate."

Thicke then went on to clarify the meaning behind the lyrics, saying, "For me it's about blurring the lines between men and women and how much we're the same. And the other side which is the blurred lines between a good girl and a bad girl, and even very good girls all have little bad sides to them."