The debate over âBlurred Linesâ â which started when Robin Thicke released a wildly NSFW version of the video and has been percolating ever since the  single hit No. 1 â is largely about nudity. In the original version of the video, three models can be seen parading around naked, while their male counterparts are fully clothed; pair that with some uncomfortable lyrics (âI know you want it,â specifically) and an extremely bone-headed Robin Thicke quote embracing a âdegradingâ vibe, and you have the makings of a scandal. Is it exploitative? Is it charming? Here are some thoughts from the videoâs director, Diane Martel, who took the charges head-on in a Grantland Q&A:
I wanted to deal with the misogynist, funny lyrics in a way where the girls were going to overpower the men. Look at Emily Ratajkowskiâs [the brunette] performance; itâs very, very funny and subtly ridiculing. Thatâs what is fresh to me. It also forces the men to feel playful and not at all like predators. I directed the girls to look into the camera, this is very intentional and they do it most of the time; they are in the power position. I donât think the video is sexist. The lyrics are ridiculous, the guys are silly as fuck. That said, I respect women who are watching out for negative images in pop culture and who find the nudity offensive, but I find [the video] meta and playful.
It is certainly true that the men look silly (see: T.I. and that hairbrush). As for Thickeâs statement about the derogatory intent of the video, here is what Martel had to say:
Thatâs crazy. Maybe he wasnât thinking when he said that.
Pretty much!
Martel also answers a few questions about her other recent controversial video, Miley Cyrusâs âWe Canât Stop,â which she defends on the basis of age and self-expression. (âSheâs vibrant, sheâs sexy, sheâs social ... Sheâs 20!â) Her overall theory, essentially, is that sexuality does not always equal debasement, even if it is being used to sell records. Which is hopefully a lesson that Robin Thicke is now repeating to himself.