Disclosure, featuring Sam Smith. I really liked this song when I first heard it. It's pumped up and interesting. I like the syncope and the thump. I like the way the music seems to pulse and recede, the same way I imagine a seashore in a dream. I like the vocals. I mean, I like Sam Smith, as far as I know him. The whole song is smooth and easy to listen to. Now I just have to decide whether to be all Tumblr about it.
Robby: Okay, this author is serious. "You enchant me even when you're not around:" that's spot on: I've been in the place where I can't do homework for lovesickness. Aww, and as soon as you come around, I'm going to grab and not let go. That's a great metaphor for desire. I feel the same way when emotion comes and grabs me.
Tumblr: Holy crap, possessive much?
Robby: Sorry, who invited you in?
Tumblr: If you weren't paying attention, I'll back it up for you. Right so, there's like this entire subset of humanity called women, and they're legit human beings, just like men, who don't rule everything. This song is all about taking control of a woman's body (see: congress) and breaking down her boundaries (see: date rape) and keeping her from leaving (see: abusive relationships).
Robby: What? I don't think that's what the metap--
Tubmlr: Metaphor? METAPHOR!? Wake up, sheeple! The patriarchy couches its misogyny in histrionics and obfuscation!
Robby: No, see because songs have a long tradition of being based on poetry. Any poetic conceit cannot be taken at face--
Tomblr: I bet you would take my face. Just when I put on my hijab, you take the last thing I have left!
Robby: --value.
Tumber: Oh, my gosh it's like I don't even have a voice anymore. You expect me to be rosy white and heteronormative with a balanced mental state and I'm not sure where I was going with this line of argument but I am not prepared to change, not now that I've been oppressed for merely expressing my beliefs that any dyslexic queer-curious fursona should be free to fall in love with a post-operative pansexual pre-gender assignment tree-person with athlete's foot. WHY DO YOU HAMPER MY LOVE!? YOU CISSEXUAL BUFFALO CHIP!!!!!!!!!!!lol!!!!
Robby: I guess, as long as it's between two consenting adults, you just grab hold of that feeling and you don't let go, no matter how hard the world tries to shake you off.
Twombly: Yeah! Trying to peel me away from my spirit animal and half-werewolf priapistic clone will only make my love stronger. I will CHAIN MYSELF TO HIM/US.
Robby: Have you heard of this new song? It's called Latch, by Disclosure. I think you'd like it.
Termeblear: OMG I LOVE THIS #JUSTGIRLWEREWOLFTHINGS
Anyway, a quick google search for these terms:
"Blurred Lines is sexist" 4160 results
"Robin Thicke is a misogynist" 20700 results
"Baby It's Cold Outside is creepy" 1900 results
"Latch is sexist" 0 results
There's no outrage. Tumblr is full of love for this song. Nobody cares about the violence of the metaphor or the message of the conceit. It's like the words don't exist. Why do we nitpick over "I know you want it" and we just let go of
Now I've got you in my space/I won't let go of you/Got you shackled in my embrace/I'm latching on to youWHAT EVEN IS LIFE
Is it the video? Well, I'm here to tell you WHY there is no outrage: there's a single lesbian couple. "Hooray for no heteronormativity!" Listen, just because there's something tasty in the poop doesn't mean you should eat it. The message of this song is possession and control. If you were looking for seduction and allure, you won't find it here. This song is worse than Blurred Lines, no question. I'd still buy it though. It's bumpin'.
P.S. I'm more interested in the faces: at first, they flashed, and only on members of the faceless crowd. People you weren't looking at would suddenly light up with this anonymous mask for a frame and then it would disappear. I got to associate the mask with people I shouldn't care about. You'll notice that the mask never appears on the six people we're really focused on, until . . . the couple in the elevator and the couple in bed turn to the camera and the masks hold on their faces.
Never the girls in the nightclub.
What is the editor trying to say about the hetero couples that's different than the lesbians? Are the girls the only ones with an actual relationship? Are they the only real people? Are the cissexuals just faking it, wearing masks and looking for physical release, but the girls, having found each other quite by accident, have let down their masks and are looking for love?
I have trouble believing you didn't write this mostly to start an argument, but ...
ReplyDeleteI think the major difference between "Latch" and the other songs you cite is that most date rapists don't actually say what the lyrics of "Latch" say. But over and over again, I read about or talk to girls who were raped by guys who said things straight out of "Blurred Lines" or "Baby, It's Cold Outside."
As in, "This song is triggering for me because these things are exactly what my attacker said to me when he tried to make me blame myself for what was happening to me."
Also, "Latch" isn't nearly as popular as the other songs on your list.
ReplyDeleteBlurred Lines is still the jam tho bahahaha
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't want to start any arguments. You'll notice I (Robby) think the song is a metaphor, even though it's an aggressive and unhealthy way to love, it's still a metaphor.
ReplyDeleteHowever:
I think language is a tricky thing. Bad words incoming, but I'm not going to put a bad word in YOUR head because I'M afraid of saying it. YOU BEEN WARNED
For some people, "pussy" is an offensive word; for others it's a cat, or at worst a body part. For some, "nigger" is hateful and for others it's a (positiveish) group identifier. For some, "baby don't go" will trigger bad memories, and others will remember Bubble and Adele Dazeem. Only I know the way language affects me, and only you know the way language affects you. Should I be careful with things I know are often dangerous? Undoubtedly. Should I apologize when I screw up? 100%. But can I anticipate, divine, reconfigure the words that will hurt someone else? Never.
I wish I could.
I think people forget that language exists only in their head, and it's a different construction entirely once it gets into into mine. We're all just tourists in other people's headspace and the bathrooms all require coins we don't have.
Anyway, I have a lot of thoughts on "being offended," which I shouldn't say here. Maybe next time. If you're interested, you can do some homework here:
http://debacle.tumblr.com/post/3041940865/the-pratfall-of-penny-arcade-a-timeline
and here:
http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Dickwolves
I should probably admit to extreme privilege re: upbringing and skin and gender/sex alignment, but . . . you already know. And now, hopefully, you know I know.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a point I wanted to make but forgot to:
I did my research, and Tumblr, very rightly, did not make a big deal of this song. I'm just surprised it didn't, is all.
BECAUSE SAM SMITH
ReplyDelete