Misogyny ?! In Music ?!

So everyone has been kicking and fussing over Robin Thicke's summer hit, Blurred Lines, because of the misogynistic lyrics and sexist video.
Anyone would think that Robin is the first male artist to ever feature women in a video as sexual objects or sing about having sex with a girl who, apparently, 'wants it'. In actual fact, it's harder for me to name a song that doesn't refer to females as bitches or hoes than it is to find several that do.
In my opinion, it doesn't even seem as though Robin was demeaning women in any way in his summer smash, as he clearly sings 'that man is not your maker' - could there actually be a message of female empowerment hidden amongst the controversial lyrics?

One genre of music which has always been swarmed in controversy is hip-hop, for both its overtly sexual lyrics and derogatory display of females in music videos, and it's become so common that the women that feature in the videos are commonly known as 'video hoes'.
It is a very rare occurence to find a video where there isn't a girl in a bikini or a curvaceous lady shaking her booty next to the rapper or singer of the track (congratulations Jay-Z, your Holy Grail video was a nice break from the female nudity). In most cases, it is only expected that a girl will be twerking for at least 75% of the video seeing as the song is called, Twerk It, or, Clappers, so I can't really be all that surprised, they are relating the lyrics of the song to the video.
With women and sex being at the forefront of the majority of hip-hop music over the past decade or so, you would think that the media and public have become accustomed to it, but this doesn't seem to be the case what with all the journalists and music fans labelling Blurred Lines 'disgusting' and 'demeaning'.

Even though it's a far less mainstream genre, dancehall deserves a mention seeing as it thrives on objectifying women by asking them to 'whine on male genitalia' amongst other sexual deeds. This is most probably because it is a genre fiercely dominated by men and as an audience we have been saturated with these sexual lyrics so much, that they aren't that shocking any more.
Dancehall is less about having clever lyrical content and more about the 'riddims' and catchy hooks, but now that the dance craze which accompanies these songs - twerking - has become a mainstream phenomenon, it wasn't going to be long before outrage spread amongst many people who aren't so familiar with this culture.
I'm not denying that the way females are represented in the songs and videos of dancehall artists, and the overtly sexual dances that go with that, isn't derogatory towards women, and at times shocking; however, once you realise that no harm is meant by these lyrics (it is just simply a celebration of physical intimacy and the female body) you stop taking offence and start to enjoy the music.

Other genres have their fair share of misogynistic themes and undertones too. For example, 'Smack My Bitch Up' by The Prodigy and even country music, such as 'Stand By Your Man' by Tammy Wynette, uses demeaning lyrics towards women. You can find examples of female objectification in the lyrics and music videos of all genres of music if you look and listen closely enough, and this has been the case for near on 30 years now.


I'm not saying that I don't get up and pretend I can twerk when a French Montana song drops in the club or I don't find myself singing along to, FDB by Young Dro, on full volume in the car because I don't take certain types of music - trap hip hop and dancehall - ,or some artists, too seriously.
I am just confused as to why a lot of people are in uproar over Blurred Lines when there are a lot worse things being said and done in music videos and it has been that way for quite a few years. It should come as no surprise by now that music can be derogatory towards women, it can even be derogatory towards men on rare occasions, it just needs to be taken with a pinch of salt and accepted as a light-hearted form of entertainment. Lil Wayne is not running for president or working in the education system; therefore, there is no need to worry about how a few lyrics are going to effect the progression of equality amongst genders in society.