While this is far from "art", it remains an image, or collection of images that the public are exposed to and women are measured against. This episode of Berger's program focuses on the history and implications of perpetual female nudity in art, in particular European oil paintings. Here are some quotes from Berger that I feel to be relevant to an analysis of Thicke's video:
"To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others and yet not recognised for oneself. A nude has to be seen as an object in order to be a nude."
"Nakedness is a sight for those who are dressed."In this instance, nakedness represents the women, and those who are dressed are the men.
"Her nakedness is not an expression of her own feelings. It is merely a sign of submission to his demand."
"[The naked women] are there to feed an appetite. Not to have any of their own."
Thicke argues that his video and its accompanying song is a feminist movement in itself. "If you listen to the lyrics, it says, 'That man is not your maker.' It's actually a feminist movement within itself," he says. "It's saying that women and men are equals as animals and as power. It doesn't matter if you're a good girl or a bad girl, you can still have a good time."
It may be that Thicke is under the impression that everybody should just be able to see the video as the silly, funny concept that he seems to think it is, without understanding the psycho/sociological implications that images like this have had on women for centuries.
My opinion is that he realised he'd made a crappy song and decided that putting boobs all over his video would get the headlines he was hoping for.
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