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Home / Entertainment

Redfoo defends sexism claims: 'I made a comical party song'

Daily Mail
12 Nov, 2014 12:45 AM4 mins to read

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Redfoo has defended his new music video as a "comical party song". Photo/Getty

Redfoo has defended his new music video as a "comical party song". Photo/Getty

If American rapper and honourary Aussie, Redfoo, tried to ruffle some feathers with his new song, then he got more than he bargained for.

The track, Literally I Can't, recorded with Lil Jon and American production duo Play-N-Skillz, is not only getting negative press, but it's also copping a severe backlash from fans over it's misogynist lyrics.

The song includes lyrics like: "You're annoying b**** because you're talking," followed by, "Shhh, don't talk about it be about it. Work it, twerk it and maybe I'll tweet about it".

"Girl I'm sipping on this drink, trying to see what you got, not hear what you think," Redfoo raps at another point in the song.

Redfoo hit back on Twitter to defend his lyrics.

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Another example of critics victimizing an artist by purposely misinterpreting his/her work to support a pre-existing agenda. #LiterallyICant

— Redfoo (@Redfoo) November 11, 2014

Fact #1: The word "slut" never appears in the lyrics of #LiterallyICant. @amynelmes @TheFIXninemsn #GetYourFactsStraight #NoGreyArea

— Redfoo (@Redfoo) November 11, 2014

Fact #2: I love & respect women and feel they are the most powerful people on this planet! #LiterallyICant

— Redfoo (@Redfoo) November 11, 2014

Fact #3: @PlaynSkillz @LilJon @EnertiaMcFly & I made a comical party song to satirize the cliche #LiterallyICant. Some get it, some don’t.

— Redfoo (@Redfoo) November 11, 2014

Fans responded in droves, some supporting the star but most were not having it.

A mixture of guys and girls slammed the rapper, who released the track on his own record label Party Rock Records.

"Dude, you've got a video of bro's victimising a group of women because they didn't feel safe drinking with them," Matty Whiting from Melbourne wrote, hash-tagging the phrase "literally she said no".

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Another Melbourne fan, Randy Vandercleave, expressed his disappointment as well, saying: "Telling a woman who objects to your drunken request for 'girl on girl' to 'shut the f*** up' is neither love nor respect".

Michelle Hitch told the rappers their satire wasn't very funny or satirical, while Emma Horsburgh matter-of-factly stated: "At US colleges 1/4 women will be sexually assaulted during their academic career - 'artists' are not the victims."

Comedian Carlo Sands wrote seriously to all of the artists who collaborated on the song: "That is not a 'fact' but a self-justifying claim for a totally unjustifiable 'song'".

But perhaps the biggest sign that Redfoo's Australian fans were turning on him came from blogger Mrs Woog.

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"@RedFoo disappointed in your latest collaboration. It was with much admiration I watched your I/V on @sundaynighton7 but now, not so much..." she tweeted the star.

There's no way "Literally, I can't" is satire. It mocks women for saying no to drinking and girl-on-girl, and that's just the start. #redfoo

— Cate Owen (@CateOwen) November 12, 2014

On what planet did they think that song wouldn't be rude, offensive & degrading #Redfoo #LiterallyICant

— Catherine (@designlovesCATB) November 12, 2014

The rapper's defense of his song and lyrics have called into question his suitability to mentor up-and-coming artists, some as young as 14, in his role as X-Factor Australia judge.

Whether this release will impact his position on the panel of the family-friendly Channel 7 show next year, alongside Ronan Keating, Dannii Minogue and Natalie Basingthwaighte, remains to be seen.

The video clip for the song features a conservative group of sorority sisters being told to shut up after stumbling into a frat party and refusing shots of Tequila or to take part in girl-on-girl action.

The sorority girls reply to each suggestion with the phrase "literally, I can't", as they shake their head in shock and disgust.

As the "party-poopers" fend off the advances, American rapper Lil Jon looks at them annoyed and tells them to "shut the f*** up".

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A group of guys surrounds the girls after they say no to try and change their mind with all succumbing in the end.

Despite the negative publicity of the song, the You Tube stats for the clip have skyrocketed - sitting at just under the one million mark.

Prior to the controversy, the clip had received less than 100,000 clicks as of Friday, although it had been online a week at that point.

The storm surrounding the song is similar to that of Robin Thicke's 2013 hit Blurred Lines, which was accused of promoting rape, diminishing women by telling them what they want and ignoring the "no means no" mentality, a claim later denied by the singer.

- Daily Mail

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