Students at St Andrews University have voted against banning controversial chart-topping song Blurred Lines from being played in student unions.
Last week Edinburgh University prohibited the Robin Thicke song from being played on any of its union premises over concerns the songs lyrics denigrate women and promote rape.
The student union said there was particular concern over the song’s chorus, which includes the lines: “I hate these blurred lines, I know you want it” and “must wanna get nasty”.
However, the Students’ Representative Council at St Andrews voted against a similar ban after association president Chloe Hill’s motion to ban the song from union venues did not get seconded.
Her motion claimed: “The song promotes a normalisation of a misogynistic and disrespectful attitude that is inconsistent with and an offence to the values of the Students’ Association.”
Ms Hill claimed the song’s content was “potentially harmful” but Sadie Hochfield, the association community relations officer, claimed a ban would only lead to more censorship.
She said: “Within the top 40 unfortunately there is sexism, there’s racism, there’s domestic violence and I completely agree that if you ban one, it’s a slippery slope.”
The SRC voted 13-7 not to pass the motion.