Fans Defend Sam Smith’s New Video After Critics Say It’s “Too Sexual”

And now it’s time for America’s favorite game: WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Today’s episode features nonbinary soul singer Sam Smith because it’s finally their turn. Sam dropped visuals for their latest single, I’m Not Here To Make Friends, and Sam wasn’t lying with a title like that. Because in the video Sam is bold, brash, and really doesn’t give a damn what you think. But since Sam is not some skinny pop tartlet shoving her tits and ass in our faces Sam’s creative expression has been facing backlash online with people asking, you guessed it, WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN! And luckily, Sam is getting support from fans who are emphatically replying, “Fuck them kids!”

In case you’ve not seen the video, here it is:

I don’t see what the huge fuss is here. Sam and their dancers are half naked, writhing in sexual ecstasy and covering themselves in liquids that send a suggestive message. We’ve been watching these types of videos since we were kids, and we turned out….never mind. The point is, this is standard music video fare, and the only reason they’re saying it’s “too sexual” is because they’re trying not to sound like assholes by saying what they really want: it’s too gay. TMZ reports the backlash started as soon as the non-rainbow community of hypocrites took one look at Sam’s pasties-covered chest cutlets and immediately deemed it too much for the children.

Sam has been trending all weekend over this video, mostly invoking outrage from people on the right — who feel like it’s wildly inappropriate … especially as it pertains to age restrictions and kids who might stumble across it on YouTube.

The argument from that end is that ‘I’m Not Here’ is just a hyper-sexualized demonstration of perversion for the hell of it, masked as body positivity and LGBTQ+ empowerment.

YouTube does not have any age restrictions on Sam Smiths degrading sexualised new music video.

5 year olds can search this up and watch it with no content restrictions!

Sam Smith, this is not art. This is not trendy. This is not empowering. This is monstrous! #SamSmith pic.twitter.com/NoDec6rtEE

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 28, 2023

Hi @Ofcom who is best to speak to about getting a music video banned? Sam Smith’s new video objectifies women, degrades them, shows sexualised behaviour and absolutely shouldn’t be viewed by children.

Who regulates music videos?

— Helen 💜🤍💚🦖 (@hgradfem101) January 29, 2023

But others called the backlash a huge double standard. NME reports:

Many pointed out that the video would not have caused such a moral panic if it had been a cisgender, female popstar in it, and many videos by such musicians have been more sexualised without anyone batting an eyelid. “If a straight white cis woman popstar did what sam smith did there would be no problem,” said academic Dr. Charlotte Proudman. “People just don’t like that Sam is queer, plus sized and unapologetic about it.”

Elsewhere, Aidan Moffat wrote: “There are thousands, if not millions, of far more sexually explicit pop videos than that Sam Smith one. Most of them will feature young girls. It must be exhausting being so hateful all the time. And to be so utterly terrified of difference.”

The consensus is that Sam’s video is not that bad because there are way worse ones out there.

Watched the Sam Smith video and all I can say is: pic.twitter.com/13LvmPPnvb

— Andrew Roffey (@RoffeyAndrew) January 30, 2023

Interesting to see that Sam Smith has already received more hate than blurred lines/Robin Thicke ever did

— Dr Charlotte Proudman (@DrProudman) January 30, 2023

I have no time for this Sam Smith nonsense pic.twitter.com/GPVw28kRZT

— Jordan-Lee (@Jordan_Lee) January 30, 2023

Listen, if we can be subjected to fifty years of Madonna reminding us she loves sex, then we can open the year up with one video where Sam informs us they enjoy an occasional golden shower. It’s really not that serious, people.

Pic: YouTube

SHARE