Sam Smith has released their latest video for the song I’m Not Here To Make Friends and everybody has an opinion. The outrage sparked by somebody expressing themselves in a provocative manner just highlights the need for representation more.
Isn’t it perculiar what gets people so rattled? Sam Smith, the british singer-songwriter has really riled people up after releasing their a video for their latest song. The I’m Not Here To Make Friends video sees them having a party at a lavish manor wearing fabulous outfits surrounded by dancers. Oh, and it’s a little bit provocative, because that’s how a lot of pop stars want to express themselves. Yet Sam Smith has recieved huge amounts of backlash for doing it.
Outraged Reactions To The I’m Not Here To Make Friends Video
Instead of celebrating Sam Smith’s confidence, the singer has been labelled “the perfect example of what degenerate Hollywood culture does to people,” all because of some nipple tassles and a corset. How boring.
Others believe that they could cause “immense harm to the LGBT community” because of how “desperate” they are to “sexualise everything.” Again, because of some nipple tassles.
One of the biggest criticisms of the singer is that children look up to him and that they can access his videos on Youtube. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Sam is employed as anyone’s childminder and their latest song won’t be aired on Cbeebies.
And whilst female signers have been criticised in the past about their music videos or the way they dresss, there seems to be something about the term “degenerate” hanging in the air. There’s nothing less civilised than confidence.
People forget, sex sells, and all this talk about Sam Smith’s new video is just getting more and more people to watch it.
Sam Smith’s New Video Proves Why Representation Matters
Though people criticing their latest video may not be explicit about their issues, it all bottles down to fatphobia and non-binary expression.
Sam Smith is not a thin person. That shouldn’t impact the clothes that they want to wear or express themselves in. Other singers, such as Harry Styles, are known for their ‘feminine’ style. Yet he is conventionally attractive (skinny) so it’s not quite so offensive.
Similarly, those who are non-binary are undoubtedly under represented in the media. But that doesn’t mean their presense has to be quiet or conforming or anything but what they want to be.
Those taking offense to the video have grasped the opportunity to refer to Sam as ‘he’ or ‘man’. Not only is that not correct and simply disrespectful, but highlights the need for non-binary people in everyday media. No, it isn’t box ticking, or a phase or attention seeking — it’s just a sample of everyday life.
The reaction is quite ironic, given the title of the song and how the video begins. As Sam descends on a helicopter, quotes about self-love can be heard, reiterating its importance. Sam Smith isn’t here to make friends or entertain your children. They’re here to be them and if that offends you, you should definitely be asking yourself why. You’ll find that the problem lies within you, not somebody just expressing themselves in completely unharmful way.
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The complaints show that we need more confident fat people on our screens. We need more non-binary people on our screens. The more we see it, the more commonplace it becomes and the less ‘shocking’ it will be. In the meantime, I hope that Sam Smith continues to take his confidence and expression to the next level.
Perhaps all the reactions are just jealously. After all, I can only dream of looking half as good and confident in Sam’s outfits in their latest video.