"The trivialisation of these serious crimes, like stalking, should have no place in the entertainment industry.”įans of the band were also left feeling equally uncomfortable and took to social media to express their distaste for the video. "No one should ever confuse the criminal act of stalking with romance,” the statement reads. RAINN (the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) released a statement on the video calling it a "dangerous depiction of a stalker’s fantasy”.
More: Watch Maroon 5's video for Animals'
#MAROON 5 ANIMALS VIDEO PLUS#
Plus there’s also a definite 'women as pieces of meat' theme running throughout the whole thing. Unsurprisingly, support groups have spoken out against the video which seems to condone stalking and a whole manner of creepy, unpleasant behaviour. More: Behati Prinsloo And Adam Levine Off On Honeymoon Across The World After Cabo Wedding But the singer has chosen perhaps the most disturbing way possible to feature his new bride in his ‘art’, having her play his stalking victim who he’ll eventually end up having blood soaked sex with. We’re all too well aware that Levine finally settled down earlier this year, marrying Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo, so we probably expected her to star in a music video sometime soon. Yes it’s definitely ‘really weird’ and it ticks the really dark box too, plus if someone had pitched it to us we would have called it a ‘crazy idea’, but the singer really needs to be informed that this video is not at all cool. So imagine the collective befuddlement when the video for ‘Animals’ premiered. Last month Maroon 5 frontman and reformed playboy Adam Levine told Access Hollywood he had a “crazy idea" for the band’s latest video that was "really dark and weird and cool”. The predatory video and song has also come under fire from fans of the band who have voiced their disgust on social media. “I had this crazy idea … it’s really dark … and weird and cool … It’s really crazy.Maroon 5 have been criticised by sexual assault support groups for their new video ‘Animals’, which depicts singer Adam Levine stalking model Behati Prinsloo. “I’m so excited about ,” Levine told Access Hollywood last month. “There are far too many women beaten, butchered and killed in the name of love as it is, and stalkerish behavior is not ok to portray as a symbol of love.” Writing in the Guardian, Jessica Valenti accused the band of “ to make terrorising women seem ‘sexy’”.Īlthough contacted by Billboard, Maroon 5 have yet to respond to critics, or to Rainn’s statement. “This is what rape culture looks like,” tweeted “I am deeply upset that Adam Levine did this song/video,” commented YouTube user Elizabeth Young. “Baby, I’m preying on you tonight/ Hunt you down … We’re enemies/ But we get along when I’m inside you.” The tone is particularly startling given that Maroon 5 usually play banal songs about love, loss and dancing like Mick Jagger.Ĭritics have been unsparing in their condemnation of Animals. “You can’t deny/ That beast inside,” Levine sings. The victim is portrayed by Levine’s new wife, Behati Prinsloo.īesides the violent imagery of the video, Animals’ lyrics read like the diary of a sex criminal. He follows the client, breaks into her home, and imagines having sex with her amid a cascade of pouring blood. Directed by Sam Meyer, it stars Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine as a butcher who stalks one of his customers. The Animals video was released on 29 September. “The trivialisation of these serious crimes, like stalking, should have no place in the entertainment industry.”
“Maroon 5’s video for Animals is a dangerous depiction of a stalker’s fantasy – and no one should ever confuse the criminal act of stalking with romance,” Rainn said in a statement provided to Billboard. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (Rainn) has accused the rock band of “trivialising” sex crimes with their clip for Animals. The largest anti-sexual assault group in the US has condemned Maroon 5’s new video as “a dangerous depiction of a stalker’s fantasy”.