Sam Smith's Music Video Spurs Debate, Homophobic Comments And Its Problematic

Pop star Sam Smith’s video for their new track I’m not here to make friends has stirred up a huge controversy. Sam Smith, 30, is non-binary and identifies with the pronouns they and them. The singer released a new track as a part of their new album Gloria last week. A debate has begun on social media over whether it should be age-restricted on platforms like YouTube due to its "supposedly" provocative content.

While fans argue that the video is empowering, critics argue that it is "normalising pornography" in pop culture. Is the video provocative? Yeah, it is seductive, sexy, and alluring. But is it as pornographic as critics claim it to be? Definitely not! The criticisms are unquestionably homophobic!

Sam Smith Music Video Controversy

Sam Smith arrives at a castle in a helicopter. They are seen wearing a corset and nipple tassels. The other performers are also dressed in corsets, suspenders, and nipple tassels. Water is sprayed into the singer's mouth, and the dance moments are choreographed provocatively. Anyone can understand that this music ">video is meant to be played in a nightclub or at a party for adults and certainly not for children.

So why are children being exposed to such supposedly explicit content? This only happens when children have free reign over the internet. Parents today are busy, and the easiest way to control a toddler's tantrum is by handing them a mobile phone or tablet. There is no age restriction option for this video, but there is always a parental lock on gadgets, right? And there’s always YouTube Kids for children. So, the problem can easily be solved. In the case of older children who know their way around gadgets, this song is not the only adult content to watch on the internet.

Pornography is just a tap away on the internet, and almost all teenagers know how to access these sites. Moreover, there is a lot of b-grade and adult content on YouTube, social media, and other streaming platforms. With the technological advancements of today, it is almost impossible to prevent children from being exposed to adult content. The only thing parents can do is switch on parental lock for young children and impart appropriate sex education to older children.

With that being said, the problem here isn’t the song (I’m not here to make friends), Sam Smith’s outfit, or the dance movement. The problem is that Sam Smith is a non-binary person, and this video song is just an excuse for society to spew out its homophobic comments. Would a similar video by a heterosexual singer have garnered this much criticism and hatred? Certainly not, because a straight man with a macho appearance would be considered attractive.

The video is said to be empowering because it normalises people's acceptance of their sexuality. Even today, there are so many people who have not come out of the closet fearing society’s judgement. The lack of broad-mindedness and inclusivity causes a lot of teenagers and youngsters to struggle with their sexual identity. They are either battling with themselves to be "normal" so that society doesn’t stigmatise them or they are battling with society for acceptance. For them, Sam Smith and any other queer personality embracing their identity is empowering. For others, it is a reminder that although we have come a long way, society at large needs to become more progressive.

Smith is just unapologetically being themselves in the video, and yes, it could be empowering for people in the queer community as it encourages them to embrace their sexuality. The homophobic comments are probably a result of fear in a patriarchal society. Sam Smith proudly displaying their sexuality on mainstream media is proof of how far society has progressed. For sexists, homophobes, and misogynists, this is a threat, which explains the flak that Sam Smith is receiving.

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