Maroon 5 find themselves in hot water over their new video for “Animals”. Released earlier this week, the video stars frontman Adam Levine as a deranged butcher who stalks a female customer (played by his wife, Behati Prinsloo). At one point in the video, he breaks into her apartment and lies next to her while she sleeps. Another scene depicts his fantasy of the two having sex amid a cascade of blood.
As The Independent points out, the explicit video has drawn criticism from fans and advocacy groups alike, who argue the band is glorifying violence against women and even rape. RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) called the video a “dangerous depiction of a stalker’s fantasy,” adding, “No one should ever confuse the criminal act of stalking with romance. The trivialization of these serious crimes, like stalking, should have no place in the entertainment industry.”
Meanwhile, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center criticized the video for likening women to a piece of raw meat, according to TMZ.
For his part, Levine previously described the video as “really dark and weird and cool” — however, he’s yet to address the recent criticism.
