Did you catch that new single Justin Timberlake released Friday night? It's a cool, toe-tapping tune, but there's something vaguely familiar about it. What could it be? I'm getting flashbacks to college in the '90s ... "out of the dorms, into the streets," something something something. Oh yeah: TAKE BACK THE NIGHT! That's it -- Justin Timberlake accidentally wrote a song using an anti-sexual assault slogan. The Take Back the Night Foundation wasted no time in alerting Justin Timberlake to his, ehrm, violation of their name. But hey, Justin Timberlake + "Take Back the Night" = the best feminism cronut ever, am I right?
When Take Back the Night Foundation's lawyers sent JT a letter informing him that he was using their name without permission, he seemed genuinely surprised. He had no idea this was already a thing. (No worries, JT -- I knew the slogan, but I didn't know about the organization, either.) But like most reasonable, evolved 21st-century men, Justin Timberlake is 100 percent anti-rape and violence against women and wants to make sure we all realize this. So he released the following statement:
Upon the release of my new single ‘Take Back The Night’, I was made aware of an organization of the same name called The Take Back The Night Foundation.
I wanted to take this opportunity to let all know that neither my song nor its lyrics have any association with the organization. As I’ve learned more about The Take Back The Night Foundation, I’m moved by its efforts to stop violence against women, create safe communities and encourage respectful relationships for women — Something we all should rally around.
It is my hope that this coincidence will bring more awareness to this cause.
Well my thoughts exactly. I see this as a fortuitous coincidence. How many of us have even given Take Back the Night -- either the slogan or the organization -- a second's thought lately? Maybe the organization will even get some donations out of the extra publicity.
I wanna do something right
But we can do something better
Ain’t no time like tonight
And we ain’t trying to save it ’til later
See you at the rally, Timberlake.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Had you heard of the Take Back the Night Foundation before?
Image via justintimberlakeVEVO/YouTube