Viral Video of the Day: Robin Thicke’s Thinly Veiled Apology

Carly Simon, Alanis Morissette and Taylor Swift have all recorded songs that left fans wondering about whom they were written. Robin Thicke has no interest in such mysteries.

Thicke's song "Get Her Back" is a brazen plea for reconciliation with his wife, actress Paula Patton, after whom Thicke named his upcoming album. If Thicke’s decision to appear naked in the video symbolizes his unfiltered intentions with the song and album, then the text messages that pop on-screen throughout (“I kept trying to warn you you were pushing me too far”; “I wrote a whole album about you”; “I don’t care”) are likely drawn from real exchanges with Patton.

The video also features a female model who caresses Thicke’s bare shoulders and chest throughout, leaving one to wonder about the wisdom behind having another woman touch your naked body in an apology to your wife, especially when it’s been speculated that such behavior was the reason for your split.

Is Thicke’s writing an entire album about Patton the epitome of romantic gestures, or does it only ratchet up the embarrassment for all parties involved: him, her, and us, the listeners? It’s likely that we’ll find out over the summer because, as the video’s final text message creepily portends, “This is only the beginning.”