Rihanna's 'Man Down' video 'inexcusable,' parent group says

[RamboLiberal]

The music video for Rihanna's newest single, "Man Down," is "an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song" that should not be aired on television, according to a group that campaigns against violence on TV.

Rihanna defended her video Thursday with a posting on her Twitter account: "U can't hide your kids from society, or they'll never learn how to adapt! This is the REAL WORLD!"

"The music industry isn't exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! Its your job to make sure they dont turn out like US," she tweeted.

The hip-hop singer, who was herself a victim of a beating by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, portrays a woman who guns down a man who sexually assaulted her.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/06/02/rihanna.man.down.controversy/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

In the opening scene of Rihanna's "Man Down" video, she shoots and kills a man. By the end of the clip, we see that this man had sexually assaulted her.

Rihanna's no stranger to controversy and this video has generated plenty of it. The L.A. Times reports, "he Parents Television Council, along with Industry Ears and the Enough Is Enough Campaign, joined together to 'condemn' the video and urge Viacom, BET's parent company, to pull it off the air."

In a statement reacting to the violent content, Industry Ears said,

"If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop," said Paul Porter, co-founder of Industry Ears and a former voice of BET, in a news release. "Rihanna should not get a pass and BET should know better. The video is far from broadcast worthy."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-20068288-10391698.html Video at this site

Also video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQPVhlMHvvs

Irresponsible? Too violent? Encouraging gun violence? Irresponsible of BET considering black on black gun violence? Excusable that a woman kills man who sexually assaulted her?

[Taverner]

1. I WANNA SEE IT!! I WANNA SEE IT!!

OK - I just saw it

I was more offended by the gratuitous autotune than the shooting

The shooting, hey, that's a normal part of the day for many people

[LisaM]

2. Wasn't there a similar dust up when the Dixie Chicks did their Earl video?

Maybe not exactly the same, but it appears (not that I'm excusing violence by either sex) that people have more issues when it's the women taking matters into their own hands.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. These are not 'people' these are professional cranks

They complain for a living. By their standards, this is a fairly grounded complain. They are nutters.

[leftynyc]

27. I remember that

I believe some of the drama was that not only did they kill Earl, they got away with it. For the record, I loved that song and really liked this video. She's been a victim of domestic violence and had something to say - I have no beef with that.

[Initech]

3. Ah it's the selective outrage machine at work again.

[elehhhhna]

7. plus one trillion.

[Beaverhausen]

5. all this will do is give her video more publicity

way to go!

[WinkyDink]

6. Rihanna is a degraded creation of the music industry.

[sakabatou]

8. Bitch, please, Parents Television Council

[madrchsod]

9. nice message to send rihanna...

she must think she really needs street cred to keep her career alive. double standard sure is strong with this ...if a male did the same thing ..yes, the world would stop.

she`ll fade away once the autotune fad goes away....

[Odin2005]

17. Yes, because defending yourself against somebody trying to sexually assault you is so awful.

:sarcasm:

[jpljr77]

25. She wasn't defending herself in the video.

She murdered him, straight up, in cold blood. The killing was shown in a vacuum, far after the sexual assault had taken place. She was in no danger...he didn't know she was there. If you're defending revenge killing, so be it. But that's what is being portrayed.

[toddaa]

28. So what?

Music videos, like books and movies, are FICTION.

Don't like it? Turn the channel. Here, watch this instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWuDgCgB_Hg

[jpljr77]

31. I'm not necessarily opposed to the video, just the argument...

that she was defending herself from assault. She wasn't. It was murder. Just like in "Hey, Joe" and other songs noted in this thread. Murder. The video is portraying a revenge killing.

Just keep that in mind when you jump to defend it.

[LadyHawkAZ]

23. Eminem and Dr. Dre: "Guilty Conscience"

Last segment "Do 'em both Grady, where's your gun at" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbw_BxDwdjk

World didn't stop.

Kanye West "Monster" video OPENS with a dead, hanging woman and gets worse from there http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgcot4_monster_webcam#from=embed

World didn't stop.

Still waiting for those two to fade away.

[EOTE]

10. "If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop,"

You're damned right it would, because that video would be encouraging violence rather than condemning it. Rihanna has earned the right to do this video. Chris Brown has earned a lifetime of incarceration. What a foolish comparison.

[HipChick]

11. I really don't care for Rihanna, but she is right about 1 thing..

Parents should be parenting their kids and boycott her..sometimes PR folks need to get their clients off Twitter..

[Puregonzo1188]

12. Wow that was a really boring video. Seriously. Boring music, boring video.

Did anyone else see anything censor worthy about it?

[Poll_Blind]

13. Having just finished re-watching "This Movie Is Not Yet Rated" yesterday, you can show...

...all kinds of violence towards women. The fact that turnabout causes such an uproar should be telling. Granted, the movie is about the film industry and not about music videos and we're talking about films and not TV, but the thought bubbled up into my mind when I read this and skipped through the video.

Is Rihanna breaking new ground? Meh. She ain't no Ladysaw.

Parting thought for you: When Aerosmith came out with "Janie's Got A Gun" did American freak the shit out? No, of course not. Aerosmith is white y'all.

And on that point, I think The Rock said it best:


Indeed, The Rock. Indeed.

PB

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. she sings reggae songs now!? Hmm.

[kwassa]

15. she is from Barbados.

[Odin2005]

16. So that group is against women defending themselves against rape?

If that is what being for "non-violence" means then that group can go fuck themselves.

[leftynyc]

30. That's not exactly what happened here

She got away from him, went home, got her gun and then tracked him down and shot him. It wasn't self defense but I still have no problem with it.

[aikoaiko]

18. yeah yeah yeah. Neil Young sang about shooting his baby dead down by the river....

the world didn't come to an end. Sometimes artists depict the darker nature of human thoughts or desires and its not an endorsement.

[Blue_In_AK]

22. Not only that, but,

hey, Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand? Goin' down to shoot my old lady, I caught her messin' round with another man.

Shit happens.

[LadyHawkAZ]

19. Kanye's "Monster" was OK with everyone though?

I remember when Garth Brooks put out "The Thunder Rolls" with the same theme and the same ridiculous outcry. Amazing how it's OK to abuse women onscreen, but have them fight back and it's OMG THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!1!

Perhaps if they spent more time fighting the videos that show men abusing women, we wouldn't NEED videos on stopping an abuser? Just sayin'.

[Pharaoh]

20. well look how she was dressed

she was obviously asking for it

:sarcasm:

[jberryhill]

21. My youngest is 17, and still recovering from Janet Jackson's nipple

Oh the horror.

[RandomKoolzip]

24. Ugh, pop music.

Ooooh! Controversy! Yawn.

So...how's the actual music? More overproduced dancey shit? Wake me up when someone out there writes a decent melody and remembers how to fucking rock.

[toddaa]

26. Cut your flesh and worship Satan

I'm just going to leave this here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=---I2YHzyAI (NSFW)

When these groups pick on a black women, who was a victim of assault, and ignore underbelly of extreme music made by men, whether it be in hip hop, metal, or any other other underground music, I yawn.

Note: the video link is for French black metal band Antaeus, which requires login for viewing. Yes, I'm a fan.

[CBGLuthier]

29. The true tragedy is that a POPSTAR thinks she is an ARTIST

Marketing. It is all nothing but attention getting marketed drivel in the guise of social issue.

[stevenleser]

32. I have no problems with this video at all. Violence is depicted in art and literature

all the time as are the rest of societies problems because that is part of the point of art and literature, to serve as a mirror for humanity. It wasn't gratuitous, it told a story that is worth telling.

[WatsonT]

33. Sure hope the parents involved don't provide internet to their kids

or you know, cellphones nowadays.

They will see plenty worse.

[Quezacoatl]

34. Ha!

Kids watch videos on youtube and vevo not TV.

[blondeatlast]

35. Wait'll they get a load of Hendrix; remember "Hey, Joe"?

If I had a dollar for every popular song that talked about violence to women, I could take a nice vacay somewhere far away.