(no subject)
A lot of media types are currently up in arms over Rihanna's new single and video, "Man Down". It's a pretty excellent, catchy song, calling on the old-school "badman" songs. And the video is really powerful. It begins with Rihanna shooting a man in front of hundreds of people, then flashes back to the why: that he had sexually assaulted her.
Click to viewMelissa Hansen for the Helen Lovejoy Fanclub Parents Television Council says:
"Rihanna’s personal story and status as a celebrity superstar provided a golden opportunity for the singer to send an important message to female victims of rape and domestic violence. Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability. The message of the disturbing video could not be more off base."
And Paul Porter, who presided over BET during its "Uncut" years, stated:
"The video, which premiered on BET’s "106 & Park" on May 31, shows Rihanna in an implied rape scene with a man whom she later guns down in an act of premeditated murder. "Man Down" is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song. In my 30 years of viewing BET, I have never witnessed such a cold, calculated execution of murder in primetime. Viacom’s standards and practices department has reached another new low."
Good thing they're consistent about this sort of thing and spoke out against oh, I dunno
(Which is an excellent song, just saying, if they don't accept self-defense...)
Or Kanye's "Monster", which I'm not fucking linking, because Kanye lounging around with made-to-look-murdered women is seriously fucking creepy.
Oh wait, no, they didn't say boo about these.
Or about
shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die, which, if you ask me, is a bit more cold and calculating than shooting a man who just fucking raped you.
Wait, wait, I'm starting to see a pattern here. Considering the last outburst against something like this came when the Dixie Chicks bid Earl goodbye:
I remember giant outpourings of Concern over the Implications of the song and video.
Hmm, what do these things have in common here?