I’ve been reading and listening to the feedback on the backlash for Rihanna‘s music video and decided to chime in.
Rihanna has been defending her latest music video, Man Down, where she executes the man who rapes her. The raw and violent video was directed by Anthony Mandler and has indeed provoked conversations internationally.
It’s kind of ironic, given her recent history with the infamous Chris Brown fiasco that she would indulge in such a graphic video, but she stands by her decision and claims that it is “art” and not a means to incite violence. Maybe it’s life imitating art or vice versa, but rape is real and happening EVERYDAY! Let’s stop sugarcoating it.
Last Tuesday, the Parents Television Council called the clip “disturbing” and asked BET to stop airing it. But on Thursday’s 106 & Park, BET’s music video countdown show, Rihanna called in and said the video is “art with a message”.
Rihanna stated: “I’ve been abused in the past and you don’t see me running around killing people in my spare time.” She also added, “If I can be a voice for so many that aren’t heard, then I win twice.”
Which is worse, the fact that the victim shot her aggressor in the video? Or that she went to Jamaica and was raped?
The uproar is resounding but more kudos to the victims that stand up for themselves and take power back into their own hands. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not condone violence, but trust me, if you were a father and a man viciously raped your daughter or wife, wouldn’t you want to castrate him? Would you not want to fight back and defend yourself if you were viciously attacked and robbed of a piece of yourself?
But the rape based in Jamaica is not far fetch either. Though it happens in every corner of the world, I recently read an article in the Jamaica Gleaner that states some alarming statistics on rape in the country. And please note, these are only of the REPORTED cases!
“The analysis, which was done using rape cases reported between January last year (2010) and April this year (2011), found that males between the ages of 14 and 25 years are most likely to commit sexual assault.
Some 88 rape cases were reported during the first quarter of this year (2011), nine more than for the same period last year, raising concerns among the Police High Command.
The NIB said female students between the ages of 10 and 20 years are most vulnerable to sexual attacks, with 58 per cent of victims falling in this category.
The study found that in 90 per cent of sexual attacks, the offender travels to the scene on foot, and in 73 per cent of the cases, is known to the victim.”
The same news article also stated that those rapes mostly occurred during dances, parties, outings and even at wakes!
Despite Rihanna shooting her aggressor (model Oraine Barrett) in the video, she was visibly shaken at her act of revenge.
FACTS:
In the U.S. a rape occurs every 2 minutes!
2 out of 3 assaults are committed by someone the victim knew!
Indeed a controversial video, hopefully it can be used as a platform for open discussion and not for sweeping under the rug or a publicity stunt!
Maybe there should be a law that every man that commits a sexual crime against a woman should be hung by his dick until it falls off!
P.S. Tell the Parents Television Council shove it because there is so many graphic shows on prime time TV, awards shows that have lewd sex performances, music videos which degrade women and cartoons like SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS that should be forever banned! It is the duty of every parent to have these discussions with their child and not depend on Rihanna or TV to teach them about the cold dark world! – Rrrrrum-pop-a-pom-pom!
Over and out!
****If you are a victim of rape or know someone who needs help, please call your local Rape Crisis Hotline or go to www.rainn.org for further assistance.
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June 6, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Excellent article! It’s so true you see all types of out the box shyt on t.v and those shows or movies haven’t been pulled! I like the video so much I watched it three times in a row back to back! It’s a tough call with the violence situation if that person is a victim or has a family member/close friend to that victim.. it’s very hard not to lash out to be honest! People can say what they want, but until they are the victims they can’t be so judgemental. People have lashed out in revenge towards rape long before Rhianna popped out her mamas koochie! I think the video is well put together and damn good!!! Oh I read the statistics that’s crazy people being raped at wakes?!?! Damn!
June 6, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Rihanna wasn’t the first artiste to make a video shooting down an abuser, Eve did it some years ago too.
June 17, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Glad I’ve finally found soetmhing I agree with!
June 7, 2011 at 12:59 am
Great write-up!
I agree with you 100%!
June 7, 2011 at 4:03 pm
The video itself was excellent. But in the eyes of parents and the media Rhianna to some people are look at as a role model. In the video yes she was abused and wanted revenge but maybe rather than automatically go and kill the person she should do it the right way. For example going to the right authorities and reporting and let us see what happens from there. Gabrielle Union said on another website that when she was raped when she was younger she did try to shoot the guy but that was to protect herself. In other words she didn’t run home get a gun and go back n look for him. That would be considered premeditated murder. In Gabrielle’s case it would of been self-defense. However in life rape in no way shape or form is right but an eye for an eye isn’t always the right answer. Cause in the act of revenge your are hurting yourself more. So now you have to live with being traumatized by rape and killing someone. Since Rhianna’s abuse to me she hasn’t been right mentally even before we knew about the abuse. But again I personally think that as a role model she could’ve done the video different. You have to set an example for kids that not cause someone hurts you or does u wrong means you have to kill them. Eye for an eye is never the answer.
June 14, 2011 at 1:46 pm
So I just watched the video for the first time and as usual I do not see the big damn deal. There are a lot more violent things on TV. It’s not like you see the actual rape. And we have all seen someone get shot on TV NUMEROUS times. As far as the retaliation, we all know in the West Indies, crime is the least of anyone’s problems. She just happen to pick Jamaica, it could have been in any one of those West Indian countries and it could have went down the same way. People, stop being so flippin sensitive. If you don’t like it and it bothers you that much, don’t watch. J, good article by the way.