Pop singer Rihanna is no stranger to controversy with her sexually provocative lyrics and stage performances but she has now drawn criticism for the violent undertones in her ‘Man Down’ music video. Critics are saying that she is sending all the wrong messages to her fans with a song sung from the perspective of a young woman who has been raped and then shoots the man who did it to her. The first minutes of the video sees Rihanna take aim at her attacker and then gun him down in the middle of a crowded street.
Lyrics to the song include: “Momma, I just shot a man dead … I never been so proud.”
Paul Porter, co-founder of US think tank Industry Ears, responded to the song and video by saying: “‘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.
“If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop. Rihanna should not get a pass.”
Melissa Henson, of the Parents Television Council, agreed with Porter: “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 video could not be more off base.”
A spokeswoman for Mothers Against Violence told The LA Times: “Murder happens all around us. We need solutions, not songs influencing vulnerable individuals. Sadly, these kind of scenes are a reality for some.”