Rihanna's "Man Down" video

[Jennasis]

I suggest watching the entire video before condemning it.

It's hardly raunchy or even violent. The dude gets shot (in profile) before the song starts...then it's 2.5 minutes of her singing while she walks around town interacting with her neighbors and relatives. Then it ends with her being assaulted outside a nightclub (very little shown).

 

[Arielle22]

I remember the controversary with The Thunder Rolls because Garth Brooks would not add anything to the end of the video saying domestic violence was wrong.

However I remember talking with my brother comparing Guns and Roses, He Used to Love her but He Had to Kill Her to the country songs. Comparing the two genres, GNR had much more press than the country songs. We chalked it up to the fact that the country songs were light hearted where GNR was more gritty.

 

[tlbwriter]

I remember the controversary with The Thunder Rolls because Garth Brooks would not add anything to the end of the video saying domestic violence was wrong.

However I remember talking with my brother comparing Guns and Roses, He Used to Love her but He Had to Kill Her to the country songs. Comparing the two genres, GNR had much more press than the country songs. We chalked it up to the fact that the country songs were light hearted where GNR was more gritty.

That's odd. The GNR song is actually kind of light-hearted (as light-hearted as a song about killing your woman can be) to me. The Thunder Rolls is very heavy and dark.

My kids don't even know what MTV is.

My daughter has seen Cribs. That's the only time we ever watch it.

 

[SaraJayne]

I suggest watching the entire video before condemning it.

It's hardly raunchy or even violent. The dude gets shot (in profile) before the song starts...then it's 2.5 minutes of her singing while she walks around town interacting with her neighbors and relatives. Then it ends with her being assaulted outside a nightclub (very little shown).

Shooting someone and assaulting someone is violent.

 

[Jennasis]

Shooting someone and assaulting someone is violent.

Yes it is. But the shooting and assault take about 15 seconds of an otherwise very tame 2.5 minutes of pretty much nothing happening. I'm saying this video is quite mild compared to lots of others and NOTHING compared to any video game first person shooter on the market or even WOW. Rhianna has nothing to apologize for with this video...NOTHING.

Well, except that the song itself isn't great.

 

[hipchickie]

Yes it is. But the shooting and assault take about 15 seconds of an otherwise very tame 2.5 minutes of pretty much nothing happening. I'm saying this video is quite mild compared to lots of others and NOTHING compared to any video game first person shooter on the market or even WOW. Rhianna has nothing to apologize for with this video...NOTHING.

Well, except that the song itself isn't great.

comparing one act of violence to even more violent things does not make the the first one less violent.

As an artist I support her right to portray and communicate her art however she wants to, but acknowledge what it is.

Actually, I am a little disappointed she appears to that in the BET interview - however, her reality is certainly not my reality, but she is pretty young, and at that age it can be hard to see anything beyond your own personal experience

 

[Wishing on a star]

I, personally, will avoid and run from any exposure to what I consider to be the vile, violent, s-and-m, stuff that Rhianna puts out, at all costs.

If there are those who actually buy into it, and let their young children as well...... all I can do is

 

[ccgirl]

I suggest watching the entire video before condemning it.

It's hardly raunchy or even violent. The dude gets shot (in profile) before the song starts...then it's 2.5 minutes of her singing while she walks around town interacting with her neighbors and relatives. Then it ends with her being assaulted outside a nightclub (very little shown).

To you, that may be so. To me, someone getting shot whether in profile or before the song starts, is violent and not something I care to watch and certainly won't let my children watch.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Yes it is. But the shooting and assault take about 15 seconds of an otherwise very tame 2.5 minutes of pretty much nothing happening. I'm saying this video is quite mild compared to lots of others and NOTHING compared to any video game first person shooter on the market or even WOW. Rhianna has nothing to apologize for with this video...NOTHING.

Well, except that the song itself isn't great.

I agree with everything you've said. Even the last part, it's the first Rihanna song I haven't fully loved, but it kind of reminds me of the Shy Ronnie SNL bank robber song she and Andy Samberg did so I kind of like it...

Idk. I thought however, of all the things in the world people are having a problem with, it's this??? Hm. Funny world.

 

[Jennasis]

To you, that may be so. To me, someone getting shot whether in profile or before the song starts, is violent and not something I care to watch and certainly won't let my children watch.

Totally understandable.

 

[ccgirl]

Yes it is. But the shooting and assault take about 15 seconds of an otherwise very tame 2.5 minutes of pretty much nothing happening. I'm saying this video is quite mild compared to lots of others and NOTHING compared to any video game first person shooter on the market or even WOW. Rhianna has nothing to apologize for with this video...NOTHING.

Well, except that the song itself isn't great.

My children have never seen one of the shooter games, nor do they own a toy gun. What is WOW? I would agree she has nothing to apologize for. It's her every right to create this (IMHO) mess.

I agree with everything you've said. Even the last part, it's the first Rihanna song I haven't fully loved, but it kind of reminds me of the Shy Ronnie SNL bank robber song she and Andy Samberg did so I kind of like it...

Idk. I thought however, of all the things in the world people are having a problem with, it's this??? Hm. Funny world.

This is one of the many things people are having a "problem" with. I think artists are getting more and more brazen with their "artistic expression". I guess that's why we (my family) mainly read, play games and watch movies in my house. We did watch American Idol together. That is, except for the episode Lady Gaga was on. To each their own.

 

[momof1princess]

i'd be really surprised if anyone could actually see the video. all MTV and VH1 show are their stupid reality shows. you might catch music videos for about an hour or so in the early mornings.
LOTS of trashy music videos out there. if people don't want to see them, they can change the channel, or don't click them on youtube. doesn't affect me, because i don't like her music anyway and wouldn't watch the video.

 

[Jennasis]

My children have never seen one of the shooter games, nor do they own a toy gun. What is WOW? I would agree she has nothing to apologize for. It's her every right to create this (IMHO) mess.
.

World of Warcraft. I would imagine your kids don't partake of that either. And all of that is a good thing. Parental control. Setting limits for your own kids. Not expecting artists to limit or censor their work because of your particular values.

You sound like a great parent who knows exactly what they want to instill in their kids.

 

[Robinrs]

The only time I ever find out about these things is on the DIS!

I don't have any "kids" in my house anymore, just one big 18yo MAN, and he knows about this stuff, but he also knows about CSI, Law and Order and the Sopranos. Don't think he'll be forced to commit a murder because of them...

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

This is one of the many things people are having a "problem" with. I think artists are getting more and more brazen with their "artistic expression". I guess that's why we (my family) mainly read, play games and watch movies in my house. We did watch American Idol together. That is, except for the episode Lady Gaga was on. To each their own.

So then if that is all you and your family do (which I think is great because I love games and movies too), then what is the problem? Why does it even concern you if you don't ever watch music videos?

 

[ChrisFL]

I watched it on Youtube to see what all of the fuss was about....actually I watched it a few times, surprised people aren't more upset about the outfits she was wearing...her top doesn't leave much to the imagination

(piggish, I know)

 

[bumblebee]

Yes it is. But the shooting and assault take about 15 seconds of an otherwise very tame 2.5 minutes of pretty much nothing happening. I'm saying this video is quite mild compared to lots of others and NOTHING compared to any video game first person shooter on the market or even WOW. Rhianna has nothing to apologize for with this video...NOTHING.

Well, except that the song itself isn't great.

Agreed.

I just watched the video and I thought it was essentially her shooting him to get reparation of sorts for him assaulting her and then her feeling guilty about taking his life.

It reminds me of that news story about a mother who set her daughter's rapist on fire. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/1492839/Mother-sets-fire-to-her-daughters-gloating-rapist.html)

 

[castmember19]

I haven't heard the song or seen the video because I don't particularly care for Rihanna, but it seems to me that Rihanna intended to make music for adult ears. She obviously isn't trying to appeal to the younger generation anyway. I think it's up to parents to not let their kids listen to her music. It's the same way that parents wouldn't let their young children watch a rated R movie. Not every artist in the world has to be appropriate for children.