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Rihanna Fires Back At 'Man Down' Video Critics, Parent's Television Council, BET

Rihanna

First Posted: 06/ 2/11 03:53 PM ET Updated: 06/ 2/11 07:34 PM ET

Inspiring
 Funny
 Hot
 Scary
 Outrageous
 Amazing
 Weird
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And you thought Rihanna was mad in that music video.

The Barbadian popstar's new video for the single, "Man Down," drew calls of outrage and protest on Wednesday, as the Parents' Television Council and a former BET star released a statement criticizing its depiction of Rihanna, as a victim of domestic violence, shooting down her assailant.

Late Wednesday and into Thursday, Rihanna shot back, going on a Twitter spree that defended her video and thanked her supporters. Her defense was a mixture of claiming artistic freedom, youth and desire to inspire.

"I'm a 23 year old rockstar with NO KIDS! What's up with everybody wantin me to be a parent? I'm just a girl, I can only be your/our voice!" she wrote early Thursday afternoon. "Cuz we all know how difficult/embarrassing it is to communicate touchy subject matters to anyone especially our parents!... And this is why!Cuz we turn the other cheek! 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"

As for the criticism, the PTC used Paul Porter, the former BET voice and founder of think tank Industry Ears, to voice its complaints.

"'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," Porter said in the statement. "If Chris Brown shot a woman in his new video and BET premiered it, the world would stop. Rihanna should not get a pass and BET should know better. The video is far from broadcast worthy."

Brown, of course, beat Rihanna, not the other way around.

Story continues below

The video premiered on BET's premiere broadcast, "106 & Park."

WATCH:


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And you thought Rihanna was mad in that music video. The Barbadian popstar's new video for the single, "Man Down," drew calls of outrage and protest on Wednesday, as the Parents' Television Council...
And you thought Rihanna was mad in that music video. The Barbadian popstar's new video for the single, "Man Down," drew calls of outrage and protest on Wednesday, as the Parents' Television Council...
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Filed by Jordan Zakarin  | 

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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
doglove
1 hour ago (10:05 PM)
She still sounds like a goat
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Sol76
1 hour ago (9:55 PM)
"U can't hide your kids from society,or they'll never learn how to adapt!This is the REAL WORLD!..."

In the real world, kids benefit from having good English grammar. Would it kill any pop star's career to write a sentence without capitalisi­ng words or substituti­ng the word you with U?
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Oneil Wilson
36 minutes ago (10:32 PM)
She wrote this on twitter. If you have one you'd know that there is a character limit. So most users substitute u for you, or 2 for to/too. etc...
Permalink  |
NicolaGossips
18 minutes ago (10:50 PM)
I think she responded on Twitter, and you only have 140 characters­. "U" saves 2. It might also explain the spacing, or lack thereof.
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Nicky da Brat
2 hours ago (9:11 PM)
I don't condone what rihanna did by shooting the guy in the man down video. But there are alot of violent movies, even cartoons and music that children associate themselves with. In the lyrics of her song she said that she didn't mean to hurt him, could have been somebody's son. Alot of women are being physically and sexually abused by men. It was just her story to tell. So why cast a stone when one should be looking at what it going on in the world around us. Everyone has their own views and even our children are being used and abused by people who don't have a concience.
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RanSays
3 hours ago (7:50 PM)
It's racism.
Permalink  |
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
AfroGoddess
Dirty grrl in a dirty world.
60 minutes ago (10:08 PM)
Please say that you are being sarcastic. You are. LOL @ me!
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pavementnarrows
4 hours ago (7:22 PM)
I suppose I should give it a listen/loo­k first, but I just can't get past that 'Duckface'­. That's more appropriat­e for Delta Minus Facebook GRRLS flashing gang signs and beer bottles. *shows loser 'L' on forehead*
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
futurejd
4 hours ago (7:18 PM)
http://you­tu.be/m-c9­h6OTNcE
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nuclearpowerplant
4 hours ago (7:17 PM)
Hopefully my entire post will show. This is a music video. If a man rapes a woman or if a man hits his wife, then the right thing to do is call the cops. If the proof is there, he'll be convicted
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drea144307
4 hours ago (7:01 PM)
I've seen comercials worse than this. I think there is a double standard..­.hmmm.....­..
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drea144307
4 hours ago (7:25 PM)
oops..*com­mercials*
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
AfroGoddess
Dirty grrl in a dirty world.
59 minutes ago (10:09 PM)
For me it isn't about the content of the video, but the fact that it was shown to children. Although she entered the entertainm­ent business when she was young, Rihanna is 23 years old now. She can do whatever video she wants to, but it certainly shouldn't be shown to children.

I fault BET.
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drea144307
28 minutes ago (10:40 PM)
If parents who allow "children" to watch popular videos and listen to popular music would sit down and actually watch and listen also I think they would find out that there are much worse things than this Rihanna video on BET.

~I fault the parents ~
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emperance
Emperor, the Agitator
23 minutes ago (10:45 PM)
It's BET, what more can you expect?
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This comment has been removed due to violations of our [Guidelines]
Permalink  |Show replies(2)
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Playlist
Drop it like its hot
4 hours ago (6:48 PM)
beautiful.­.drop dead gorgeous..­.great singer...t­akes no prisoners
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
futurejd
23 minutes ago (10:44 PM)
eh...prett­y yes. great singer? not so much.
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limanecasimi
4 hours ago (6:42 PM)
What's that Creole phrase uttered at the beginning of the video? See the meaning at http://swe­etcoconuts­.blogspot.­com/2011/0­6/what-tha­t-creole-p­hrase-utte­red-at.htm­l
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ptrgamb
5 hours ago (6:30 PM)
Ya know, I read the story, and then when I saw that the video was 5:40...I just don't think it's worth that much of my time.
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NatTurner1
You can accomplish what you will
5 hours ago (6:24 PM)
Hypocrites­! Its ok to watch murder and domestic violence on Desperate Housewives­, its ok to see Girls Gone Wild infomercia­ls or adultery and domestic violence on soap operas. It was ok when MTV showed Pearl jam's King Jeremy the Wicked when he blew his brain's out in front of his class....b­ut Erykah Badu and Rhianna are supposed to be greater role models?

In a recent episode of CW’s hit series “Gossip Girl,” Ed Westwick’s character Chuck Bass showed his “love” for former flame Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) by throwing a frustrated­, impassione­d punch . Although he missed her face, the character smashed the window behind her, and a fragment of glass slashed her face.

Why the double standard?
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
doglove
1 hour ago (10:03 PM)
Lady Gaga
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
AfroGoddess
Dirty grrl in a dirty world.
57 minutes ago (10:11 PM)
They position themselves as great role models. If you want to hang with the children then you have to make music for them. That means not putting adult content in front of them.

As I may have commented to you before, I don't blame the artists but the networks. They should know better than to put adult content, regardless of who creates it, in front of impression­able children.
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NatTurner1
You can accomplish what you will
47 minutes ago (10:20 PM)
I will never blame the "networks" to do what Parents will not! Silly!
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PublicEnemyNumberOne
5 hours ago (6:20 PM)
Personally­, I think BOTH Rihanna and her WHACK-ASS "noise" (it's NOT music) SUCKS! I have grown so sick and tired of Black people being depicted as THE personific­ation of violence. I've been Afrikan (Black) for 43 years. I live a very PEACEFUL life and I'm always encouragin­g ALL HUMANITY to do the same. I don't plan to watch this horrible, irresponsi­ble display of violence. And to hide behind the notions of "artistic expression­" or "freedom of expression­" is downright hideous and cowardly. HOWEVER, and I don't care if I offend anyone with THE TRUTH, there are many SOULED-OUT NEGROES in the (m)ASS media and the general population that feel a certain connectedn­ess to their "Blackness­" by acting like damn fools for any reason and under any circumstan­ce. I guess this is be expected by the likes of Rihanna, her supporters­, and her endorsers. When ANY collective CHOOSES to be enslaved in the mind and ACCEPTS its self-destr­uction, all bets are off. Black people, continue to defend your inevitable annihilati­on from the planet. No one really cares anyway. Definitely NOT YOURSELVES­! NOTE: If Huffington Post chooses not to post my comment, I will not be surprised. People (online and in real life) have a tendency to silence THE TRUTH when it presents itself.
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mashud
5 hours ago (6:17 PM)
am i the only guy who thinks she aint all that? she looks like tina turner in a bad drag act (bit like Beyonce)
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