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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

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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."

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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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mypalsharon1
2 hours ago (8:17 PM)
Uhm..Rhian­na isn't doing ANYthing anyone else isn't doing. Last I heard this is still a free country, and we can BLOCK cable channels with the remote control and a password. However, three "gazillion­" wrongs will never ever make it right.
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Louis A Delgado
3 hours ago (7:59 PM)
She is a illiterate beautiful trashy girl with a beautiful voice She is only trying to emotionall­y bringing out what millions of abused woman feel. There are also millions of woman who knew how to get out of abusive relationsh­ips without shooting someone.

She probably is still emotionall­y connected with her last experience and can not let it go or is just cashing in on it.

Parents let it go or just supervise you children to not have contact with the Video or song if possible. Rock Stars are not the conscience of the world.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ashish Srivastava
4 hours ago (6:27 PM)
"Its your job to make sure they dont turn out like US" This line sums up the agony and worry of the parents and well wishers of the growing kids and teenagers.
They are up against a massive marketing force which wants to feed on their immature and rather innocent state of mind. Parents have so little tools to raise their kids that no wonder things are not well with our kids.
I like Rihanna, I think she is talented and I am disappoint­ed that of all people, she doesn't' think that she has any moral responsibi­lity of not being the catalyst of deteriorat­ing standards of entertainm­ent the kids and teens are served.
On that note: At least I like the honesty that you said it like it is and didn't bullshit the way other celebritie­s would. So, Parents.. here is your sign.. you are on your own
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
oniya
5 hours ago (6:03 PM)
First, let me say that I do not care for the imagery of yet another black man being gunned down. It's too real--too close to what life truly is every day in this country.

However, I can see the message from the woman's point of view. In the video, didn't the man kill her first? The female character who is a light and life and uplift to her community is brutalized by a person who cannot see beyond his temporary greed for dominance over something/­someone and who 'kills' that light and life of the community with a horrible act of violence. What happens to the black woman after that? This is a deep message. Who is there to protect and defend the black woman from hate and greed and powermonge­ring? No one.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
robjh1
"and we are not saved..."
5 hours ago (5:46 PM)
I watch the video. What's the big deal? Look at her body of work? No secret to her actions. She is controvers­ial and this move is no different. Move on. I am surprised no one has addressed the whole issue of the dark man attacking the light skinned woman. Trust me folks there are bigger things to discuss in life other than Rihanna's video messages. This is 2011 the year of anything goes.
"and we are not saved..."
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Nicholas Inzeo
4 hours ago (6:20 PM)
I watched this video three times and your correct " there are bigger things going on' but childern don't see those things because media surgar coats it. This though is shown on regular cable lol This is not the year where everything goes because if thats the case then everyone would see eye to eye and there wouldn't be so many issues about same sex, race, and sex sells. I respect your opinion but on this topic you don't see what mothers and fathers see when their 12-16 year old watches this on basic cable.but I got to agree though "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. "
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
robjh1
"and we are not saved..."
4 hours ago (6:45 PM)
It is the year of everything goes for the exact reasons you wrote about. 12-16 year-olds have seen worse and will continue to see worse. I don't like what is on the tube but it is there for a reason and apparently gets ratings. So until we as a nation decide to become a true puritanica­l society it is any and everything goes.
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msmoneec1
6 hours ago (4:56 PM)
What, there is NO LAW or a such thing called the Police Station in the Carribean!­! I can understand Rihanna's inititiati­ve to take responsibi­lty for being a victim or RAPE, but she's going about it the wrong way. There are a lot of young women and old, who are sitting in a COLD prison cell today, because they chose to take matters into their own hands when it came to being victims of domestic violence or rape. More women should use their heads and not their SEX!! Go the the police first! That's what the law is for!! Not taking matters into your hands based on some ISH video that's attempting to show GIRL EMPOWERMEN­T! Rihanna did not hit up the police station one time to make her case! It's all about SHOWING THE MAN instead of SHOWING THE MAN! Women please get clue. WE have the power! The LAW comes first! And if that don't work, and you still if you feel the need to shoot your rapist, well then . . . "MAN DOWN!"
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Christopher Call
10 minutes ago (10:23 PM)
Do you offhand know the conviction rate for rape cases? Maybe there is a connection between that and the pitiful percentage of reporting of rapes (last time I looked 13%). This is not even mentioning the blatant violation of rape shield laws in many jurisdicti­ons, or the rates of violation of protection orders. There are a lot of things that keep women who've been assaulted from reporting the crime. Maybe, she was implying through metaphor that shooting a man was much easier than being put on trial for being assaulted. Not trying to justify her video, but she holds no responsibi­lity to produce her art in a way you deem responsibl­e or whatever.
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lightbulb10
6 hours ago (4:39 PM)
"It's your job to make sure they don't turn out like us"...

If that is how a young person looks at their life, well they still have a long way to go...
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akuamens
6 hours ago (4:23 PM)
I definitely agree with what Rihanna said, It is the upbringing of a child that determines how they behave due to other influences around them. As a parent if i can not tell my child to do the right thing or not to adapt to bad social vices seen around including vulgar languages and a disruptive behavior, how can i tell a singer to do that changes in my child's life, when i no that is impossible­. Just hope Rihanna keeps doing what she does and not getting disturbed by these kind of news. ONE TYME FOR DA MIND!! Peace!!
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surfundeep
6 hours ago (4:22 PM)
So sad watching Rihanna trying to compete with Lady Gaga. Rihanna should just gain about 150 lbs and take Oprah's place on TV.
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Samah Marei
6 hours ago (4:09 PM)
Parents stop having a "choice" when this stuff is shoved down their kids' throats from the minute they leave the house. And forget kids for a second, where's my choice not to be exposed to the sick underbelly of crime. I don't want to watch NCIS or all the other acronymal blood and gore fests.
These songs are blasted on loudspeake­rs in public places, the videos played on a loop at mall kiosks, pretty much everywhere­.
No, there is no longer a choice. This isn't brown-pape­r wrapped stuff that comes with a warning anymore. Meanwhile, everyone is shocked and horrified at the exponentia­l violence and the frightenin­g decrease in the age of assailants­. But noooooooo, no connection here. Hasn't been proven scientific­ally, so common sense be damned. Heaven forbid we should be "prudish"
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lightbulb10
6 hours ago (4:40 PM)
Discretion isn't terrible..­. but what about those Kill Bill movies... and TONS upon TONS of slasher films. Violence is often part of artainment­.
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Samah Marei
18 minutes ago (10:15 PM)
I think this is a big problem with the way we talk about this subject in general. We point to other examples of violence in "art" as though it serves as a legal precedent. Just because it's out there, does it necessaril­y mean that we should continue to produce and - more importantl­y - give it such broad and indiscreet exposure?
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Christopher Call
19 minutes ago (10:14 PM)
Just so you know, crime has been steadily declining for 40 years. Moreover, are those younger "assailant­s" typical or are they the product of parents who threw their hands up in the air in disgust like you yourself are doing now. There have always been things parents didnt want their kids to see/hear, and they had no success keeping their children from them (The Beatles, Elvis), but they did have the opportunit­y to deflate the glamour bubble that kept these artists above reproach and to add some reality into the mix. Maybe all the horrors you ascribe to today's youth will come to pass; but I can assure they will come to pass if you aren't grown up enough to teach your children how to contextual­ize what they see in a way more fitting with your values. I'm sorry if that sounded harsh, but you are suggesting that the fact that you have little control over what they see (which is true) somehow absolves you of responsibi­lity or worse yet, confers that responsibi­lity on media that have never had raising your child as a goal.
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buddyboy
6 hours ago (4:04 PM)
She continues to milk getting punched by Chris Brown for every dollar she can get out of it. I had never even heard of her before that incident.
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Mara Mason
7 hours ago (3:29 PM)
Pardon me, but don't Law and Order, CSI, NCIS and a multitude of other shows show THE EXACT SAME THING EVERY WEEK???? I mean, yes it's a breathtaki­ng and scary story- but you can't tell me (America) that the same thing isn't happening in REAL LIFE in 3rd world countries around the world... Millions are murdered, raped and tortured every year in Africa- and what if this was a story Rihanna heard somewhere and portrayed it in a music video??? How do we not know this is a true story??? C'mon people it's not that controvers­ial if it's true....
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Edbeason
8 hours ago (2:56 PM)
It's a damn video. Entertainm­ent that you are free to watch or NOT!! It has nothing to do with your reality unless you make that choice. Rihanna is an entertaine­r in a free society. She has no other responsibi­lity unless she chooses to. She is right. Take care of your own life and your own children. Make your own decisions, and if you have an issue with Rihanna and you want to waste your time bitchin' and moanin' about what she does with her own life instead of living yours, well......­.that's your problem. Isn't it? She's musical artist who has artistic freedom to express what she wants and if you don't like it, don't watch or listen. Ignore her. Otherwise, there are perhaps some personal issues you can deal with instead of using precious time to criticize this woman who is successful­ly moving on with her life with no thought of you whatsoever­.
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larks
8 hours ago (2:54 PM)
This IS art -- whether good or bad. It's telling a story and the lyrics of the song are not exactly condoning violence. The male character committed a violent act he should not have done and so did Rhianna's character. She admits in the song she shouldn't have done it. It's a story similar to many Disney stories kids are fed all their lives -- bad guy (wicked witch) does bad thing but gets his/hers in the end. Snow White's witch was thrown to her death I believe...
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robertnjeanette
8 hours ago (2:29 PM)
Personally I think Rhianna is someone nobody should be looking up to. She constantly harps on and throwing out what Chris Brown did to her. Chris apologized but I also know it takes two to make an argument and she was no angel. It just seems she can't let go of it and now trying to make money off it thru her tell all book. Chris is obviously talented more so than her and it is eating her up inside. He has gotten on with his life she needs to do so too. As for her video she from what I see has lost allot of fans. Me no worries there never was one.
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negraloca
7 hours ago (3:25 PM)
Maybe, as the victim of domestic violence, it isn't so easy for her to "just move on". She is definitely working through some demons. Actually, after this video and the one with Eminem, I am more of a fan. I am glad that she is taking the opportunit­y to speak out on behalf of victims of domestic violence and rape.
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Christopher Call
11 minutes ago (10:22 PM)
I will echo that last sentence. Im not a fan, and I was sort of pissed that she didn't testify against him in court. Of course, that is because I was expecting her to be a role model for other abused women. Realizing that I was making the same mistake critics of this song are making, now it's obvious that how she reacts is no one's business but her own, just as what she includes in her art is her business.
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