To be honest, I don't listen to Rihanna. I wasn't even aware that she'd released a controversial new music video until I read an article posted by a friend. Then I watched the video and scrolled through some people's comments to get some background.
First off, here is the article--
http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/03/steiner.rihanna.video/index.html
And here is the video---
http://youtu.be/sEhy-RXkNo0
So... my thoughts? Part of the argument here is whether this show of violence qualifies as art. Honestly, as a lover of the 1960s, I can tell you that often the most memorable "art" is actually a social comment crafted into a piece of art in order to get more attention. It's a technique that works, and is able to engrain a message into the fabric of a generation. Is this art? Depends on your definition, and the value you place on the power of culture.
We could also sit here all day and discuss Rihanna's intention by incorporating violence. Like I said, I don't know much about her, except Chris Brown was abusive and now she's got a gun tattoo as a symbol of her new strength. As some people have commented, it is a natural reaction for rape victims to want to cause harm to their abusers, whether or not they actually follow through. Regardless, I personally think that this video illustrates merely how effed up the entire situation is, and is not necessarily advocating revenge. The lyrics show a girl who never meant to kill anybody, and now doesn't know what to do. This isn't a kill-all-men song.
So I guess, for whatever my non-Rihanna-listening opinion is worth, let's take it for the social commentary that it is. There's a lot of nasty shit going on out there. Maybe getting people to pay attention will help someone make some change, somewhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment