The songs video clip for Rihanna's latest single, "Man Down," is "an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song" that shouldn't be aired on tv, based on a group that campaigns in opposition to violence on Tv.
Rihanna defended her video clip Thursday, calling it "a song about a woman who has committed a murder that she regrets and is completely remorseful about," but a single that "empowers" young females that are sexually abused.
The hip-hop singer, who was herself a victim of a beating by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, portrays a woman who guns down a gentleman who sexually assaulted her.
Rihanna's 'Man Down' video 'inexcusable,'
The video clip, which premiered within the Bet cable channel Tuesday, "gives retaliation while in the type of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability," the Parents Television Council said within a news release.
The founder of the council's "Enough is Enough" anti-violence campaign known as the video clip "a obvious violation of BET's very own programming guidelines."
"I join using the Mothers and fathers Tv Council and Industry Ears in calling on Viacom executives to instantly pull the video from packages which can be targeted to youth and teens," Pastor Delman Coates wrote in Wednesday's news release.
Business Ears describes itself on its website like a "nonpartisan think tank aimed at addressing and discovering solutions to disparities in media that negatively impact individuals and communities."
Bet, which is a subsidiary of Viacom, issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying the video clip complied with "a extensive set of specifications and recommendations that are utilized to all of our content material."
"At the same time, it is apparent the 'Man Down' video clip has sparked a passionate dialogue and we are going to proceed this conversation with our audience tonight on '106 & Park.'"
Rihanna known as into the Wager show Thursday night to discuss the controversy.
" 'Man Down' is actually a song about a woman who has committed a murder that she regrets and is totally remorseful about," she said. "You hear her crying to her mama, saying why she did it. It could have been somebody's son. She didn't mean to hurt him."
