It’s been a busy week, so I can’t give this media analysis the thought and word count it deserves, but I would like to draw your attention to a controversy-in-progress over Rihanna’s latest music video, “Man Down.” The Crunk Feminist Collective explains:
Earlier this week, Rihanna released the video for her song “Man Down” in which her character struggles with the choice to kill her rapist. In Hip Hop and pop culture where rape is glorified and celebrated, this is a welcome intervention. The video reinforces a very basic point: the choice to be sexual and sensual on the dance floor should not be read in any way as consent for future sexual activity. For once, the critique of rape is unambiguous. It is wrong; it is not the woman’s fault; and it should be punished.
Apparently, media watchdog groups such as Mothers Against Violence and the Parents Television Council are organizing to ban “Man Down” because, according to a spokesperson from the Parents Television Council, Rihanna should be “telling victims they should seek help” instead of “[releasing] a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder.”
Interestingly, The Crunk Feminist Collective speculates that folks would be far less outraged had this been a music video by a white female recording artist. And I think they’re absolutely right. As it happens, I knew (and still know) every word to the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” when it was first released in 1999 and, at age 14, did my very best to emulate Natalie Maines’ every warble. In their music video, they sing jubilantly about a woman who murders her abusive husband. Many radio stations refused to play the tragicomic ballad, while others donated money to domestic-violence shelters each time they aired the hit song. However, memory and a quick Google search tell me that the public’s reaction to “Goodbye Earl” never sparked calls to ban the song. What’s more, the lyrics to “Man Down” emphasize Rihanna’s character’s remorse whereas “Goodbye Earl,” which has been described as dark comedy, is gleefully remorseless.
I’ve posted both music videos below. What do you think?
It’s important to remember that music and music videos are art. Both songs and videos portray a sense of women claiming personal agency and power, albeit through illegal means. I think it speaks volumes that women respond to the feeling of liberation and power that these videos evoke. Both videos open the door for dialogue on this issue, and in that way, they both are doing a service for women and society.
As far as the difference between them, Rihanna recently dealt with intimate partner violence in the public eye. Perhaps this puts more scrutiny on her and the message she sends about violence. However, as The Crunk Feminist Collective indicates, the portrayal in this video of a black woman as a “morally complex human being” breaks the stereotype of black women as one-dimensional, hyper-sexualized beings. I agree with The Crunk Feminist Collective that this may contribute to the calls to ban this video.
The whole business of seeing victims as passive, in need of help, rather than people with the right to resist by any means necessary is intrinsic to keeping women and all oppressed groups down. I agree that racism is playing a huge role in the repression of Rihanna’s song, but the Dixie Chicks were demonized not only for this, but for their anti-war stance and lost huge numbers of fans (gaining others) and their songs…all of them were kept off the radio by Clearchannel and other reactionary stations as the reactionaries attacked their anti-Texas, anti-Bush, anti- war position, so I wouldn’t see then as lesser heroes.
Rachel and Heather, Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. I think you’ve both raised some great points!
i just had to watch this without sound because of where i am but…
megan, are you familiar with the whole subgenre of horror films that are basically classified as “rape revenge” films? the most recent one i can think of is Teeth, but there is a long history of them. i would be really interested to read criticism/responses of those films and see where this video fits in the mix.
i tend to agree that there will be something “less acceptable” or frightening to the general public about a woman of color, especially one as sexualized as rihanna, showing agency/being violent/getting revenge/etc than a white woman (especially the generally unsexualized dixie chicks). and that speaks to a whole host of fucked up histories and bigotry.
but i’ll also say that personally, i hate this general narrative no matter who is using it. yes, i understand ART and that it’s a reflection of emotion and not advocating a certain reality, but in the same way that i’m made uncomfortable by quips about how rapists will get raped in prison, the whole “shooting the perpetrator” thing doesn’t sit well with me.
Hey Sarah,
Actually I don’t think I’ve heard of the genre of “rape revenge” films, but I saw Teeth a few years back. This narrative also makes me uncomfortable, and I’m very torn because I feel that there is something both deeply honest and deeply wrong about it. “Man Down” is interesting because Rihanna’s character murders her assailant and then sings about her regret. Her rape is not alluded to in the lyrics, but it shows up in the final seconds of the music video. “Goodbye Earl” is way more flippant, in my opinion, but, like I said, it’s framed as dark comedy. For some reason, this renders it less impactful and seemingly more “okay” than Rihanna’s music video, which is much more somber. When you get a chance to watch with sound I think you’ll see this.
I’m def going to look into the “rape revenge” stuff and hopefully write more later.
What I find really interesting here is that the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” – like other country songs – tells a story, and it very obviously states that domestic abuse, bad enough to land her in intensive care, and the video is a representation of that story. Rihanna’s “Man Down” however, does not allude to domestic abuse/violence unless you actually watch the video, and even then, the video starts with the killing and then only gets to her abuse at the end. (Like Megan says.)
I think another interesting fact is that in Goodbye Earl, what’s really emphasized is the two women’s friendship, and Wanda doesn’t kill her husband alone, she only does it after her best friend Maryann shows up. Rihanna’s character in the song/video acts alone, and no one else appears to know what has happened to her, and like the song shows – she says she doesn’t know why she did it. Possibly it’s really important that the abused tell someone instead of having enough guts to handle it all by themselves.
In addition to that, the tone is completely different, where Rihanna, although she sounds sorry about it, the video and song is somber and very low-key, she’s serious about it. She’s acting like a man would. Whereas the Dixie Chicks kill him through cooking, and pretend everything is all right, and the song audience only gets what has happened because of the sweet, innocent sounding questions about Earl’s well-being. It’s flippant, sure, but even when women are murdering somebody, they still should at least act like women, cooking dinner and being polite.
All of that, on top of the race issue, there are definitely reasons people who wouldn’t have reacted to the Dixie Chicks are reacting now, which is stupid, in my opinion. It’s a really good song and video.
I just now realized my comments sort of sound like I actually think women should be those things… but that’s not what I meant. OTHER people think those things, which is why they may or may not like either song/video. I love that women can actually be as serious and aggressive as Rihanna is in her video, and I love that women can be as snippy and flippant, and clever enough to get away with murder like the imaginary Goodbye Earl women do.
Just wanted to chime in on rape revenge films. I haven’t studied it, but I know that “Day of the Woman” (a.k.a. “I Spit on Your Grave”) is the sort of inaugural one (maybe not the first ever made, but the first to achieve major distribution and notoriety). It was released in the 1970s, and I believe there was actually remake just this last year or two. There’s definitely feminist film criticism on it. Would definitely interesting to think about in the context of these kinds of debates! (Especially that recent remake. Why now?)
first of all as someone who appreciates good music i like this song.
Secondly as someone who appreciates intelligent lyrics and deep topics i thought this one of her songs hits the spot exactly.
thank u rhianna. Shes clearly an immensely talented and intelligent artist who delivers a powerful message in a way that shows both her savvy and compassion sides.
It cutely puts rape and vawg back where it should be: top of the agenda