Rihanna's new video stirs controversy

Rihanna's new "Man Down" video, which depicts the singer murdering a man who apparently raped her the night before, is sparking controversy and calls for removal from the music channels playing it.

"Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability," said Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the Parents Television Council. "The message of the disturbing video could not be more off base."

The Parents Television Council joined other watchdog groups Wednesday, including Industry Ears and The Enough is Enough Campaign, calling for a ban of the clip.

A spokesman for Rihanna did not respond to requests for comment. However, the singer did write on her Twitter feed after the video's release, "Young girls/women all over the world . . . we are a lot of things We're strong, innocent, fun, flirtatious, vulnerable, and sometimes our innocence can cause us to be naive! We always think it could NEVER be us, but in reality, it can happen to ANY of us! So ladies be careful . . . I love you and I care!"

The video is an extension of the lyrics of "Man Down," where Rihanna declares, "Oh mama mama mama, I just shot a man down in Central Station in front of a big ol' crowd" over a lilting reggae beat. The song generated little controversy when it was released on Rihanna's "Loud" album last year, mainly because telling violent stories has been going on for centuries. After all, the video, like the song, is fiction.

However, violent music videos -- which tend to be watched more repeatedly than, say, violent scenes in movies or TV shows -- still draw protests.

BET, which premiered the clip Tuesday night, did not respond to requests for comment."In my 30 years of viewing BET, I have never witnessed such a cold, calculated execution of murder in prime time," said Paul Porter, co-founder of Industry Ears.

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