Rihanna- Man Down

Rihanna's video 'Man Down' is considered very controversial and has been talked about in both inspirational ways and in negative ways. In this video the audience see Rihanna shockingly shoots a man down where he lays in his own blood in a busy street after he had raped her outside a club the night before. This narrative is very strong and can be taken in different ways. Many are calling for it to banned as it is said to send a wrong message out. A mother against violence spokeswomen slammed Rihanna, saying: ''murder happens all around us. We need solutions, not songs influencing vulnerable individuals. Sadly, these kinds of scenes are a reality for some.''  However going against this it is also said that Rihanna's video sends a message out, be it very strong. ''Rihanna's personal stoy and status as a celebrity superstar provided a golden opportunity for the singer to send an important message to female victims of rape and domestic violence'' said Elissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the parents Television council. This sparked much controversy and has forced many to speak there opinions about it. 


To further this it has brought up the incident with chris brown and the fact that if Chris brown shot a women in his new video, the world would stop and he would not be liked so how come Rihanna is able to touch such a sensitive subject. 


However Rihanna's fans have stayed supportive to her and described how she has inspired them and has showed strength in women.
 


Goodwin's Seven:
1) Music videos demonstrates certain genre characteristics;


Rihanna's video certainly conforms to this. Rihanna goes with the genre of a female R'n'B singer,  she is seen as powerful and independent in which would contrast with the females in 50 cent video as they are more seen as 'props' or 'trophies'. Rihanna goes completely against this, she is seen as the victim when scenes of her being raped in which suggest that she is vulnerable and an easy target in which females are sometimes suggested to be, however the fact that she shoots that man shows that she can take care of herself and that she is powerful. This follows a genre of the strong female R'n'B singer. In addition Rihanna follows the genre in which many R'n'B singers have, an overall look sees the r'n'b singers to be of a different ethnicity to white british. They tend to then focus there music videos to show a different culture, country etc. Rihanna does this within this video focusing on her caribean background.

2)there is relationships between lyrics and visuals;

There is a clear link between the lyrics and the visuals, for example the lyric 'i just short a man down, in central station, in front of a big old crowd'  is backed by the visuals of rihanna physically shooting the man down with a gun whilst he is in central station where a big crowd is present.

3) There is relationships between music and visuals;

Rihannas video has been timed clearly so that the actually music matches the timing with the visuals, for example the caribean sound within the music matches the carribean theme throughout the visuals. This brings the music together with the visuals. the editing is also on time to the beat of the song probviding a link between the music and the visuals.

4) the demands of the record label will include the needs for lots of close ups of the artists;

it is clear that throughout the video there is a close up of rihanna, ensuring that she is being promoted and that the audience can identify it is rihannas song ensuring more money is made from that song. This is evident within the first 15 seconds of the video where rihanna is seen in a close up.

5) The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style;

Rihanna has a sexy, sassy, powerful style within most of her videos in which she appears as a strong women. She does this within this video as she shoots him after he raped her. To further this Rihanna also takes her carribean style into her videos in which is clear here.

6) there is frequent reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, filming, camera) and particurly voyeuristic (pleasure through looking) treatment of the female body;

although Rihanna is not typically presented in the way in which she is a prop within the r'n'b video she is however wearing little clothes in which shows that she is conforming to this. She is allowing men/women to look at her body and will happily show it of.

7)There are often intertextual refernces-mostly to film, television and popular culture;

i am unable to see any clear links within the video in which show intertexutal references as i feel it follows its own narrative and has no place in which intertextuality would be seen.