Rihanna BBHMM

Hey,

In lesson we reviewed an article discussing the controversy surrounding Rihanna's music video 'Bitch Better Have My Money.' It's fair to say that a lot of news outlets, journalists and the general public are more-than-a little displeased about the video.

The 'Video Games' column, firstly explains what the video actually is: "Rihanna's accountant has stolen her money so Rihanna kidnaps his snooty wife, stuffs her into a trunbk, strips her half-naked, hangs her upside down, gets her drunk, half-drowns her and then stabs the accountant to death. Finally, she has a relaxing smoke in a trunk full of cash while naked and covered in blood."

The article goes onto to explain the backlash the video received on the internet, following its release. After watching the video myself, I can see just in fact how the video caused controversy; the gore, the violence against women and drug usage all paints quite a dark picture for Rihanna. The lyrics themselves aren't exactly family friendly either, with the reoccurring line 'Bitch better have my
Money' appearing several times throughout the song.

The general consensus from the article is that Rihanna's video is 'just something pop do at a certain point in their careers.' The article explains that the "event video" has its own conventions, as if it were a genre,: it must be long, self-regarding, hubristic and flamboyantly expensive.The article goes into further detail by saying that pop-stars like 'Micheal Jackson' and 'Axl Rose' have all made this sort of video which usually concern the pop star's fantasies. Is it saying then that Rihanna's fantasy is to be a drug-smoking, sex-crazed woman-beater? Apparently an event video is 'designed' to project power and money but usually ends up revealing an artist's fatal flaw just before it swallows them. It's all quite serious.

Personally I think Rihanna is just trying to convey a message about society, to show how we've grown to be relaxed around this sort of taboo media - sex, crime, violence and drugs. All she has done is put it all together into one video. But really, we see it in drips and drabs everywhere, on adverts, TV, films, games and even clothing. Rihanna's video doesn't cross any sort of boundary, we crossed that with films like the Human Centipede and GTA V. (which has sex, drugs, violence and crime - all of which teenagers can play by the way).

Rihanna has bridged a gap aswell - she has shown how the music industry is at fault too, that lyrics has been vulgar, racist, violent and other things too. But by putting it in a music video, she has reached to parts of society that may be blind to the fact that the media harbours a lot of negative things.