By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Rihanna is no stranger to controversy, but the pop star is getting lots of backlash for her recent music video for her popular single “Pour It Up.” The video isn’t one for the kiddies to watch, as Rihanna and multiple adult dancers are twerking throughout the video in hardly any clothes. Rihanna even hops on the pole herself in some scenes and most would say it’s her raunchiest music video to date. While most of her fans have expressed their happiness with it, Rihanna is getting slammed by plenty of folks and even women activists who feel the singer is a sellout and is setting women back hundreds of years with her actions. Former president of the Girls Association Dr. Helen Wright says in a statement:
“No matter how much people may talk about its artistic merit, it nonetheless objectifies and therefore demeans women by casting them in the mould of whore. Teenagers are impressionable; this video feeds them the same old ugly story of female enslavement, not emancipation or equality.
“Parents should object and do their best to prevent their children from seeing it; even better would be for Rihanna herself to recognise the responsibility she has as a public figure to promote positive and healthy images of women, and to stop selling out, under cover of ‘art’, to commercial interests which demean women.”
Miranda Suit of Safermedia, a charity that campaigns against sex and violence in the media says Rihanna is telling her fans that it’s ok for women to be treated as sexual objects in society:
“[Rihanna’s] crude, tasteless and explicit dancing, combined with the money-focused lyrics, are telling all her fans – many of them still children – that it is good for women and girls to sell their body, and right for men and boys to see women purely as a sexual commodity.
“Rihanna has sold out completely to the commercialisation and objectification of women’s bodies and their sexuality. And now she’s promoting it to girls and boys.”
The original music video was banned just ten minutes after Rihanna premiered it on her YouTube channel at midnight, and she has since then uploaded a slightly less risky video since Vevo requested it. What do you think? Are activists overreacting or do they make a good point about Rihanna’s new music video?
Aww snap…let em pull up my lawn chair for this one lol
I’m sorry, the activists are dead on. And it’s not just Rihanna either. For some reason, Rihanna, Miley, Lady Gaga and others feel like they have to be naked and trashy to succeed. And it sends the wrong message to young girls because they now think that’s what they have to do to succeed.
Truth. These younger women think sex equals power but it actually weakens them as an artist. Now who’s going to take Miley or Rihanna seriously as artists? Exactly. Sometimes shock isn’t worth it.
Well people weren’t taking Rihanna seriously anyway because she can’t sing or dance. She just fingers herself on stage.
Rihanna is desperate because Miley is coming for her spot and she knows this. She was hoping that video would get her back in the spotlight with all this Miley talk. But the joke’s on them because neither understand that it’s the ladies who keep their clothes on and only have to stand behind a mic and sing that win in the end. Adele anyone? Meanwhile, these two will have to keep be shocking to stay relevant.
LOL you’re delusional! Rihanna ain’t worried about Miley. She has no reason to even pay her any attention. She’s already where Miley wishes she could be.
Ugh actually Miley has the higher net worth and she’s been getting more attention than Rihanna since she started twerking. LOL.
Thank you. Miley doesn’t even have to sing or make another album ever again, she still has more money than Rihanna thanks to her Hannah Montana days. She’s only doing this because she wants to. I know Rihanna has money but she can’t see Miley when it comes bank accounts.
No lies detected. This is one of the issues I have with Rihanna. She and her fans seem to think this video is so empowering but it actually sets women back like hundreds of years. Rihanna is basically agreeing to be a man’s sexual object instead of having the courage to make them focus on her talent instead.
I don’t see the big deal! It’s just a music video and the song is about Strippers! What did people expect, for Rih to run out in a field of flowers to a song called Pour It Up??!!!!
People are so judgmental when it comes to Rihanna. She is grown, the song is about strippers, and it’s her body and choice to do as she pleases. Isn’t that what the fight for women equality was about in the first place?
Actually no, equality for women was about women being looked at as equals to men and no longer being forced to be sexual objects and slaves to their desires. The movement also encouraged women to get ahead in life with their brains, not their bodies. Your fave doesn’t empower women, she sets us back! Ask yourself why you don’t see any male artists stripping naked and twerking in videos…why? Because they don’t have to.
The truth. I’m tired of women talking about women’s rights an equality when they’re pretty much just trying to justify acting/dressing like a whore just please men. Like really? I didn’t know dressing like a slut means you’re “liberated” Please.
People are so stupid. What did they think the song was about? Puppies? Kittens? STFU.
*standing ovation* I agree with both of these ladies. With all these twerking videos and trashy pop stars, these young girls don’t stand a chance in the real world. They worship these people and don’t see that their behavior isn’t acceptable. I’m just glad I don’t have kids yet. LOL.
I completely agree!!!
But it’s the truth and Rihanna’s stans just refuse to admit it. Your girl has to sell sex to stay on top. And even then, she still doesn’t sell that many albums. She has like 32 million followers on Twitter and like 78 million on Facebook. She’s got like 10 million Instagram, and yet she only sells a little over one million copies of her last album? Why? Well that’s because most people just want to watch the train wreck getting ready to happen. She’s allowed her bad girl image to overshadow her actual career. That’s what happens when you keep encouraging people not to pay attention to your talent or lack thereof.
Wow, I’m copying this message. I’m a facts and figures kind of girl, this comment isn’t about a comprehensible opinion concluded from significant points. It’s just about FACTS! Me likey!!
When you don’t have talent, you have to become slutty. It’s how the industry has always worked…
It took Rihanna SEVEN albums to get a number one album. SEVEN. Can people not see she’s willing to do anything to keep her marginal success going? That’s why she releases an album every year. She knows her success is a fluke and can end at any moment.
LOL happy Monday yall! 🙂
Navy all day!!!! Rihanna will not lose! So stay mad!
I agree but at the same time, it’s not just Rihanna. This seems to be what all the singers are doing now. Smh.
the truth is the truth! Sorry Navy!
I like Rihanna. I think that she makes good songs . I also like that she is unapologetic when it comes to how she lives her life. I don’t condone the behavior she sometimes exhibits. With the Pour It Up video I don’t necessarily like it. Strippers and Exotic dancers are people too and just because they may or may not take of their clothes for money doesn’t make them any less of a human being than me. And dancing up and down a pole takes talent. In the video I don’t necessarily like how Rihanna is dancing with her a-s out. There is a difference between sexy and raunchy in my opinion and that is raunchy. I feel the same way about Miley’s VMA performance. I know the in thing now is to push the envelope so far to get everybody talking, but I just feel like at what cost? Your self respect? I feel like some stars get off on that type of attention. To each it’s on.
I this the whole thing is racist. Everything European is good Everything Afrocentric is bad
Vulgar! It means rude, impolite, bad mannered. Vulgarity often times is used to describe certain aspects of Caribbean culture, not least is the “whine’’.
Whine is defined by a Caribbean dance expert as the thrusting or rotating of the pelvic girdle in a rhythmic pattern. This must be distinguished from the English dictionary’s definition of “whine’’, which refers to a long cry of complaint or pain.
In the context of Caribbean culture, whine is a genuine regional dance form. It is the natural way in which Caribbean people dance to the calypso or soca rhythm. It requires no teaching or no formal learning at a school of dance. It’s as natural as our language rhythm or cadence of speech.
Unlike other genre of music that inspires the feet – such as “salsa’’, “kweyol’’ and “tango’’ – the dancing of soca music inspires the rhythmic movement of the waistline, more than any other body part.
In many African societies also, similar movements to the soca whine are well known; synonymous with the continent is the African gyration of the waist and the “tumbling’’ of the posterior part of the human anatomy to the drum and musical instruments. As an African descended majority, it is safe to say we inherited many ancestral traits.
It is bizarre that other peoples who were transplanted to the west have tried to hold on and perpetuate their motherland culture. The Jews, for example, have done that; so, too, have the Chinese and East Indians.
Africans, however, have either had their culture banned, such as their language and religion, even up to the mid-20th century prohibition of the Shouter Baptists; or we ourselves have tried to distance ourselves from or to ridicule our own African-based culture.
Generally, the culture of Western Europe idealizes “thin’’ – thin women, thin waists and so on. On the other hand, the culture of black people – in Africa and in the Caribbean – is not shy about celebrating “big’’ – big hips, big bottom, and the curvature of our women.
That celebration reaches fever pitch when we see it “roll’’. That is the simple truth. It brings unbridled joy to the men folk in our society.
It is also cultural, the way we dance with partners as well. We hold on to each other and dance in harmony with our partner. Again, it is the same body parts that are summoned into action. In essence, we “whine’’ up on each other (what Americans call twerking) from either the front or back of our partner. This way of dancing is natural to us. It is neither rude nor sinful.
At a recent music awards’ ceremony, some Americans expressed outrage at Miley Cyrus “twerking’’ with Robin Thicke on stage. In response, CNN broadcaster Piers Morgan wondered aloud what the fuss was about. He said he had travelled to the Caribbean and seen that kind of dancing from Jamaica in the north to Guyana in the south.
Now, the other motion that goes with whining is “djuking’’; this may be referred to as the forward thrusting of the pelvic area. Men and women alike can be seen “djuking’’ rhythmically, while whining to the same calypso or soca music.
Frankly speaking, this whining and “djuking’’ action is not too distant from the motion that we associate with the act of sex. To me, this is where the grey area emerges, leading to claims that whining is vulgar. Let’s be clear, all societies have moral thresholds and sex is a very sensitive issue. For us sex is a private act by consenting adults.
Moreover, it is best if these adults are married; we do tolerate adults out of wedlock, though. It is forbidden under law for persons under the age of 16; morally, they should finish school and be above the age of 18.
So, suggestive sexual acts in public are frowned upon. But it so happens, as I have discussed, whining and “djuking’’ are cultural forms for us. Therefore, there can be a thin line that divides what we think is vulgar or what is not.
However, whining or “djuking’’ in and of themselves are not – and cannot be seen – as vulgar. Nonetheless, it can be said that with some add-ons and embellishments, one’s performance can be classified as vulgar based on our moral threshold.
Another relevant issue is the age at which children, especially girls, should get involved in public dance whining. Ironically, in formal dance shows here in the Caribbean, if a young girl were to whine on stage she would be applauded. However, if she were to repeat that same performance on the streets, it’s likely to be frown on.
My view of this is that if you agree that whining is a genuine dance form, then I don’t think that the age should be different from someone aspiring to be a ballerina. Our culture is not inferior to that of other societies; but, subconsciously, we do treat the cultures of others as superior to ours.
The paintings we cherish are the works of European artistes like Rembrandt and Michel Angelo. In music, many look up to and refer to Tchaikovsky’s “classics’’, as if our own musicians like Sparrow, Kitchener, Bob Marley, Arrow, Wizard and Ajamu have not created classics.
Clearly, the European artistes are good. But, it should not blind us to the excellence we have here in Grenada and the Caribbean in the arts – created and established by our authors, musicians and dancers.
The largest exposition of regional ingenuity and creativity is the hosting of CARIFESTA that was recently held in Suriname, and the celebration of the various annual carnivals – from Trinidad and Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean, to Haiti and Brazil, to Miami, London, New York and Toronto.
The carnival package combines different cultural elements, particularly song and dance.
Whining is an established dance form in the Caribbean. We should respect it as such.
Vulgar! It means rude, impolite, bad mannered. Vulgarity often times is used to describe certain aspects of Caribbean culture, not least is the “whine’’.
Whine is defined by a Caribbean dance expert as the thrusting or rotating of the pelvic girdle in a rhythmic pattern. This must be distinguished from the English dictionary’s definition of “whine’’, which refers to a long cry of complaint or pain.
In the context of Caribbean culture, whine is a genuine regional dance form. It is the natural way in which Caribbean people dance to the calypso or soca rhythm. It requires no teaching or no formal learning at a school of dance. It’s as natural as our language rhythm or cadence of speech.
Unlike other genre of music that inspires the feet – such as “salsa’’, “kweyol’’ and “tango’’ – the dancing of soca music inspires the rhythmic movement of the waistline, more than any other body part.
In many African societies also, similar movements to the soca whine are well known; synonymous with the continent is the African gyration of the waist and the “tumbling’’ of the posterior part of the human anatomy to the drum and musical instruments. As an African descended majority, it is safe to say we inherited many ancestral traits.
It is bizarre that other peoples who were transplanted to the west have tried to hold on and perpetuate their motherland culture. The Jews, for example, have done that; so, too, have the Chinese and East Indians.
Africans, however, have either had their culture banned, such as their language and religion, even up to the mid-20th century prohibition of the Shouter Baptists; or we ourselves have tried to distance ourselves from or to ridicule our own African-based culture.
Generally, the culture of Western Europe idealizes “thin’’ – thin women, thin waists and so on. On the other hand, the culture of black people – in Africa and in the Caribbean – is not shy about celebrating “big’’ – big hips, big bottom, and the curvature of our women.
That celebration reaches fever pitch when we see it “roll’’. That is the simple truth. It brings unbridled joy to the men folk in our society.
It is also cultural, the way we dance with partners as well. We hold on to each other and dance in harmony with our partner. Again, it is the same body parts that are summoned into action. In essence, we “whine’’ up on each other (what Americans call twerking) from either the front or back of our partner. This way of dancing is natural to us. It is neither rude nor sinful.
At a recent music awards’ ceremony, some Americans expressed outrage at Miley Cyrus “twerking’’ with Robin Thicke on stage. In response, CNN broadcaster Piers Morgan wondered aloud what the fuss was about. He said he had travelled to the Caribbean and seen that kind of dancing from Jamaica in the north to Guyana in the south.
Now, the other motion that goes with whining is “djuking’’; this may be referred to as the forward thrusting of the pelvic area. Men and women alike can be seen “djuking’’ rhythmically, while whining to the same calypso or soca music.
Frankly speaking, this whining and “djuking’’ action is not too distant from the motion that we associate with the act of sex. To me, this is where the grey area emerges, leading to claims that whining is vulgar. Let’s be clear, all societies have moral thresholds and sex is a very sensitive issue. For us sex is a private act by consenting adults.
Moreover, it is best if these adults are married; we do tolerate adults out of wedlock, though. It is forbidden under law for persons under the age of 16; morally, they should finish school and be above the age of 18.
So, suggestive sexual acts in public are frowned upon. But it so happens, as I have discussed, whining and “djuking’’ are cultural forms for us. Therefore, there can be a thin line that divides what we think is vulgar or what is not.
However, whining or “djuking’’ in and of themselves are not – and cannot be seen – as vulgar. Nonetheless, it can be said that with some add-ons and embellishments, one’s performance can be classified as vulgar based on our moral threshold.
Another relevant issue is the age at which children, especially girls, should get involved in public dance whining. Ironically, in formal dance shows here in the Caribbean, if a young girl were to whine on stage she would be applauded. However, if she were to repeat that same performance on the streets, it’s likely to be frown on.
My view of this is that if you agree that whining is a genuine dance form, then I don’t think that the age should be different from someone aspiring to be a ballerina. Our culture is not inferior to that of other societies; but, subconsciously, we do treat the cultures of others as superior to ours.
The paintings we cherish are the works of European artistes like Rembrandt and Michel Angelo. In music, many look up to and refer to Tchaikovsky’s “classics’’, as if our own musicians like Sparrow, Kitchener, Bob Marley, Arrow, Wizard and Ajamu have not created classics.
Whining is an established dance form in the Caribbean. We should respect it as such.