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Rihanna defends ‘Man Down’ video from parents council, critics

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Rihanna is standing by her ‘Man Down,’ more specifically the new music video accompanying the single that has the Parents Television Council and other groups in a tizzy.

The video, which premiered on Tuesday on BET’s ‘106 & Park,’ depicts the pop star shooting her lover at a train station after he sexually assaults her.

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‘I didn’t mean to lay him down / but it’s too late to turn back now,’ she sings in the reggae-inspired track. The PTC is calling for a total ban of the clip.

‘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. The message of the disturbing video could not be more off base,’ the council said in a statement.

Rihanna is no stranger to domestic violence issues, having survived a violent attack by former boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009.

Industry Ears, another watchdog group, is accusing the Barbados native of courting shock.

‘ ‘Man Down’ is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song,’ Industry Ears head Paul Porter said in a release. ‘In my 30 years of viewing BET, I have never witnessed such a cold, calculated execution of murder in primetime.’

Rihanna has taken to Twitter to defend herself and the music video.

‘The music industry isn’t exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! Its your job to make sure they dont turn out like US,’ she wrote.

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

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