For a while now, I've felt like I can't turn my head without seeing an image of Rihanna grabbing her crotch, bending over and asking for it, or biting her lip like a pseudo porn star. Its my own fault for reading gossip rags, but Rihanna is kind of the biggest pop star on the planet right now, she's hard to avoid… and I find it quite worrying. Sure I lolled my way through Vice's article on how many times Rihanna grabs her crotch during her latest video masterpiece for 'You Da One', and chortled at her skins-esque attempt at glamourising drug use in the video for 'We found Love' but aside from her hilarious attempts at edginess, I can't help but have a bad taste in my mouth from the overall message she portrays.
Sure, I hear you cry, the female representation in pop music is one of the biggest stains on feminism of the last few decades, but there are a few reasons why I feel like Rihanna's persona is worse than say your Beyonce, or your Gaga. Firstly, Rihanna is what you'd call a totally manufactured artist. She writes none of her own music, goes on cripplingly long world tours, and during the time that she's away gyrating across the globe, someone else has worked out her change of direction, written her an album and had her new hairstyle fashioned into various weaves. She just arrives home, has a beach holiday (where she's papped relentlessly) then slots right back in. What comes with this sort of existence, I believe is an admittance of role-model status. She's not a musician, singing because she can't do anything else but express herself. It's not bursting out of her like Gaga or Beyonce, she's not getting something off her chest that otherwise would probably manifest into alcoholism or depression like Adele, she just wants to be a pop-star. So wouldn't you think, if your soul aim was to show off, you really were still just a girl that likes to sing and dance, but with no real message or concept, you'd want to promote a better image for yourself, the young girls that worship you, and women in general, than pretty much just a piece of meat?! Erm, no. Clearly she doesn't.
And that is honestly the impression I get of Rihanna, especially of late. She has become so sexualised, that she's in nympho territory, Songs about S&M, videos about rape, her (undoubtedly perky) behind up in our grills 24-7. However lyrically she utilises her constantly apparent sexuality in such a submissive manner. Take 'You Da One', which I've briefly touched upon already. The video in which she appears to be vigourously enticing the arrival of thrush in some leather dungarees. We aren't even two lines in and we've got "…You Are The One So I Make Sure I Behave!" Nice bit of female ownership there RiRi, you have a male love interest, so your immediate concern is not to step out of line. Very 1950's. Then later on we have the delightful "And Yes I'm kinda crazy,That's what happens baby, When you put it down you shouldnt've give it to me Good like that, shouldnt've hit it like that, Had me yellin' like that, Didn't know you would've had me coming back" Like, yeah women are so weak, that all it takes is a night of passion and we're snivelling wrecks. That is just what feminism needs right now.
These lyrics aren't the worst example of Rihanna's less than empowering message, but they're also not the worst example of similar thinly valid misogyny in modern pop music. So why does it strike such a chord with me with Rihanna specifically? Well as I said before, Rihanna is a pure pop star. She's not busying herself with trivialities like, I don't know, writing music. Durr! She's talking to her bordering on 15 million twitter followers. She's not honing her craft, or going awol for days on a creativity…or substance binge; no no she's diligently turning up to celebrity bashes, having her photo taken and making every item of clothing she wears sell out in seconds. Even her hair (ahem…wig) influence is so strong that Asda has seen a 41 percent increase in sales of blond hair dyes since she sported a new do at the Grammys. She has an impact (granted kind of a vacuous one) and this is probably felt the most amongst the more malleable of age groups. Young people, who haven't quite looked outside the realms of the top 40 for inspirayray. Who are still in that awkward stage, who will see her portrayal of what being a woman is, and think that's reality. Bad vibes.
The words of a certain crooner caught my eye on the subject recently. Obvs me and Will Young could totes be friends in another life. He says: "I don't think Rihanna is a massively great role model for women, her lyrics aren't empowering. She's a brilliant pop star and recording artist but her lyrics are not empowering - young girls have to listen to those lyrics...Women in a patriarchal society should be empowering and owning their bodies; I don't think Rihanna is. I feel quite strongly about this."
He goes on to make the point which I think is most important here- "I'm more interested in female pop stars that are empowering for women as a feminist myself. You can sexualize yourself in an empowering way. Adele doesn't sexualize herself yet she's very open about her heartache." I agree with Will. It is very true; Rihanna is a beautiful female popstar, with a very sexual appearance; full lips, curves that don't quit; even taken away from all the hoopla. Of course her image wilt be sexual. Its the lack of empowerment that's the issue.
Rihanna is still 24 years old (younger than me by a few months…and who's the one with millions in the bank, perhaps I should re-consider the positions of my hemlines.) so there should still be a lot of progression in the works, and while I don't consider her the type with the nouse to change the world, or break away from the machine that created her, and continues to mould her, I do hope her lyrics, tone and appearance move on from the base message she sends out which is, let's face it- 'come and get it; I'm definitely up for it'.
Hold on- news just in, she's just done a song with that guy that beat her up. Might not hold my breath.
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