All this backlash about Rihanna’s Man Down video sounds a lot like “Think of the Poor Rapist” with a side of “How Dare She?” and it highlights (for the nth time) the influence of racism in rape culture. If this video had featured a dainty young white woman it would probably be getting hailed as a anthem by everyone from the NRA to Sarah Palin for showing a woman fighting back because she was empowered by owning a gun. Don’t believe me? Think about Independence Day & Goodbye Earl.
But a black woman who both enjoys sex and thinks she has the right to say no? Pfft, rape culture already thinks women in general can ask to be assaulted, but for WOC there’s the extra layer that claims that we never say no. We’re not just sluts for wearing tight clothes, we’re supposed to be sluts on demand for anyone that wants us and once we are in our “proper position” we can only redeemed by becoming Mammy. Sexual agency is never an option for us.
Goodbye Earl celebrates the murder of an abusive husband, and Independence Day is all about a woman remembering her mother freeing her through a murder suicide. The lyrics & the tempo of both songs is upbeat, catchy, with no sign of remorse or grief. In stark contrast Man Down focuses on her regret and highlights that having acted in the heat of the moment Rihanna regrets taking the life of her rapist. Yet, it is her song that is blasted for promoting violence. And for added…something, her abuser’s name is brought up as though his actual violence against women is less important than the fictionalized revenge of a rape victim. Interesting how the message after all these years is still one of “You don’t own your body, so how dare you try to defend it?”
ETA: A friend on Twitter hipped me to the fact that there was some backlash against Goodbye Earl for encouraging women to resort to murder in order to escape domestic violence. I tried to find links, but the song is old enough that all I can find is the stuff about the Chicks being Anti-American and some references to their being some complaints about the song. Anyone remember the size & shape of the uproar against Goodbye Earl?
MIKKI KENDALL 
“If this video had featured a dainty young white woman it would probably be getting hailed as a anthem by everyone from the NRA to Sarah Palin for showing a woman fighting back because she was empowered by owning a gun.”
Case in point: Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun”. I was young at the time so I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that one being hailed as an anthem.
Let’s not forget Janie’s Got a Gun by Aerosmith, which is almost the exact same song. I could be wrong because I was young and naive at the time, but I don’t remember much controversy then.
I remember a bit about the controversy around “Goodbye Earl,” yes — mostly because I also disliked the song but for different reasons.
Mostly it was the same folks who would later attack the group for being un-American, and with the usual “it gives the thumbs-up to murder instead of Justice” schtick.
It was definitely also embraced (I might even suggest marketed?) as an anthem.
I really enjoyed this post, and I wanted to let you know that I included it in my round-up post on “Man Down” at the Bitch Media site.
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/man-down
-Kjerstin