When BET premiered Rihanna's new video for Man Down, it had no idea how much controvorsey was about to hit. The video, which according to an article on MTV.com "features a young lady shooting a man at point blank range in retaliation for a sexual assault," has received much scrutiny. Parents groups like the Parents Television Council have lashed out at the 23-year-old pop star, claiming that her video encourages violence as a response to sexual abuse.

The Arts Beat blog featured on the New York Times' Web site reports that the Council claims that Rihanna's video "sends a dangerous message to assault victims." The Council has therefore requested that BET stop airing the new music video.

Rihanna's respond to the negative reaction? According to RollingStone.com, the singer sees the video as an important message. "We just wanted to hone in on a very serious subject matter that people are afraid to address, especially if you've been victimized in this scenario," Rihanna said. The recording artist makes no apologies for her new music video, and it will continue to be aired on BET.
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