This music video starts out with the beautiful Rihanna emerging from the darkness and putting a bullet through the back of a man’s head in a crowded area. The decision to put this scene first is very provocative, and I believe shows that Rihanna is currently filled with emotions she cannot explain, mostly because of that asshole/idiot Chris Brown. This is a man that she is attracted to but he hit her once so they have an on-again off-again relationship. They most likely are “It’s Complicated” on the popular social networking site Facebook.
Next, there is a flashback to ‘yesterday morning’. Rihanna is walking through her local hood, showing off her bangin’ body. Young children run up to hug her. Everyone seems happy. Rihanna begins to sip coconut milk while she makes jokes with the local thugs. I believe she is shown here with the thugs to symbolize how she feels vulnerable with what Chris Brown had did to her, so she feels as though she needs to hide behind a mask of security even though she feels very vulnerable and hurt inside.
The next scene show Rihanna waving to a man on his bicycle while she sips her coconut milk trying to seduce him with her eyes. I’m sure she is thinking that the coconut milk adds to her overall swag value, because it is so good for your skin. The next scene zooms into her ankle tattoo. I believe this is to show the viewer that she is a very ‘wild woman’ and Chris Brown is missing out on some wild and crazy sex, so he should not hit her if he wants to be intimate to her.
Next, Rihanna is at a party. At first, she is dancing with some chubby unattractive-looking guy. When she was tired dancing with the chubby unattractive-looking guy, she chills out against the wall. I’m surprised no one got her a drink, it seems very hot in there at that house party. Then, the man she shot at the train station approaches her and begins to hump her. After doing some research, I have found that this is considered dancing to people that originate from the hood. I believe it is some sort of pre-sex ritual, and makes me wonder if I have been partying with the wrong people for the last ~3 years, if there are women that let you hump them sexually on the dance floor. Rihanna basically says ‘no stop dance humping me!’ and pushes him away. She then walks outside to cool off.
Soon, the man that was dance humping her comes outside and forces himself on her. It is very apparent that this is most likely acting out how Chris Brown would abuse her. This assault scene bounces back and forth with a scene of Rihanna floating on a raft in water. As an ocean engineer, I can tell you that this raft does not seem to be a very sound structure. It looks like it is slightly negatively buoyant, the only reason it is staying afloat is probably because Rihanna is so skinny. Perhaps this is due to her coconut-only diet.
The video ends with Rihanna running to her draw and grabbing her small pistol, which was used to shoot the man assaulting her. This video received a lot of criticism in the mainstream media, which I think is bullshit because people die on TV all the time. Rihanna should be able to express herself however she wants.
Ultimately, this video was most likely made as a lesson to Chris Brown, saying “Listen baby. I want you. But if you want me, please do not assault me or I will literally fucking kill you.”
man down, rihanna
