Comments on: Rihanna’s “We Found Love” video draws a dangerous line between love and violence

By: daria

daria — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:53:43 +0000

I agree with your assessment of the video. It clearly has disturbing undertones and it was hard for me to watch it without being utterly affected. And I actually saw it as exactly that – a warning sign to young women about how quickly a relationship that starts out fun and thrilling can go down a slippery path toward possessiveness and abuse (presumably based on Rihanna’s own experience, though we don’t know for sure). I hope others see it as a cautionary tale about unhealthy behaviors and sexism that are so prevalent in our culture.

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:19:17 +0000

Awful. Sad. Sad that it’s so popular. Our families solution is there are certain artists we don’t listen to, at least not in our home or on our playlists. And many many videos they just don’t watch, some arent allowed. To the naysayers, even if my kids do choose to watch the video somewhere else, that doesn’t mean I have to help make it available in my home. We teach and hold up the standard in our house what’s acceptable and why, because we believe in valuing people and respecting ourselves. So entertainment at home is not going to include something that goes against that. I personally don’t think I need to see the video with them to discuss these issues, doesn’t mean I would never watch it with them as a teaching tool when they’re older. But i dont hold the belief that “they’re going to see it anyway, so I might as well watch it with them”. We can teach our kids to be discerning without having to watch sad things like this. gladly, as mine are older now, they’re making good judgment calls in their own, most of the time.

By: Paula

Paula — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:59:41 +0000

i just see this video as glamouring a dysfunctional relationship and drug use.
It is flat out disturbing and unhealthy to watch anything like that. Call me an old fashioned prude, but I don’t want that kind of imagery in my consciousness and I don’t like thinking it is going into young peoples minds.
It is a toxic video in my opinion. Just because it is art does not make it worthy of attention.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:14:48 +0000

This is one of those videos where ideally, parents would watch it with their kid/ teen and then have a long discussion about the behaviors in them. What seemed okay? What seemed not-okay? And then go into a conversation about dating violence. I worry sometimes that kids & teens who are trying to figure out exactly what love is, and often looking to music videos, get a very skewed idea that can lead them to accept behaviors from dating partners that are really not okay. I don’t think censorship is a solution, but I hope that families are talking to their kids about messages like this and how “finding love” has nothing to do with control, abuse, or violence.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:02:28 +0000

Oh and I forgot to mention that I agree with your point, that we need to remember that although this video may depict real life situations, the sexism and violence that lies within it is not acceptable behavior.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:58:22 +0000

The video struck me too. When I first watched it, I couldn’t help but think of how much that guy reminds me of Chris Brown, and I thought maybe this video somehow relates to what happened between them and the nature of their relationship. That was just my assumption. It may actually have nothing to do with Chris. I recently read somewhere from a source I can’t remember, I think it was a review on someones blog, that suggested that the video is about how love can be like a drug, with all the extremities and highs and lows, which does make sense. And if I am being completely honest, I admit that their behaviors and way of their relationship in this video didn’t also remind me of a mixture of relationships I have had and some of my friends have had. This video was scary for me to watch because everything in it is so…manic…and it reminded me so much of my own experiences and things I have witnessed, and it’s hard seeing it layed out so plainly in something like this. Sometimes you don’t realize how crazy things are until you see it depicted in a music video or movie.