Static

In the virtual world, much discussion on Rihanna’s Man Down. For those less in the  know, it is a song, reggaaeish in style and accent, in which Rihanna is relating that she ‘shot a man down’. The video suggests that he  had raped her. It is in the vein of Marley’s “I shot the sheriff”, I guess, taking a stand against impunity and injustice.

Big theme that, especially since all Caribbean countries have higher than the global average rates of sexual assaults against women. The blogosphere is alight with deconstruction. At the simplest, there are those who say that she is promoting violence and vigilantism.

Then there are others who lament the setting of the video- Jamaica, arguing that it may perpetuate a racist view of the black male sexual predator, especially since in the video, Rihanna looks so very pale. What, the deconstructors are challenging are the possible sub-texts or subliminal messages around race, colour and yes, nation.

My 14-year-old daughter said that at first she did not see all of that in the video. But the wonderful thing now is how the discussion is making the young people think about the message and the medium. And also thinking with outrage about rape.

And then there is Mr. Very Sexist Naipaul who does not know of any woman writer who is his equal. Really there is nothing much to be said except that he does not seem well read.  Somethings one should not bother with.

 ‘SlutWalk”  on the other hand is an idea whose time has come. SlutWalks were started by young women in Canada in reaction to a police officer telling female students that they could avoid rape  by not dressing, you got it, like sluts.

In a movement that has animated feminist action and solidarity, young women across North America are organising SlutWalks, to demand women’s rights to lives free of violence no matter what. They are locating sexual violence within  misogynistic power and control over women’s bodies and contesting the pernicious notion that women ‘ask for it’.

More power to the SlutWalkers. Though, old feminist that I am, I am not sure about the strategy of trying to reclaim the word. But it does grab the attention. And then thought is engaged.

And that is what all of this static does. It produces some white noise, but it also creates opportunities  for  thinking real hard about the meaning of words and actions and about the kind of society we all want to be a part of.

 

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