Rihanna Defends "Man Down" Message

By Simone Hilliard

Rihanna has been the target of backlash all week. First, the Caribbean songstress received a bit of flack when she opened up to the July issue of Cosmopolitan that her type of man is "Hot and Hung," adding the caveat "but sweet will do."

And most recently there's the looming issue of her "Man Down" video, which premiered earlier this week on BET's "106 & Park." The video is said to bring awareness to violence against women and showcases Rih shooting a man who attempted to rape her in a busy train station. Rih reveals a gun at the end of the video, which many parent advocacy groups argue should have been edited by BET's Standards and Practices department prior to air.

The Parents Television Council blasted Rihanna and asked BET to remove the video, stating:

“Man Down is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song. In my 30 years of viewing BET, I have never witnessed such a cold, calculated execution of murder in primetime.”

It added:

"Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability."

Rihanna responded to PTC's allegations by calling into "106 & Park" yesterday:

"I've been abused in the past, and you don't see me running around killing people in my spare time. I just really want girls to be careful. Have fun, be sassy, be innocent, be sweet, be everything that you are. But just try not to be naive. That's not coming from a parent but from a peer."

Rihanna then continued the conversation via  Twitter.

"Cuz we all know how difficult/embarrassing it is to communicate touchy subject matters to anyone especially our parents!"

"And this is why! ... Cuz we turn the other cheek! U can't hide your kids from society, or they'll never learn how to adapt! This is the REAL WORLD!"

"The music industry isn't exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! It's your job to make sure they don't turn out like US."

As an unavoidable role model for young teens, do you think Rihanna took her video too far? Or are these advocacy groups laying too much responsibility on Rih's shoulders?

Sound off in the comments, or @MTV3.

Tags "Man Down", 106 & Park, Rihanna