LOS ANGELES – Rihanna has never shied away from being sexy in her videos, but it seems she’s gone too far for some with her colourful video and lyrics for S&M.
Not only has the video been deemed “inappropriate for some users” by YouTube, where viewers must verify they are 18 or older before watching it, but a handful of radio stations are also reacting to the song’s racy lyrics.
In the video – while singing lyrics like “Sex in the air/ I don’t care/ I love the smell of it/ Sticks and stones may break my bones/ But chains and whips excite me” – she dances around in latex, poking fun at the ball-gag-wearing media. The clip includes whips, a dog-leashed Perez Hilton and Rihanna being handled by the Press.
According to the British tabloid Daily Mirror, 11 countries have already banned the video from airplay, and BBC 1 Radio won’t play the track before 7 p.m. A rep for the radio station said airplay was being considered for the Loud track: “We are waiting for an edited version before deciding whether it will be played in the daytime.” The singer herself is responding to the reaction and YouTube’s decision to include a parental warning on the video, tweeting, “U can now view the S&M video on Rihannanow.com UNFLAGGED!!!” (MTV.com)
