RIHANNA’S onstage antics during her North American tour, which included swigging beer, throwing back shots and writhing with female audience members, have attracted more negative attention.
According to a report this week in London’s Daily Mail, at her sell-out concert in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel & Casino & Spa on Monday night, the 23-year-old Barbadian “indulged in even more risqué behaviour than usual in front of an audience full of young fans, including slugging alcohol, making offensive hand gestures and overtly sexual dance moves”.
The newspaper reported that the star wore an array of typically risqué outfits, including ultra short shorts and colourful cropped top and a slinky silver sequinned dress for the performance.
And in another typically outrageous dance move, it added, she took part in a girl-on-girl dance with a female member of her dance troupe.
Rihanna is often seen indulging in some risqué dances – she once famously performed a lap dance with a female fan on stage, gyrating on top of her.
But her risqué moves, which often extend to her music videos, the paper stated, have gained Rihanna some unwanted publicity.
Earlier this year, she was forced to defend her controversial new music video Man Down, insisting “this is the real world”.
Taking to Twitter, she attacked her critics, claiming she was a “rock star not a parent”, adding she had “the freedom to make art”.
Man Down attracted the wrath of the Parents Television Council (PTC), who blasted Rihanna for showing a “cold, calculated execution of murder”.
But Rihanna, herself a victim of domestic violence, disagreed with the criticism.
“I’m a 23-year-old rock star with NO KIDS! What’s up with everybody wanting me to be a parent? I’m just a girl, I can only be your/our voice!” she wrote.
And in an apparent direct response to the PTC, she added: “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.”
The council said in a statement: “Rihanna’s personal story and status as a celebrity superstar provided a golden opportunity for the singer to send an important message to female victims of rape and domestic violence.
“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.”
A defiant Rihanna praised her fans for their support, tweeting: “Thank you for the amazing response on Man Down video. I love you guys, and I love that u GOT IT!!”
It was the second time in as many weeks that Rihanna attracted criticism from the PTC – she was also slammed for her kinky performance with Britney Spears at the Billboard Awards.
Last year, Rihanna was also criticized for being too provocative when she performed her hit song What’s My Name for the X Factor finale in the United Kingdom.
Once again she was thrusting her way through her solo performance in tiny pants and strapless bra.
The X Factor had 3 215 complaints lodged with the regulator, making it the most moaned-about show last year, with no other programme coming close to the talent show.
(Adapted from the Mail Online.)