A few months ago, I saw the music video for "Man Down," a newish song by Rihanna. In the song (which was released not too long after she came out about getting beaten by Chris Brown), Rihanna tells the story of a woman who is sexually assaulted by a man. In anger, this woman gets a gun (which in the video is a hammerless .38 special snubnose revolver) and shoots said man in broad daylight.
In addition to enjoying the reggae-inspired beat and melody of "Man Down," I also found the song compelling for other reasons. Namely, as a gun violence researcher, I find myself drawn to popular representations of guns and gun violence.
Lately, I've been thinking more and more about the different ways in which musical artists talk about guns. While rap songs commonly talk about guns as a powerful and symbolic extension of the self (see "My Buddy" by G-Unit), or refer to gun violence as part of one's lived reality (see "Bang, Bang" by Dr. Dre and just about any gangsta rap song), Rihanna's track covers one of the less discussed aspects of gun violence: Remorse.
At one point in "Man Down," Rihanna sings, "Cuz I didn't mean to hurt him, coulda been somebody's son. And I took his life, when, I pulled out that gun..."
This lyric and many others got me thinking about a lot of things. In addition to reflecting on the meanings of a revenge--particularly following a sexual assault--I began to think more and more about what some have described as "killer's remorse." Randall Collins reminds us that violent crimes are often the end result of an emotional escalation. Criminal offenders often feel blinded by a sense of rage or passion, or as he calls it "forward panic." Moments following the deed, individuals convicted of murdering have confessed to feeling an almost surreal detachment from what they just did. The realization that one has just shot and killed somebody is a common theme I've witnessed in multiple murder trials in Philadelphia.
Anyways, what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them.
 |
| Rihanna seems to like guns |
Lately, I've been thinking more and more about the different ways in which musical artists talk about guns. While rap songs commonly talk about guns as a powerful and symbolic extension of the self (see "My Buddy" by G-Unit), or refer to gun violence as part of one's lived reality (see "Bang, Bang" by Dr. Dre and just about any gangsta rap song), Rihanna's track covers one of the less discussed aspects of gun violence: Remorse.
At one point in "Man Down," Rihanna sings, "Cuz I didn't mean to hurt him, coulda been somebody's son. And I took his life, when, I pulled out that gun..."
This lyric and many others got me thinking about a lot of things. In addition to reflecting on the meanings of a revenge--particularly following a sexual assault--I began to think more and more about what some have described as "killer's remorse." Randall Collins reminds us that violent crimes are often the end result of an emotional escalation. Criminal offenders often feel blinded by a sense of rage or passion, or as he calls it "forward panic." Moments following the deed, individuals convicted of murdering have confessed to feeling an almost surreal detachment from what they just did. The realization that one has just shot and killed somebody is a common theme I've witnessed in multiple murder trials in Philadelphia.
Anyways, what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them.
Comments
Post a Comment