Man Down

Who is portrayed as the violent character?

A.      Him

B.      Her

Was there consent for their sexual behavior?

A.      Yes

B.      No

Where does this go on the continuum on the “Sexual Violence Continuum”?

A.      Mutually consenting touch

B.      Unfair pressure and touch

C.      Sexual coercion

D.      Sexual aggression

E.      Sexual assault

Who is portrayed as the dominant figure?

A.      Him

B.      Her

Thoughts: 
This video demonstrates sexual aggression and its ultimate effects. The man approaches the female, Rihanna, and begins to feel her up. Immediately, however she shows her disapproval by pushing the man off of her. The man's persistence and eventual aggression toward Rihanna (pinning her up against the wall, holding her down, touching her as she tries to get away) presents the perfect example of sexual aggression, which one can assume ultimately led to sexual assault in this instance. This type of sexual touch and violence is unfair and wrong. Clearly, the female did not want to be touched in that way, but her wishes were not respected nor did they matter one bit to the male figure. Consent is a major deal and should always be given in every sexual encounter. In this case, consent was not given leading to the emotionally devastating assault upon Rihanna, which then influenced further violence in the form of murder. Sexual assault is damaging to the mind and the soul, not just the body. Males should respect females' bodies and wishes. In addition, this video demonstrates how the media, specifically music video producers, support a rape culture and normalize the mistreatment of females. Videos like this show that men are suppose to dominate women and fulfill their desires even if that means going against what the female wants. Society must resist these messages and create a healthy understanding of sexual touch (covered under mutually consenting touch).