SINGER RIHANNA'S racy X Factor performance, during which she undressed on stage and gyrated provocatively, has left many in the black community disgusted. Millions watched in disbelief as the singer cheekily pulled aside her dress on the popular family show to reveal the crotch of her beaded Union Jack inspired bikini outfit, before a male model ripped off the dress.
Performing her current single, What's My Name? to a reggae beat, Rihanna, 22, gyrated and booty-popped her way to rapturous applause and a standing ovation. Judge Simon Cowell was left grinning from ear to ear. But the Barbadian beauty’s Caribbean flavour proved too spicy for some who were shocked by her barely-there costume, which left little to the imagination.
Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook erupted as the controversy divided the black community over whether it was a great performance or one that dropped to new lows. British comedienne and actress Angie Le Mar said: “I am glad this is being discussed. The idea of selling sex to sell music is going too far. It's not just Rihanna, but Lady Gaga and many more. “Rihanna is so beautiful, she doesn't have to work that hard. “Being sexy is not the issue. The problem I have is the sexual tone to her lyrics. Young girls love her and listen to her lyrics and think it is ok. Is that all we are now? When young girls who feel they have to act out her lyrics, find themselves in trouble, then what?”
Others hailed the performance as one of the best on The X Factor, and a video of the sexually- charged routine has had millions of views on YouTube in just a few days. One enthusiastic viewer, Ejerome55, said: ‘She was in good form. The dance might look suggestive to people who are not from the Caribbean but let me tell you that you have not seen anything yet. Come to Barbados and see the gals wukking up. You go RiRi.’ But Angela Birch, director of Creating Solutions UK, who works with young people to help them fulfil their potential and tackles issues such as teen pregnancy and attitudes to sex, was appalled by what she saw and dismissed the idea that it was a part of black culture.
The young people’s champion said she was left even more redfaced when her eight-year-old stepson, confused by the sexy display, asked: “Why is she doing that?” She said: “This is not what our culture is about. This would not be acceptable behaviour on a family show in the Caribbean. For anyone who is dismissive about this and says this type of dancing is a part of our culture, then it is a part of our culture we must change. “The sexualisation of children is a real problem. Young girls can no longer distinguish between what is an acceptable for the workplace or classroom and what should be worn in a club or at a party over a certain age. It might make them attractive to young men in the short term, but we still hear those old stereotypes from boys in sessions that girls who dress like that aren’t ‘wifey’ material.” Minutes after it aired, ITV was inundated with calls accusing the channel of letting down its younger fans by not toning down the show, which also included an equally raunchy performance by Burlesque star hristina Aguilera. Television watchdog Ofcom has since received more than a thousand complaints, and are considering whether to launch a full-scale investigation into whether The X Factor broke a broadcasting code to protect children from sexualised content. Labour politician Dawn Butler, former MP for Brent South, said: “In the face of real issues such as high teen pregnancy rates, I think we have to be mindful of what goes out on TV and at what time.
As parents and adults, we have to make sure we are the role models our young people look up to – not celebrities.” Education campaigner Paul Phoenix, who fights for equality in schools, said: “In the year 2010 when black boys are still under-achieving, I cannot believe this much uproar has come from a cheeky bit of bottom. Rihanna is not the first, or the worst, to perform in next to nothing. I’m sure Kylie and Madonna are guilty of the same thing.”
www.voice-online.co.uk
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