Rihanna Catches Heat For Ripping Off “S&M” Racy Content

Written By S. Samuel

Grammy-winning singer Rihanna has caught more heat over her touchy "S&M" music video after new allegations claim the video vixen and her director intentionally ripped off its look.

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According to reports, the video is being compared to renowned photographer Dave LaChapelle‘s signature touch.

Rihanna has found herself in even more controversy surrounding the S&M video, this time for ripping off famed photographer Dave LaChapelle. According to side by side stills that can be found on Perez Hilton‘s site (who’s ironically in Rihanna’s video), the music video was heavily influenced by the work of LaChapelle that can be found in Italian Vogue from 1995-2002. The only problem is, LaChapelle had nothing to do with the video nor did he direct it. Rihanna’s video director also failed to mention LaChapelle while explaining each scene of the video to MTV. (Necole Bitchie)

There are multiple instances within the video which strike resemblances to LaChapelle’s work.

The alleged racy and plagiarized scenes begin with Rihanna walking her ‘dog’ Perez Hilton. The Barbadian pop artist is dressed in late and has the gossip blogger on a leash. However, in 2002 David LaChapelle took a picture for Vogue, representing a woman who is dressed in the same way as Rihanna, who also walks her leashed ‘dog’ who is actually a man. In another scene Rihanna is a pink striped room with other girls. She is wearing a big red afro wig and they are all dancing on furniture. In a photo titled ‘Striped Face,’ LaChapelle represents several girls in a pink striped room, wearing big red afro wigs while dancing on furniture. Does it ring a bell? (Suite 101)

The video has reportedly been banned in nearly a dozen countries.

The diva is back with her new single S&M – and the video is so steamy, it’s already been banned from 11 countries and counting. The vid features 22-year-old RiRi, writhing around in white latex (“with lube”, she says), sucking a banana (“I made ’em give me a spit bucket in between takes”), wearing bondage gear and simulates sex with a lifesize doll. And the words to the song are just as dirty as the images. “Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it,” she sings. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me.” Oo-er! Southern Asian countries immediately banned it. (Mirror)

In addition to Rihanna speaking out on the ban, “S&M” director Melina Matsoukas recently came forward to address the controversy.

“When I go out to make something, I kind of go out with the intention to get it banned — [well] not to get it banned, I always want my stuff played — but to make something provocative,” Matsoukas explained in an interview. “So when you do something that’s provocative, that’s usually a repercussion. It’s gonna be talked about or banned or slandered in some way. But it’s making an effect and people are having a dialogue about it, so, to me, that’s successful..I mean, the song is called ‘S&M’!”– So I think that the imagery follows suit with what the song is. I wouldn’t play down the imagery for a song that’s so strong. It makes sense to develop it further and really take it there. So if they don’t want to play it, [fans] can watch it somewhere else…The whole time we were like, ‘If we use ball gags and we show this, are they gonna play it?’ And we just went for it and didn’t care, and people seem to be embracing that.” (MTV)

Check out Rihanna’s “S&M” music video below:

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Written by S. Samuel

Steven Samuel is the co-founder of SOHH.com.

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