@Rihanna fights back at Daily Mail reporter for negative column

It looks like Daily Mail reporter Liz Jones kept Rih Rih's name in her mouth a little too long. An article published yesterday under the headline, "Pop's poisonous princess: Glorying in drugs, guns and sleaze, Rihanna's toxic role model for her army of young fans, says LIZ JONES" sent the Navy into a frenzy and Rihanna fought back on her Instagram account.

If you have the time, read the article to see what made Rihanna so upset. Here's her reply on IG:

(remainder of caption reads: "And P.S. my first American Vogue cover was in 2011...APRIL!!! #ElizabethAnnJones)

Rihanna's response is what I'm sure many folks could agree with. She's under intense media scrutiny for just about everything she does and allows us to see. Rih's transparency helps fans relate and learn about her personal life and her star power is undeniable. That star power opens up celebrities - talented or not - to immense judgment on the daily, hence the Liz Jones article. As a journalist, the article had me shaking my head more than once. A columnist can give endless opinions on topics of interest that are relevant to the communities they cover and I've never heard of Ms. Jones or read any of her articles until today. Needless to say, it's not a favorable first impression.

Rihanna corrected Jones in her IG post, an example of Jones's shoddy reporting. A reporter has to do their own research and with endless websites and blogs out there, it's not hard to find out correct information - especially when an artist has covered Vogue magazine. There were several points made by Jones that seemed empty, judgmental, and straight up silly. For example, Jones said, "But if only she could be a role model for young women. I don't care if she has the voice of an angel and is self made, feisty, and confident."

Really, Liz? Rihanna has made it clear on more than one occasion that she doesn't want to be seen as a role model and understands that her actions don't portray such behavior. She puts out there what she wants us to see and if her fans want to emulate that (in the absence of good parental supervision), then let them be. Then, Jones posts this photo (one of several) trying to prove the point that Rihanna is "toxic" to her fans:

The caption included this statement: "Her albums should have a government health warning." 

Jones asks about Rih's fascination with marijuana (she is, after all, a grown a** woman) and guns, and she criticized the Rihanna for River Island fashion line for clothing that "invites rape, disrespect at least." And, Jones mentions Rih's parents, claiming they would be horrified at their daughter's actions. If Jones paid attention to Rih's interviews and IG photos with her parents, it's clear they have a close, loving bond and we could assume that her parents may not mind that she's so free spirited. 

To add insult to injury (no pun intended), Jones posted a photo of Rihanna's face the night her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown assaulted her beside a picture they took together last Christmas, stating that she had the chance to be a poster child for young women that escape abusive relationships. Do we REALLY need to school Ms. Jones about the lesson of forgiveness?

Entertainment journalists can dissect a celebrity's lifestyle all they want to, knowing they don't personally know that celebrity outside of interviews. So what if they put their lives out in the public for our enjoyment? That's only one side of the story. The press, government and celebrities aren't meant to be a moral compass by which to guide our lives. It's one thing to present an argument with verified FACTS, show every side of the story and allow the reader to make up his/her mind. It's another thing when you see a tabloid-style article informing the public what we already know and bashing the subject after playing coy about meeting them the first time. Ms. Jones, this type of journalism is not welcome and I hope you attempt to be more factual and thoughtful next time you write about Rihanna. 

Fin.