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Rihanna slammed for ‘hopeless place’ image of Belfast in video

Government minister says damage done to Irish image worldwide

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, October 22, 2011, 7:22 AM

Updated Saturday, October 22, 2011, 7:22 AM

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Rihanna Video Shoot in County Down_ Northern Ireland

Photo by Photo Press Belfast _ Splash

Northern Irish Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has slammed RIhanna’s new video for portraying Belfast as "a hopeless place.”

The superstar recently filmed her new video ‘We Found Love’ in Northern Ireland, including in a wheat field outside Belfast and the New Lodge area of Belfast itself.

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A local farmer, Alan Graham, who rented the wheat field to Rihanna, objected strongly when she stripped down in his field, citing religious objections, and made worldwide headlines,

Now McCausland has stated about the video: "Apparently much of it involves her singing 'I found love in a hopeless place.'

"This is set against a background of drugs, alcohol and gambling, interspersed with shots of the New Lodge flats and views of the general area.

"A hopeless place? Fortunately, most people who see the video will have no idea where it was filmed."

"Crowds of local people flocked round her during her time in the area," he said.

"They were excited and delighted about her visit to the New Lodge, but I wonder what their reaction is now that the video is out?"

McCausland stated he was bitterly disappointed at the image of Belfast that has been projected worldwide.

Nster.com

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9 Comments

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johnymac60 | Oct 24, 2011, 12:24 PM EDT

negatizing...huh.

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eiregirl | Oct 23, 2011, 09:20 AM EDT

I'm no long time supporter of Rihanna's but this track is KICKIN' I can't stop playing it. Most people won't see the video unless they looking for it, but it's the song they'll hear and it's about being stuck in a place on a downward spiral. The location just had to be Belfast because they were there, but really, people, it could be any inner city in Ireland/Britain. If anything this video/song if continued to be viewed as being soley based on Belfast (which many people will do) might be a good thing for the younger generation as they will see that an international artist is negatizing it and they can change that, or atlease get off their arses to try instead of sitting around the "lodge" drinking and eating takeaways. Have fun dancing around your kitchen being thankful you are not strung out in a hopeless place.

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Starlet | Oct 22, 2011, 09:47 PM EDT

"RIhanna’s new " Check for typos!

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citizen69 | Oct 22, 2011, 02:32 PM EDT

BUt it's not meant to be representing Belfast. She just happened to be in Belfast when it was the only opportunity to shoot the video. It could be any urban working class inner-city. She's definitely not a role model for kids though.

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antoman | Oct 22, 2011, 01:46 PM EDT

My milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard. Cause they better than yours. I could teach you. But I have to charge.

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RedBranch | Oct 22, 2011, 01:24 PM EDT

Nope it was New Lodge as I remember it, they didn't have to slum it down for the gritty urban look. Drinking, smoking, chippies, they're all there, although black folk were pretty scarce. David Bowie did Berlin in the 70s. and it was art. Come on Belfast we can do the gangsta chav look.

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canadianirish | Oct 22, 2011, 12:21 PM EDT

Rihanna is a rude, crude, arrogant, narcissistic, publicity seeking skank. Please stop posting articles about her.

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newnation | Oct 22, 2011, 10:53 AM EDT

anyone who thinks there is something wrong with that video is a right wing fascist and i look forward to them complaining about it so that it's openly known who they are! frikin idiots, ITS A POP MUSIC VIDEO, get with it or crawl back to the dark ages!

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bimjimmy | Oct 22, 2011, 10:33 AM EDT

Oh, really... was Rihanna hired to make a tourism video for the place - or was she spending her own money in that location to make a music video - which contributed financially to the location? If the locale looked like a dump, then maybe that's what it really is... And "Fortunately, most people who see the video will have no idea where it was filmed." And, unfortunately, now that you have opened your big fat stupid face and made a big deal about it - internationally - ALL people WILL now know where it was filmed. As Bugs Bunny like to say, "What a maroon..."

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