It’s no secret that Rihanna is a very important female icon.
While it’s true that she has received criticism by feminists for certain things she has done in the past, lately Rihanna has really been killing it.
The main thing we can all learn from Rihanna is this: being unapologetic.
Often in our patriarchal society, women are taught from a very young age to constantly apologize for their actions, how they dress, their emotions, and even for being a sexual being.
Rihanna puts up a big middle finger to all of that, and while that makes many people uncomfortable… I think we can all learn something from her.
In the pop industry, it’s not uncommon to see women being praised for being a “virgin-whore,” as many would put it. It’s everywhere. With Rihanna, she doesn’t pretend to be “low-key” sexual, she doesn’t try and put on this good girl facade, or throw on the innocent and chaste act in order to please others. She is fiercely and fearlessly unapologetic and sexual. She will not apologize or try and tone herself down for the sake of other people’s opinions on her, her actions, or her body. She makes music that addresses men the same way men in the music industry address women, and while that shocks many people, it forces them to take a look at the way women in the music industry are viewed. She dresses in ways that are often looked down upon for women to do. She publicly speaks in ways that stray away from the misogynistic expectations for women’s opinions and views on certain topics.
Basically, Rihanna does not care about making other people feel comfortable. She is brutally honest and fearless when it comes to the societal and patriarchal standards that fall around women and their right to be a sexual being in the way men are. She is in control of her sexuality and in control of herself as a person and that in and of itself is iconic and admirable.
If you learn one thing from Rihanna- ladies: own your sexuality, own yourself, and never apologize for any of it. Ever.