I’ve never been abused or subjected to violence by someone of the opposite sex, so I don’t really have a story about that. But I do have … I guess a reflection on a song that I know (and love wayyy more than I should!): “I Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem and featuring Rihanna. It’s not just the song I love, it’s the music video I find so deliciously appalling. I in no way promote domestic violence, but the video itself is such an intense representation of what it means to be in an abusive relationship, that one can’t help to wonder, “Is that what it’s like to love to hate your significant other?”
I hate to admit this, but the “I Love the Way You Lie” music video is hot. Not only is beautifully acted by two sexy celebrities (seriously, my lady crush on Megan Fox is borderline ridiculous) but you can actually feel the characters’ pain and sadness radiating from the screen. To those of you who have never seen it, go to Youtube right now and watch the video. Seriously. It almost – and I’m probably going to catch a lot of flak for this – makes me want to be abused. There, I said it. And it has quite a few elements of patriarchal violence mixed in as well. When the video opens, we see Dominic Monaghan in bed with Megan Fox, and he has his arm draped over her. At first you think, “Awww, how sweet; they’re cuddling.” As the video progresses, the viewer realizes it was more of an attempt to confine Megan Fox’s character and to restrain her in order to ensure she can’t get away. In another shot, we see Dominic Monaghan’s character sitting on a couch behind Megan Fox, who looks distressed. He reaches for her, and she slaps his hand away. Once again, the viewer can take it as a comforting move on Dominic’s part, until we see the smirk on his face as he does so. It’s like he’s saying he can do what he pleases to Megan Fox because she is his.
In the most controversial scene – there are so many – Dominic Monaghan slams Megan Fox against a wall and then proceeds to punch a hole in said wall. He then breaks down and starts to cry. Any other woman in her right mind would’ve taken that as an opportunity to escape, but not Megan Fox. She finds his “weakness” a complete turn-on and they have a raunchy make-out session right there. At this point I always wonder, “Does she not think she can do any better? She’s sexy! Of course she can do so much better!” But then I realize it’s true: she feels she has nowhere to go. It is then revealed that the two lovebirds met in a bar, and it’s been a toxic relationship from the beginning. When Megan Fox goes back to that same bar and strikes up a conversation with another man, Dominic Monaghan shows up and beats the guy to a bloody pulp. How romantic. Dominic’s character must assert that Megan Fox is his woman, and he must scare away all the potential “good guys.” If Megan Fox’s character realizes that there are better men out there for her, then she may wise up and leave one day. The operative word being “may.” In the most appalling scene of them all (I know you’re thinking, “How can you decide? They’re all so offensively sexy) Dominic’s character backhands Megan Fox’s character, and it shown in slow motion how she reels back. For that one instance, we see the pain and desperation in her face, and even I was thinking, “LEAVE!” However, she doesn’t, and the twisted cycle begins again the next day.
Though both characters are perpetrators of violence, it is quite clear throughout the video that Dominic Monaghan is in charge, and he can never let Megan Fox too far away from his grip, as he knows that 1)he’s a bad man and 2) he knows that she knows this, and he doesn’t want to risk letting her go. That would mean compromising his manhood, and that would oh so tragic.
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