0:00:03 > 0:00:09In September 2011, Bangor barley farmer Alan Graham hit headlines
0:00:09 > 0:00:13all over the world when he asked the international superstar Rihanna
0:00:13 > 0:00:15to leave his field.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17What was happening was not appropriate
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and I told them it would have to stop.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23She was shooting a video - We Found Love - which went on
0:00:23 > 0:00:26to become a massive hit across the world.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Some elements of the media tried to make me out
0:00:30 > 0:00:33as some grumpy old man who didn't allow people to have a bit of fun,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36but I do believe there was a line crossed which was unacceptable.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40The video's success online meant that its sexual content,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44violence and drug-taking was viewed by millions, including children.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Are these the sort of images we should be showing our kids?
0:00:48 > 0:00:49Alan Graham thinks not.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Some of these pop videos are simply porn to music.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Alan has spent the last year talking to people in the music industry,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03psychologists and other experts to see if there's anything
0:01:03 > 0:01:05can be done to clean up pop...
0:01:05 > 0:01:07before it's too late.
0:01:19 > 0:01:25Alan Graham is many things - a farmer from a long line of farmers,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29a committed Christian, a DUP councillor,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31a father and a grandfather.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33He has gone about his duties quietly
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and diligently for over half a century.
0:01:36 > 0:01:42But in late 2011, his world was turned upside down.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44She was wearing a bikini and jeans.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I made absolutely no complaint about that whatsoever.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51But as the story goes on, the filming moved to a field away
0:01:51 > 0:01:56from the road and in that field I realised that Rihanna had taken
0:01:56 > 0:02:00the top half of her clothing off and that's the stage that I decided
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I couldn't allow it to continue.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07On her way out, Rihanna came over to speak to Alan.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11She was very sympathetic to the standpoint I had.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14She was very gracious, very courteous, very respectful
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and we shook hands maybe four or five times
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and we parted company on the best of terms.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22It may have been amicable,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25but very soon the press got hold of the story.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Alan became headline news.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28Also on the programme,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32how Rihanna's beat in the wheat was all too much
0:02:32 > 0:02:33for a County Down farmer.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38This is the biggest thing to hit town so far - Rihanna.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41DUP councillor Alan Graham hit headlines around the world
0:02:41 > 0:02:44when he told her off for stripping in his barley field.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Many thought that Alan had overreacted.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49I think he's gone a bit too far.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52He could have given a bit of leeway with her being a big star.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Just because she took her clothes off!
0:02:54 > 0:02:55I don't think so, no.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57This day and age, there's a lot worse going on in the streets.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01He shouldn't have done it cos now she's not gonna come back here. And I love her.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But after a first wave of hostile news reports,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07the tide began to turn.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10When I saw that on the front of the Telegraph that Thursday,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13it gave me a certain amount of encouragement.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Dannii Minogue was one of many celebrities
0:03:16 > 0:03:19who publicly voiced support for Alan's point of view.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Very soon, the press followed suit.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Then as the week went on they seemed to swing round to my point of view.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32I think they realised that public opinion was fairly much on my side.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Suddenly, Alan started getting letters out of the blue.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38This one here arrived.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42"Mr Alan Graham, (Rihanna shoot), Farmer Clandeboye, near Bangor."
0:03:42 > 0:03:45"Mr Alan Graham, (Farmer, Rihanna's Field)
0:03:45 > 0:03:47"near Bangor, Northern Ireland."
0:03:47 > 0:03:49The postmen must have had a laugh that week.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52"Dear Mr Graham, just a short note to offer our support to you
0:03:52 > 0:03:57"for the stand you made when you asked Rihanna to leave your field."
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Oh, here's another one. "You are heroic in our eyes.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05"You are a treasure." Hope my wife read this. "Everyone loves you.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07"The world needs you."
0:04:07 > 0:04:11That's what's... that's what's so... We had a laugh at that, you know.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14It wasn't long before the finished video was released.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17When Alan saw it, he was horrified.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And he quickly realised that the adult content was far from unique.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22SONG: "Love The Way You Lie"
0:04:22 > 0:04:26My wife and I were alarmed by some of the things we were seeing.
0:04:26 > 0:04:32Particularly because of the availability of all this material
0:04:32 > 0:04:33to very young children.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38So Alan's decided to make a more public stand.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42The question for me is, "Can anything be done to stop what is happening,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45"or to put the breaks on it to some extent?"
0:04:45 > 0:04:49It seems to have increased greatly over the last number of years
0:04:49 > 0:04:53and can there be a coming together of parents, those in the media
0:04:53 > 0:04:58industry, to try and stop it for the sake, at least, of young people?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Alan's first stop is Dublin to meet someone who, like himself,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06comes from a farming background,
0:05:06 > 0:05:11but one whose career has taken a completely different turn.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Did you hear about the Rihanna incident in September?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I did. I heard about this grumpy farmer
0:05:17 > 0:05:19in the north of Ireland that
0:05:19 > 0:05:21didn't want this shoot to go ahead.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25You know, but now I'm looking at it from a totally different angle.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I think you were right to take a stand. I think you're brave.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29Some people criticised me.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Some people called me names that I couldn't repeat.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36But the vast majority of the emails,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39the letters, were all supporting what I had done.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Can we do anything about it?
0:05:41 > 0:05:45The honest answer, I think, is no, because I think it's driven by
0:05:45 > 0:05:47the record company bosses
0:05:47 > 0:05:50and they're in control and they... Sex sells.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Louis is in little doubt that the most offensive videos
0:05:57 > 0:05:59tend to come from the States.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03I think that in America, mainly, a lot of the R & B, the hip-hop acts,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06all the videos are very, very sexual.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10They always have maybe masses of girls around a swimming pool
0:06:10 > 0:06:13in bikinis, and it's the way they do things in America.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Everyone wants to have the most controversial video on MTV,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18they think this is the way to do it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21"Let's get more and more and more raunchy."
0:06:21 > 0:06:22And it's their way of life.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It's the R & B, the hip-hop guys' way of life.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I mean, a lot of these videos you can be talking about three
0:06:28 > 0:06:31or four million dollars to make a video like this,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and most of the times I've been involved in videos, the artist
0:06:35 > 0:06:40pays 50% and the record company pays 50%. It's a lot of money that they
0:06:40 > 0:06:43have to recoup from sales, but then if they make the raunchy video
0:06:43 > 0:06:48and it's controversial and it's sexual and it's on TV worldwide,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49everyone wins.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51But that's the way the business is.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Well, I must say that in my encounter with Rihanna,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58she was very, very respectful and very mannerly towards me.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02- That's good.- And is it not possible that somebody's pushing her
0:07:02 > 0:07:05or exploiting her or encouraging her along a certain line?
0:07:05 > 0:07:09As far as I'm concerned, Rihanna calls all the shots on these things
0:07:09 > 0:07:13and she wanted to be portrayed like this. The buck stops with Rihanna.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17To be really honest with you,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20when I heard about this I thought, "Who is this grumpy old man?
0:07:20 > 0:07:23"Why didn't he just take the fee and go away?"
0:07:23 > 0:07:25But then the more I read about it, I thought,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28"This man believes in what he's doing."
0:07:28 > 0:07:31He didn't want the money. He's got very old-fashioned strong believes.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34They're good beliefs and they're his beliefs,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and I think he's got a really good point.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40The only problem is, I don't know how he's going to succeed in this
0:07:40 > 0:07:43business today - nothing's going to change this business.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45There's too many powerful people involved in it,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47too much money being made.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Taking on board Louis' belief that the most offensive videos originate
0:07:51 > 0:07:55in the US hip-hop community, Alan has travelled to London.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04He's at a sold-out event at the Barbican Centre to try and get
0:08:04 > 0:08:07a handle on a scene that he knows little about.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09"Hip-Hop On Trial" has attracted
0:08:09 > 0:08:11an impressive panel of musicians,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13academics and politicians
0:08:13 > 0:08:15to debate the question -
0:08:15 > 0:08:17is hip-hop a force for good?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23I think hip-hop on one level exposes light in dark places...
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Most surprising to Alan is the attitude of the veteran black
0:08:27 > 0:08:30activist, the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33He firmly believes that after centuries of oppression,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37black people are entitled to express themselves any way they like.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41What hip-hop says to us is "I am somebody.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44"I matter, and nobody can break my spirit."
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It is that spirit-breaking dynamic that has captured the world
0:08:48 > 0:08:50and so hip-hop is a spirit.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53It is an occupying spirit that cannot be stopped.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Alan managed to grab the Reverend Jackson for a few seconds
0:08:58 > 0:08:59after the debate.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Do you have any concern of the effects on young people
0:09:04 > 0:09:07of quite overt sexual behaviour?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The only reason I don't, quote unquote,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12is I see women fighting back.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13At the end of the day,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15when women fight back for their dignity
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and blacks fight back for their dignity, and Jews fight back
0:09:18 > 0:09:23for their dignity, there's a levelling off process taking place.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24Somewhat disappointed.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28I would have expected some condemnation of it from him.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32He is deeply committed to the concept of hip-hop music
0:09:32 > 0:09:35to allow those who feel they have been oppressed
0:09:35 > 0:09:37to express themselves.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41And no doubt that includes women and their right to express themselves
0:09:41 > 0:09:44in whatever way, including the use of their body.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52Confused, Alan looks for more insight from soul singer Mica Paris.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57# It's like I'm born again
0:09:57 > 0:10:00# Like I can breathe again... #
0:10:00 > 0:10:05Mica's been involved with the music industry for over 25 years
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and has seen the explosion of hip-hop over that time.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Hip-hop itself has changed as a genre
0:10:12 > 0:10:15because when it first came round, it was actually really melodic
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and soulful and had meaning and it was positive messages, you know,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22you had people like Public Enemy, some really fantastic groups,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26who were actually speaking about conscious issues and it was good,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30but then it became gangsta and that's when it became more violent
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and obviously people listening to it are going to be influenced by that.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37# Shut it down, shut it down... #
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I'm not even as famous as a lot of these people but I feel
0:10:40 > 0:10:41I have a huge responsibility
0:10:41 > 0:10:44with what I do, that I have to project an image
0:10:44 > 0:10:48that is respectful to women and to women of colour.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50What needs to happen, I believe,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54is that they need to take away the violence because it starts there.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57When they start listening to music that is, you know, promoting
0:10:57 > 0:11:01peace and love and... I'm not saying everyone's got to hold hands
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and sing Kumbaya, but if they change the message
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and make it more positive, it can change things.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14Alan's farm on the road to Belfast, just outside Bangor, is something
0:11:14 > 0:11:17of a landmark, thanks to a very distinctive barn.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23The hayshed had the scripture verse painted on around 1936.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30Around about 1994 an east wind came and blew the side of the shed in,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34so it had to be replaced then, and after that it was repainted.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Someone said that John 3:16 is actually the gospel in a nutshell.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44All you need to know is in that one verse.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47It also tells you something that God couldn't do
0:11:47 > 0:11:50and that is that he couldn't give any more then he gave.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54He gave his only begotten son and that's the very best that he had.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56So it's a very interesting verse.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03I know you wouldn't agree with this, Kate, there's a gospel text on it.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Kate Smurthwaite is a stand-up comedian and writer.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Politically she's miles apart from Alan, but he's keen to see
0:12:10 > 0:12:14if the issue of child sexualisation crosses the divide.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's interesting because when you say
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I was upset that she took her clothes off from a Christian
0:12:21 > 0:12:23"point of view" - I'm not Christian, I'm an atheist -
0:12:23 > 0:12:28and I'm not... It's not the nudity that bothers me.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31For me, what's worrying about these videos,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34it's not that Rihanna's made one like this, it's that they're
0:12:34 > 0:12:37all like this, and I think that's a problem because of the way
0:12:37 > 0:12:40it stereotypes women, the way it sends out a message to young women
0:12:40 > 0:12:43who, let's be honest, these videos are not aimed at people
0:12:43 > 0:12:45your age or my age - they're aimed at young people,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49at teenagers. And it's sending out a message to young women
0:12:49 > 0:12:50that this is what's important.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53There are some brilliant campaigns out there looking
0:12:53 > 0:12:55at role models that young people have,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and they make these brilliant videos where they'll interview a woman
0:12:58 > 0:13:01who's a surgeon and a woman who flies for the Red Arrows and women
0:13:01 > 0:13:04who have brilliant and amazing and interesting lives and real women.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The only women we see on TV are rolling around half-naked
0:13:08 > 0:13:09in your fields, unfortunately.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12No-one will ever understand how much it hurts.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I'm getting, Kate, to the issue of, "What can we do about it?"
0:13:15 > 0:13:19I think we have to look at the way that we talk about sex education
0:13:19 > 0:13:21in schools, and this might sound like the opposite
0:13:21 > 0:13:23perhaps of what you're thinking because the fact is,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26they're getting access to these things and they're getting access
0:13:26 > 0:13:30at a young age, so what we have to do is, before kids
0:13:30 > 0:13:32are interested in these things, we should talk to them.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Before they're giggly about it, before they're starting to fancy
0:13:35 > 0:13:38boys or fancy girls and starting to get involved in that thing,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41we have to say that we're not being salacious,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43we're making sure that you've got the facts.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46I think kids are smart and once they've been told these things,
0:13:46 > 0:13:51they will take a more educated perspective on these things.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Yes, I wouldn't argue with the need for sex education,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57although I would take the viewpoint that it should be more in the home.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02It should be the responsibility of the parents to teach
0:14:02 > 0:14:05the children, and sometimes the school context
0:14:05 > 0:14:08is not the best context for that type of education.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09I agree with you, actually.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The only difficulty is that we have to accept that some kids have
0:14:12 > 0:14:16parents who are not that responsible or not that comfortable doing it.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Alan is keen to find out more about the pressures on young women
0:14:24 > 0:14:25in the public eye.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So, he's come to meet with Gail Porter.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32A former darling of the lads' mags, her naked body was famously
0:14:32 > 0:14:36projected onto the Houses of Parliament as a publicity stunt.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Did you ever feel that you were simply a commodity to help
0:14:41 > 0:14:42to sell magazines?
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Yeah, I did feel a bit of a commodity but I didn't mind,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47to tell you the truth. I wasn't a stupid girl.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I knew what I was doing. I was having a bit of fun.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53They sold their magazines and I was happy.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Heading to a festival near you, that's Embrace.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Do you feel that your whole involvement with that type
0:15:00 > 0:15:02of work has harmed you in any way?
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I don't think it has harmed me in any way.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I think more losing my hair has harmed my work then me
0:15:08 > 0:15:11showing my bottom cos people seemed to have more - seemed to find it
0:15:11 > 0:15:16more distressing looking at me being bald than, you know, naked.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Gail, do you believe there's a line that you shouldn't cross
0:15:19 > 0:15:21in artistic expression?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I think people should be allowed to express themselves
0:15:23 > 0:15:25as much as they want,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but if they're going to do something overtly outrageous there should be
0:15:28 > 0:15:31a warning on the video or there should be a warning before you go
0:15:31 > 0:15:34to see them live, you know, what to expect
0:15:34 > 0:15:35but a lot of them are artists
0:15:35 > 0:15:40so, you know, it all gets rolled into a big ball of creativity.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46# Under my umbrella Ella, ella, ay, ay... #
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I never knew anything about Rihanna until I met her in my field.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51She's a beautiful young woman.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Is it not possible that she could be hugely successful
0:15:54 > 0:15:57without taking her clothes off?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Definitely but, you know, she likes to do what she like to do so,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04I believe in freedom of speech and, you know, creativity.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Do you not think a performer should be allowed to do whatever
0:16:09 > 0:16:11they feel is necessary for the performance?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14If they believe in it and they're passionate about it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19I would make the argument that the term "artistic expression"
0:16:19 > 0:16:21is sometimes code for a sexual performance.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I feel that we've gone too far.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Today children, young people, have all access to computers.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32There'll always be the tendency for children to be very, very curious.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34It is possible to make sure
0:16:34 > 0:16:36that you don't allow your children to look.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39I've got an iPad. My daughter's getting the little mini one
0:16:39 > 0:16:42but we make sure that she's not able to access things that we don't want
0:16:42 > 0:16:44her to access, but I can see it being a problem
0:16:44 > 0:16:47for a lot parents, having to keep an eye on their children all the time
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and what they're watching and, you know, you can type in one word
0:16:50 > 0:16:54and all sorts of things come up on the internet, so it is quite scary.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Shortly after the Rihanna incident,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Alan got a call from a reporter from The Sun newspaper.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08It made him wonder about the cosy relationship between Britain's
0:17:08 > 0:17:11tabloid press and the multi-million pound pop industry.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Was there any collusion between Rihanna's publicity people
0:17:16 > 0:17:20and The Sun to promote her through this incident in my field?
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Absolutely none whatsoever. I can tell you that hand on heart.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26The first I knew of it I thought, "That's an absolutely excellent
0:17:26 > 0:17:28"story" and I was really frustrated we didn't have it
0:17:28 > 0:17:32as an exclusive, because we knew she was going to be filming the video in
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Belfast and we'd written a bit about that leading up to it.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37And when I found out that this incident had happened
0:17:37 > 0:17:39between a local farmer and Rihanna, I thought
0:17:39 > 0:17:41"That's a brilliant story. It's great."
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I'd love to tell you that it was so cleverly manipulated
0:17:44 > 0:17:46that they'd rung up in advance and told me it was going to happen
0:17:46 > 0:17:48but that simply wasn't the case.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52As showbiz editor at The Sun, Gordon has a very close relationship
0:17:52 > 0:17:54with many of the world's biggest stars.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58I've known Rihanna from very, very early on in her career. In fact,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00we went bowling together when she had her first album out
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and before many people knew who she was
0:18:02 > 0:18:05and she was a really happy-go-lucky, carefree young spirit.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Very talented, great fun to be with.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13# Baby, come tell me your secrets and tell me all your dreams... #
0:18:13 > 0:18:15In the early days she was really keen
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and very hungry for that fame and now she has it to a level
0:18:18 > 0:18:21where she spends a lot of time under the media microscope.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24She doesn't enjoy it quite as much - I do see that happen a lot.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26I've been doing this for a long time.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I'll be brutally honest with you, I'm really tired of it.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I got into this job because I wanted to meet my heroes,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35travel the world, see the best gigs, meet talented people,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37help promote careers, all of that kind of stuff.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42So when you get involved in what I would describe as the darker side
0:18:42 > 0:18:45of fame and people being hungry for fame's sake,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48not for a reason, that bothers me. Can I ask you a question?
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- You certainly can.- When you were growing up and you were in your late teens,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54early twenties, what were you listening to
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and what kind of music did you like?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59We never had a television, so therefore I'm very, very illiterate
0:18:59 > 0:19:01on all this pop music stuff.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I did live through the days of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones,
0:19:04 > 0:19:05so on and so forth.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08In Northern Ireland the other thing about the late '60s
0:19:08 > 0:19:11in Northern Ireland was the, it was the start of the Troubles.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Troubles, yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15And I suppose there was a lot of distractions.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18So my argument might be that isn't pop music
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and stuff like Rihanna and Lady Gaga a wonderful distraction
0:19:21 > 0:19:24for young people from a lot more serious issues?
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Well, that is the case,
0:19:25 > 0:19:30but I'm convinced that good singers can be very, very successful
0:19:30 > 0:19:34without any sexualisation of their performances and I think
0:19:34 > 0:19:39they can become very popular and very wealthy people without that.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Fair point.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Alan has decided to seek advice from some experts.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Linda Papadopoulos has had a successful career
0:19:49 > 0:19:52as a clinical psychologist, and authored a report
0:19:52 > 0:19:57for the last Labour government about the dangers of child sexualisation.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01She's also a big rock fan, with an unexpected specialist subject.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03- And your chosen subject?- Nirvana.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Nirvana. Two minutes starting now.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Which independent Seattle record label released Nirvana's
0:20:08 > 0:20:09first single, Love Buzz?
0:20:09 > 0:20:10- Sub Pop.- Yes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I think the music industry's always pushed boundaries
0:20:13 > 0:20:14and, you know, it's always been
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Elvis gyrating and people getting
0:20:16 > 0:20:19really upset and then people started gyrating, which was fine.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Gyrating's very different to being walked around naked on leashes
0:20:23 > 0:20:24and being called a hoe.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I'm a big Nirvana fan.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30I remember, back in the day, Nirvana singing against rape and against,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33you know, against homophobia and it was cool and that was cool,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37you know? And now it seems like we've gotten to the point that,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40you know, it's cool to be calling women degrading names
0:20:40 > 0:20:43and treating them badly and that's not.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47Those three passes, Linda, you have 26 points
0:20:47 > 0:20:49APPLAUSE
0:20:49 > 0:20:52One of the most telling stats that I always hold onto is the number one
0:20:52 > 0:20:56plastic surgery technique for teenagers, for young girls,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00used to be rhinoplasty - nose jobs. Now it's breast implants.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03That to me says a lot about the shift.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Linda, where do we go from here and what do we do about the problem?
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Well, how much time do we have? I think we need to speak to parents
0:21:10 > 0:21:14so that they know how to complain. I get so many notes from parents
0:21:14 > 0:21:17saying, you know, "I saw this on the High Street, how do I complain?"
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Or, "I saw this in a music video, where do I go?"
0:21:20 > 0:21:23People always say, "You can't change it now,"
0:21:23 > 0:21:26but I always think that, you know, look at the Civil Rights movement,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30it went from Rosa Parks to Barack Obama in, what, five, six, decades.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Surely we can turn this around for young girls and boys.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40Reg Bailey spoke to over a thousand parents for a recent report
0:21:40 > 0:21:42commissioned by the coalition government.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I was really quite surprised
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and a bit shocked, frankly, at some of the material I encountered.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I know you're particular experience was with Rihanna,
0:21:53 > 0:21:58but actually she's not really amongst many of the really guilty.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00# Me, I'm no mobster Me, I'm no gangsta... #
0:22:00 > 0:22:04The report's recommendations include age ratings on music videos,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08and more efficient parental controls on computers that encourage
0:22:08 > 0:22:11a dialogue between children and parents.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I'd never have dreamed of allowing my children to go out
0:22:15 > 0:22:16into the street
0:22:16 > 0:22:19without talking to them about road safety.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23And yet astonishingly we allow, so often, our children to go into
0:22:23 > 0:22:28a far more dangerous virtual world without giving them, if
0:22:28 > 0:22:31you like, the rules of road safety, without doing that, and sometimes
0:22:31 > 0:22:35we hide behind the fact that we say we don't understand the technology.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38It's a great opportunity for parents to talk with their children
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and to build the confidence of their children.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45A key driver for Reg was to help parents express their concerns
0:22:45 > 0:22:47more easily.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52David Cameron encouraged the setting up of a single website called
0:22:52 > 0:22:56www.parentport.org.uk,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59which is a single point that parents can go to.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Right in the middle is a thing that says Complain.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Parents then need to hear back from people.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05What's happened to their complaint?
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Is there anything I can do to make a difference to this problem?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10The best thing you can do, Alan,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14it seems to me, is to galvanise parents, galvanise grandparents,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17galvanise the young people and the children themselves.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21They have an acute awareness of some of the difficulties they face.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23It's parent power and grandparent power.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28One group that Alan has yet to hear from is the people
0:23:28 > 0:23:32who are affected the most - children.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35MUSIC: "We Found Love" by Rihanna
0:23:39 > 0:23:44Alan has gone to see a rehearsal for Rapture, a hip-hop dance group based
0:23:44 > 0:23:49in West Belfast, that has gained an impressive international reputation.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53So much so that they were invited to be a part of the infamous
0:23:53 > 0:23:55video shoot on Alan's field.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Well, Brona,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02you were hoping to get down to take part in the video-shoot at the farm.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Yes, we were, Alan, but by the time we got there you'd already thrown
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- everybody off the field! - Yes, yes.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- Well, hello, girls. How are you all? - Good.- Yeah? You look splendid.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13So do you.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Oh, thank you very much. Yes. Did yous all watch the Rihanna video?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Yeah.- What do you think Rihanna's really like as a person?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22She's made out to be a certain way for her label,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24like, to put across things that are going to sell more for her.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27When you watch some of her interviews with Oprah and stuff,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29she is a genuine, like, lovely woman
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and you do feel sorry for her because she is put under
0:24:31 > 0:24:34so much pressure to portray something that she isn't really.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38So you think that modern-day pop stars are marketed and
0:24:38 > 0:24:41they're portrayed in a certain way just really to make money?
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Yeah, they're like a brand, just trying to be pushed out.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Like, see one of her CD albums, it's called Good Girl Gone Bad,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49like, now she's gone really extreme.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52You can see the difference from when, like, she began and now.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- Yeah.- Like, she was innocent, now she's a bad girl image.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57That's the character she has now.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But in a way as well, like, most well-known artists
0:25:00 > 0:25:04are all like that, it's like what they have to be to sell
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and be the best cos that's what people are like interested in.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I was very encouraged.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15These young ladies seem to have their feet firmly on the ground.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18They have principals. They had standards.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22They believed that there was a line that shouldn't be crossed
0:25:22 > 0:25:25regarding entertainment and the music industry.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29If I started to do that, I'd put yous all out of business!
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Alan has tried to see many people on his journey
0:25:37 > 0:25:41into the pop video business, with mixed results.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Rihanna's management won't allow him anywhere near her
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and requests to the big record company bosses
0:25:47 > 0:25:50have fallen on stony ground.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53What actually happened? What was your Rihanna encounter?
0:25:53 > 0:25:58One person who can provide Alan with some industry insight is Sinitta.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01A teenage pop star in the '80s, she's gone on to mentor
0:26:01 > 0:26:05young people on the juggernaut that is The X Factor.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I simply asked the film crew to stop filming and that was over.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Oh, you ended the shoot, but you didn't see anything, did you?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15You didn't see Rihanna without her top on, did you?
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Well, I was, I suppose, a discrete enough distance away
0:26:18 > 0:26:20but I did realise she hadn't her top on.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22You shouldn't have been looking at it, Alan!
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- It was a closed set. - That's right, yes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27But to start us off, here is Sinitta!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30SONG: "Right Back Where We Started From"
0:26:30 > 0:26:33'I understand exactly where you're coming from
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'because I mentor young acts.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'I have acts as young as 11, between 11 and 17.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I'm also Christian.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47I've also been a very provocative pop...young pop performer myself,
0:26:47 > 0:26:52so I kind of have a 360 perspective of the whole thing.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I'm also a parent now of two young children.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So I understand completely where you're coming from
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and I do think it's important that there is some kind
0:27:01 > 0:27:05of censorship. Unfortunately it has to be left to parents, really.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07# It's all right and it's coming on
0:27:07 > 0:27:11# We got to get right back to where we started from... #
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Crucially, Sinitta sees evidence that the tide against explicit,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19raunchy videos has already started to turn.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Because you have acts like One Direction or Little Mix,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26who I think are quite age appropriate, you know,
0:27:26 > 0:27:31with their behaviour, it's not overtly sexual. Justin Bieber,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Taylor Swift. There's a lot of really clean cut, sort of,
0:27:35 > 0:27:36young pop acts
0:27:36 > 0:27:39out there doing extremely well so I think there's a real desire
0:27:39 > 0:27:42for it, and I'm sure for parents it's a relief to be able
0:27:42 > 0:27:45to sit back and know that they are the role models
0:27:45 > 0:27:47that kids are looking up to now.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Over the last year, Alan has gone from a complete novice
0:27:54 > 0:27:57to something of a music industry expert.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00He's come to realise that the pop industry is an incredibly
0:28:00 > 0:28:05powerful machine, but that ordinary people can make a difference.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I started this journey wondering what could be done.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12One person will not do it but if everyone gets their act together
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and puts the pressure in the right place and brings it to the attention
0:28:15 > 0:28:19of government, I do believe there can be a change for the better.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd