Rihanna Video Has the U.K. All Hot and Bothered (Emphasis on Bothered)

Somehow an uncut version of "S&M" aired while kiddies could be watching, and the government isn't happy

There was way too much sex in the air recently for the United Kingdom's taste.

The U.K. government's Office of Communications, or Ofcom, is up in arms after British music channel WTF TV aired an unedited version of Rihanna's "S&M" video at 11:25 a.m.—when children could be watching!—back in March.

WTF, indeed.

The video for the hit tune, in which Rihanna claims that "sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me," does indeed feature a number of saucy images, including the Rated R songbird clad in latex and rubber and whipping a leash-bound Perez Hilton.

Her song—and the video especially—"clearly and repeatedly focused on sex, bondage and sadomasochistic sexual practices as a theme," Ofcom said in a statement, adding that those questionable scenes "could have potentially dangerous consequences if imitated by children."

And now Ofcom is requesting, according to The Guardian, that reps from all U.K. channels that air music videos attend an emergency meeting at headquarters to discuss new guidelines regarding the "acceptability of material in music videos broadcast before the watershed." (Loose translation: before 9 p.m.)

The government watchdog didn't say how many complaints it got regarding the "S&M" video, only citing the argument that the video was "completely unsuitable for daytime broadcast."

"It is artistic and not dark or seedy," WTF responded to Ofcom's censure, stating that the video largely addresses the topic ironically and does not "contain images of dominant/submissive practices in a pornographic style."

"In hindsight," perhaps, the title "S&M" could be perceived a certain way, the station added.