We’ve argued that Pokémon Go is an overall societal good, but with anything that’s as broad-reaching as the augmented reality app is, there are bound to be some issues. One of the biggest ones is that people are playing the game in places they probably shouldn’t be, like police stations, the National Holocaust Museum, and cemeteries, and now another no-no location has been added to the list: Rihanna concerts.
During a recent concert in France, the singer addressed her audience between songs and expressed that she wanted them to be in the moment and enjoy the show, saying, “I don’t want to see you texting your boyfriends or your girlfriends. I don’t want to see you catching any Pokémons up in this bitch.”
Not the Pokemon Rihanna!!! 😩 pic.twitter.com/GA8qUpAwj5
— Shady Music Facts (@TheShadyFacts) July 24, 2016
This isn’t the first time that Pokémon Go has been brought up in a live music environment: At a recent Beyoncé concert, that coincidentally was also in France, a fan named Anand Desai-Barochia—who was very close to the stage—took a video of another concertgoer. “She’s playing Pokémon when Beyoncé is singing,” Desai-Barochia says. “F***in’ Pokémon! Look at where she is. Look at where she is!”
She’s lucky Solange never saw her. Side note I’m never showering again. A video posted by Anand Desai-Barochia (@ananddb) on
Rihanna and Beyoncé are the only two big-time performers who seem to have been impacted by the Pokémon Go phenomenon so far, but as a general rule, heed Rihanna’s warning (and the one that appears every time you launch the app): “Remember to be alert at all times. Stay aware of your surroundings.”
Is there anywhere we shouldn’t be allowed to catch Pokémon? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured image: @badgalriri
