Apparently, domestic abuse and beating your girlfriend until she’s black and blue is acceptable behavior – if your name is Chris Brown.
Brown, was arrested two years ago for assaulting his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna. At the time, it seemed everyone was on the same page: Chris Brown was an abuser and that wouldn’t be tolerated. Radio stations pulled his music, celebrities like Kanye West and Jay-Z denounced him and the public made it very clear they were done with him. Brown was a pariah, and rightly so. Abuse shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Brown stayed (or was shunned, depending on how you look at it) out of the public eye for months after the arrest. No one wanted anything to do with him. Rihanna’s career exploded. Brown was left to fend for himself in the land of celebrity obscurity shared with the other guy from Wham! (Andrew Ridgley, if you’re interested) and Steven, the “Dude, you’re getting a Dell!”guy.
Fast-forward two years. Brown has a new album, a new single, and a new haircut. He wants people to forget he hits women. Or, at the very least, not care. It appears as if he’s getting his wish.
After some public twitter feuds, most notably with Fox News’ Red Eye Ombudsman, Andy Levy, there has been a swell of support for the 22 year old singer, calling themselves “Team Breezy,” mostly among young women.
He performed at Sunday’s Grammy Awards. I watched, but without much interest. I prefer my men without violent criminal records. I will admit he’s got some dance moves, though.
But I wasn’t prepared for the twitter storm of young women, all saying essentially the same thing: Beat ME, Chris Brown.
Yes, you read that correctly. Just two years after being the pariah of the music business, Chris Brown has now evolved into something of a dreamboat. A dreamboat with fists.
Buzzfeed put together a list of the mind-boggling tweets. I urge you to check it out. But be warned. Your head might explode.
I get it, the tweets were mostly in jest. These girls don’t REALLY want Chris Brown to beat them. At least I hope not. But it does send the wrong message. And that message is clear: domestic abuse is perfectly acceptable, so long as the abuser is famous. Who cares if he put a woman in the hospital, he can sing and dance! That more than makes up for the hospital bills.
It’s a sad state for women (and men too) if we’re glorifying someone who put his girlfriend in the hospital. With the amount of media coverage bullying is getting lately, why does Chris Brown get a pass on physical abuse? It’s more than troubling to think about.
So to those who want Chris Brown to beat them up: Come on, ladies. You can do better.
About Stacey Disterhof
As an advocate for domestic violence survivors I know firsthand that men DON’T change. I will not be surprised when we see headlines for another “domestic dispute” involving Chris Brown.
I agree that his apology was total b.s. He had a chain made that said oops! which I deltniiefy didn’t find funny at all. It makes me so mad that he nearly killed Rihanna and only got 5 years of probation and community service. I also don’t get why he still has so many fans, especially female fans. It’s a very sad commentary on our society that he will probably have a huge comeback album and will remain popular. I hope not but I fear that’s what the case will be. Perhaps I would try to understand his side/past if he had shown true remorse but to me hasn’t at all. He needs to be sitting in a jail cell not in his penthouse.[] Reply:August 31st, 2009 at 9:16 PMIt is also sad that the media is giving him so much positive media coverage. Female fans will forever love him because lets face it some women love to be beaten. They like when a man can take control even abusing them physically. I am sure you might have heard the expression if he doesn’t beat me he doesn’t love me’. Women are to be blamed sometimes.There is no way you can give a guy the impression that lifting a hand can be an option to settle any issue. God forbid this should have happen to any other woman.[]VA:F [1.9.11_1134]please wait…VA:F [1.9.11_1134](from 0 votes)
First off, I don’t codone guys tintihg girls or girlshitting guys either. If your a feminist you would believe inequality of men and women and wouldnt condone it either. Where isyour outrage for rihanna tintihg Chris Brown with her shoe. I meanits been 2 years since the incident, so when do we forgive? When dowe let a young man get back to doing his craft. I just fnd it verydisheartening that a single moment in time can change a person’sperception forever. Can a person do 90% of the things right butmake a single mistake, pay for it for two years (actually probablyhis whole life) and lose his endorsement money and the girl hislove and try to still come back for that. People like you just wantto kick people down. Thats why reformed ex-cons cant get jobs. Oneof my favorite bible quotes fits the scenario, Who has not sinnedcast the first stone . If you have been perfect your whole life andhad not made a single mistake than judge and be holier than thoulike the conservatives that you probaly hate. Let all who has madea mistake rot in jail. But I asume you will be the only one in theworld.