What’s Wrong With Chris Brown?
As the Grammy’s gained more viewers last night in anticipation of the comeback of Adele and the tribute to Whitney Houston, one thing that wasn’t expected was the performance(s) and win of Chris Brown. For those of you non-pop-culture lovers, Chris Brown was on the fast track to fame until he was arrested – and publicly chastised for beating his then-girlfriend Rihanna. But as he sailed across the stage with his signature high-energy performance, Twitter starting trending in a disturbing way. Suddenly, women and young girls starting Tweeting or updating their Facebook status with things like:
Now call us crazy but this was not the type of reaction society expects to have when it comes to domestic abuse. When a woman gets mercilessly beat by the man that she is supposed to feel safe around, it’s not #sexy or #dontevencare – its #ohhellno and #callthecops. Because physical abuse does not happen once, it happens repeatedly. And after the physical abuse is done, the emotional pain eats you up while you are waiting for the physical injuries to heal. THAT is why Rihanna stood up and “complained.” Not because what Chris Brown was doing was oh-so-right.
It is remarkable that in a society that demands women’s rights (note: the Susan G. Komen fiasco) and in a country that prides itself in education and standards, a man as talented as Chris Brown would be brought on stage to be publicly awarded one of the highest honors in the music industry. The argument being, of course, that he is just that talented. After all, we are a nation that loves come backs. We love to see an underdog rise up and redeem.
But what happens when the underdrog isn’t really an underdog? And when he didn’t fall from grace for having hurt himself, but because he went outside the norms of society to physically and verbally assault a woman? At that point, it’s not about being an underdog. Because, Chris Brown, at that point it becomes an issue of being a bad role model. And like it or not, celebrities are the role model of children today.
When Britney Spears fell from pop-culture grace, tabloids were merciless about pointing out her flaws and her downward spiral. Fans rallied around her because they wanted to see her get her life back together. When she made her comeback, it was a finger in the face of the paparazzi that played a large hand in her tumultuous time. Her actions were severely harmful to her, and we were rooting for her to regain control of her life. That is an underdog, a comeback you can applaud a la Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr.
What we had at the Grammy’s was some bizarre version of Tina Turner and Ike Turner, where Ike Turner was the one that was given the limelight, the love and the recognition – despite what he did. We’re sure that many readers will blast comparing Chris Brown to Ike Turner, but the question is: why? Because Chris Brown can dance like a dream and win back the hearts of America through his good looks and charm? That’s the classic case of the abused woman: you take him back because he’s charming and wonderful. Until he does it again.
Even more disturbing is that the Grammy’s have taken a role in this cycle of abuse by celebrating a man who beat a woman, on the same day that they commemorated Whitney Houston, who was also a victim of domestic violence. Instead of teaching the younger audiences that domestic violence can hurt you beyond just the physical violence, the Grammy’s gave America a chance to play the abused woman once again. Ignoring the wrong, and accepting the charming face with open arms.
That, Grammy’s was a #fail.
- Editorial Team, BroadStreet Times