Lee McKinstry
I used to really like Chris Brown. I distinctly remember screaming all the words to “Run It” when I was 14. My friends even gave me a giant poster of him shirtless, diamond studs blazing in his ears and baseball hat cocked to the side. He was my favorite guilty pleasure.
I don’t need to explain why that sentence is in the past tense. Brown’s 2009 assault of Rihanna was covered by every major news source, and the leaked photo of Rihanna’s battered face effectively made visible what many fans had talked about in only the most insensitively evasive terms. He was convicted of felony assault for which he received a whopping five years probation and no jail time, and he was banned from many radio stations. His career was over. Well, it should have been.
But for some reason, the music industry seems set on facilitating another Brown stint in the spotlight. He performed at the Grammy’s twice this year, and as puzzling as that scheduling choice was, he received a Grammy for best R&B album for “F.A.M.E.” (it stands for “Forgiving All My Enemies.” I’m really glad he’s the one doling out forgiveness here). Any self-respecting music fan recognizes the Grammy’s as a glorified ass-kissing party. Actual music quality has nothing to do with it, as only the most popular artists are usually rewarded.
But since when is Brown popular? Sure, the album was sort of successful when it came out, but the most popular single from that album, “Look at Me Now,” is more than carried by Busta Rhymes’ and Lil Wayne’s verses, with Brown limply adding an awkward sing-rap attempt at the beginning. In fact, a recent survey by a market research company said public dislike of Brown is at exactly the same level as it was in 2009.
Celebrities like Miranda Lambert and Eric Stonestreet all tweeted their dismay at the performances. What happened next gets at the crux of the main problem with Chris Brown. The singer promptly went on his Twitter account and declared “Strange how we pick and choose who to hate. Let me ask u this. Our society is full of rappers (which I listen to) who have sold drugs (poisoning). But yet we glorify them and imitate everything they do. Then right before the world’s eyes a man shows how he can make a Big mistake and learn from it, but still has to deal with day to day hatred! You guys love to hate!!! But guess what??? Hate all you want becuz I got a Grammy now! That’s the ultimate f***-off!”
Shortly thereafter, “RIP Chris Brown” began trending on Twitter, Brown’s PR handlers promptly removed the tweet. It’s one thing to try to forgive a genuinely contrite man who admits he’s made a mistake. But Brown’s apologies are consistently overshadowed by his disgusting displays of self-pity, immaturity and blatant sense of entitlement. He claims he doesn’t remember beating Rihanna, or he makes ludricous excuses such as stress level at the time of the assault.
It’s one thing to try to get on with your life after committing domestic violence, if you aren’t a public figure. But Brown is an entertainer, and people will forget this as soon as they will last year’s Billboard standings. Given his behavior, they shouldn’t. Remember his outburst on 2011 Good Morning America, when he threw a chair through a window after being asked about the 2009 incident? Get used to it Breezy. You did the crime, and if you don’t do the time in prison, you will in the public eye, in the form of answering for yourself forever.
The weirdest addition to this saga is the recent announcement from Rihanna’s PR team that a “shocking” performer will be featured on her new single “Birthday Cake.” The mystery guest is Brown. The fact that Rihanna is marketing this as some tantalizing tidbit is insulting to all battered women. Sure, it’s a free country. But we should all be free from listening to this bullshit.