I don't usually weigh in on these types of issues -domestic abuse is not my area of expertise -- I only know that whenever the term is used it refers to a male being the perpetrator of some ass-kicking and a female being the victim of said ass-kicks.
It's times like these that I'm happy I don't have to see the comments at the end of my rants - because what I'm about to say right now may make me seem anti-feminist, or worse, completely misogynistic. One thing is true; although I'm a woman, and I don't have much love for the female specie, I think I can manage being objective and fair and I'll be able to use this Chris Brown vs Rihanna story to illustrate a picture of the inequities that persist in this "equal opportunity" world of ours.
Ok- without further ado, let me just say that what always grieves me is a damn double standard, wherever it exists. That's like my biggest peeve, because the thing is, (and I'm not defending Chris Brown - i don't know what he actually did - none of us were there, so for now, this stays in my unsolved mysteries / hearsay file) ... women get away with so much shit. Look at the following scenarios with me, if you will:
1. Had Chris Brown beat some guy to the same degree as those pics of Rihanna claim to represent, the guy would have pressed charges and the whole thing would have amounted to celebrity fodder and Chris would have gone to court, been sued for assault, and rise from it "Tha Man!" (example rapper,
T.I. vs Lil Flip and
T.I. vs Ludakris' manager, and
T.I. vs that guy in the audience who threw a cup on stage at T.I. while he was performing) - T.I. incidentally performed his latest new hit "Live Your Life" with Rihanna at the 2008 MTV Music Award show - see.
Chris Brown definitely would not have lost his endorsements if he had walked in T.I.'s shoes and beat up a guy, actually, he might have picked up a Wheaties endorsement or Vitamin Water. The other guy would have been called a bully who should be glad Chris went so easy on him -"Chris must have been defending himself" . Gals and gays everywhere would flock to see his shows because like "that was sooooo SEXY", he's a legitimate "BAD BOY", "that's like waaaaay hot" and the victim would have been considered a "sissy boy" who messed with Chris Brown. People would send the guy hate mail and death threats (unless the guy was another hot celebrity). OK, and whereas the bruises on Rhianna were called "Contusions" (they had to use a big, legit medical term an' shit) on the guy in my example, they would have said "oh, please, it's not like he died, he's lucky all he got was a few knots on the head - some minor scratches." That's American Media 101.
2. Had Chris Brown been a low level celebrity and Rihanna a pseudo celebrity herself, we would have heard about it only briefly, and only if the media was starved for news-worthy material -- only to spear them from showing that story again, you know, the one with the monkey breastfeeding the tiger cub (or was that Salma Hayek? i forget). Then the story would have blown away on the next wind that came along. For sure, it wouldn't have made the news more than say 1 to 2 days.
3. And this is my BIGGEST BEEF -- (drum-roll please) -- Had Rihanna beat up Chris Brown, she would not have lost any of her endorsements, she would have been able to go back on stage and women everywhere would make her concerts sell out and her celebrity would have increased 10 fold because it would have been seen as woman power.
Besides, Rihanna is a Caribbean woman -- she doesn't have to lift a finger to kick a man's ass; all she has to do is open her mouth and lash him with that Afro-Caribbean tongue(speaking from knowledge).
I don't have any examples to point to right now -ok, what about
Liza Minelli allegedly beating up her husband David Gest -bet you don't remember that one - so there's some proof. I don't have to research it to prove what I'm saying - I know I'm right, and most of you out there know what I'm talking about too.
If Rihanna does not become the poster child for Abused Women everywhere - and sell out all her upcoming shows (especially the first one she does after this) then I don't know what I'm talking about.
As Jamaicans will tell you "donkey seh, di world nuh level".
