MTV Picks the Wrong Side in Chris Brown vs. Rihanna
Willa Paskin
November 05, 2009
This morning, a stoic Rihanna sat down with Diane Sawyer for the first part of an interview about what went down between her and her abusive former boyfriend Chris Brown. (Choice quotes: “I fell in love with that person, and it’s embarrassing that’s the type of person that I fell in love with” and “Don’t react off of love. F#*@ love.”) The interview wraps up tomorrow night at 10pm with Rihanna going into details about the pair’s pre-Grammy altercation. Four hours earlier, MTV will broadcast an interview with the beanie-wearing, “100% comfortable wit my sexuality” Brown, also about the abuse. In the clip circulating, the singer seems to say the right things (“What was I thinking? ... How do you, Chris go from point A to Point B, turn it to a positive, become the person that you want to be.”), but I still want to know: What is MTV doing in his corner?
Brown is, in his way, newsworthy. And his remorse and regret and apologies may be genuine—but so is his hustle. Brown has an absurd-looking album, Graffiti, coming out on Tuesday. In other words, his timing is suspect and his motives impure. And if he’s just doing what he has to do not to be remembered forever as the guy who beat up Rihanna (or sang the song that people like to dance to at weddings), MTV has no such excuse. Brown may get them some ratings, but they’re doing him the bigger favor: not just helping him push records, but, by virtue of taking him seriously and sympathetically, resurrecting his rep. ABC is doing its part to help Rihanna sell albums too (her newest, Rated R, is out at the end of the month), but they’re still on the side of good in this particular media frenzy. It’s not that Brown deserves to be blackballed, but does he really deserve another special where he gets to excuse himself? Seriously, MTV, no one should be wearing the Team Brown t-shirt.
Comments (14)
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 12.57 pm
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SAYING SHE IS DOING THIS FOR ALBUM SALES AND PUBLICITY---
Dont forget Chris Brown ALSO has an album coming out and he continues to do interviews about it…
She is ashamed of this incident, and embarrassed that she loved someone that could do this to her. No wonder Rihanna hasn’t said anything previously. She is afraid that she might go back to him- did you hear that? She doesn’t “want” to go back to him, but eventually she “could”. She opened up more in 5 min than Chris Brown ever did in any interview he’s given on the subject!!!
If you really want to know how she feels- she exposes her thoughts on her new singles and album. Go buy it and listen.
She is doing this to help other young girls just like she said. She is the VICTIM. What if this happened to your mom-sister-or aunt? Show some compassion. If the DA had evidence against Rihanna she would have faced charges as well.
I support both of them musically and will be purchasing their music and concert tickets.
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 02.32 pm
Rihanna is doing this for record sale DV Awareness month was last month while she was parading around naked and making songs about shooting yourself with a gun. MTV didn’t chose the wrong side they are providing a platform that will also help young men like Chris who were damaged as a child see what the cycle can do and encourage them to seek help. Also mothers in an abusive relationship it paints a picture of the damage that can happen to your kids or the damage that may have happened and you don’t even realize. I want them to both help young people.
Posted by MRS to MISS on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 02.54 pm
“It takes two to tango”—does anyone else hate this phrase as much as I do!?! In the interest of showing both sides, and not wanting to stereotype men as the main abusers, we have lost sight of the big picture here: most emotional and physical abuse is perpetrated by men. Now all the man has to do is make himself out to be equally victimized, and the woman is left defending herself to people who think, “she must’ve done somethin’ to make him so angry, huh.”
I wrote about this very thing yesterday as I am struggling to leave an emotionally abusive spouse who convinces his family that I’m just as much in the wrong as he is. I cited some though-provoking info from Lundy Bancroft’s book, “Why Does He Do That - Inside the Minds of Angry, Controlling Men”:
http://mrstomiss.blogspot.com/2009/11/masters-of-manipulation-getting-ready.html
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 03.02 pm
I have been in Rihanna shoes. More than once. Yes I feel ashamed too. But anyone who has never been in this kind of situation does not know how it feels. For example, think of how much you love your husband and say your husband who you love and are married to one day decided to hit you. Think of how hard it would be for you just to get up and leave him. Have some sympathy for her.
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 03.52 pm
It’s abodout time somebody takes on the monolith that is MTV they can get away with anything and no one is brave enought to stand up to the shennigans, including age discrimination on website and bias reporting and promotions!
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 05.36 pm
The biggest failing of this article is that its author comes across as wanting to be judge, jury and executor. She - I assume Willa is a woman - seemingly fails to understand one of the basic fundamentals of a democratic legal system: even when guilty, we have the right to defend ourselves. That is as much true in a legal court as it is in the so-called public opinion court.
Posted by anonymous on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 06.38 pm
MTV can choose whoever they want to interview, to the person that wrote this article, get a clue. Maybe the are not being judgemental like evryone else that seems to know what happened that night. I don’t care what Rihanna says, she is trying to save face because the media talked about Russian Rulette, posing half naked, and questioning her being a role model. MTV, did right.
Posted by mrs ever on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 06.41 pm
Thanks for posting this. I agree with what you’re saying. I’m also upset that Lil Wayne and Keri Hilson decided to work with Chris Brown. They’re somewhat giving fans the ‘OK’ to like Chris Brown again. Not cool.
Posted by anonymous on Fri Nov 6, 2009 at 02.41 pm
I haven’t been following this story. Did she smack him first? If so, sounds like she lost a fight she started. Violence never solves anything, and he should be held accountable for a disproportunate reaction, but she is not blameless and should not be considered the poster child for domestic violence.
Post a Comment
Anonymous comments are moderated. To comment instantly, register with BlackBook. Click here to login.
Posted by Your Brain on Thu Nov 5, 2009 at 12.40 pm
Dear Willa Paskin,
Please shut the eff up. People can choose whichever side they want to be on. Violence is violence and shouldn’t be looked over just because you are a female. If she hit him first, she was just as wrong as he was.
Sincerely,
Your Brain