Spring Break
Chris Brown scandal shows society's flaws
Brandon Southward
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: Forum
My roommates have heard me rant about this issue for the last month or so - now it is The Daily Barometer's readers' turn.
The issue I am talking about is the Rihanna-Chris Brown incident - the alleged assault that took place and the aftermath. The incident has provoked a response in me that I don't normally experience when dealing with celebrities.
However, this situation is different and has quite frankly ticked me off, leading me to write this piece. From the media's role to the public's reaction to Rihanna and Brown themselves, no one should escape blame.
The media's role in this has been less than noteworthy, and at times, downright offensive. There seems to be no barriers on what is someone's private space and what can be classified as news.
MTV blurred this line when they presented the special Chris Brown and Rihanna: Love in Trouble only a week after the incident was reported. This special mostly discussed the incident's impact on Brown and Rihanna's careers - however, I don't think the impact on someone's career is what the media should be focusing on. The show was done in bad taste as a way to capitalize on the media frenzy and interest surrounding the incident with little regard to the privacy of Rihanna.
The celebrity gossip website TMZ one-upped MTV by leaking a photo the police took of Rihanna the night of the incident, which shows Rihanna with a fat lip and bruises all over her face from the gruesome attack.
Both MTV and TMZ did not bother to respect anyone's privacy, and instead were more interested in profiting off others' misfortune. The media acted irresponsibly, but they claim, with some validity, that they were only giving the public what they wanted.
One of the sadder parts of this situation has been what Rihanna herself has had to go through. To be put into a predicament like this is horrible. First, if the allegations are true, she must have felt sheer pain, literally and figuratively. Being viciously attacked by someone she loved must hurt. Second, having the whole ordeal played out in the media like some sort of soap opera isn't helping her.
The issue I am talking about is the Rihanna-Chris Brown incident - the alleged assault that took place and the aftermath. The incident has provoked a response in me that I don't normally experience when dealing with celebrities.
However, this situation is different and has quite frankly ticked me off, leading me to write this piece. From the media's role to the public's reaction to Rihanna and Brown themselves, no one should escape blame.
The media's role in this has been less than noteworthy, and at times, downright offensive. There seems to be no barriers on what is someone's private space and what can be classified as news.
MTV blurred this line when they presented the special Chris Brown and Rihanna: Love in Trouble only a week after the incident was reported. This special mostly discussed the incident's impact on Brown and Rihanna's careers - however, I don't think the impact on someone's career is what the media should be focusing on. The show was done in bad taste as a way to capitalize on the media frenzy and interest surrounding the incident with little regard to the privacy of Rihanna.
The celebrity gossip website TMZ one-upped MTV by leaking a photo the police took of Rihanna the night of the incident, which shows Rihanna with a fat lip and bruises all over her face from the gruesome attack.
Both MTV and TMZ did not bother to respect anyone's privacy, and instead were more interested in profiting off others' misfortune. The media acted irresponsibly, but they claim, with some validity, that they were only giving the public what they wanted.
One of the sadder parts of this situation has been what Rihanna herself has had to go through. To be put into a predicament like this is horrible. First, if the allegations are true, she must have felt sheer pain, literally and figuratively. Being viciously attacked by someone she loved must hurt. Second, having the whole ordeal played out in the media like some sort of soap opera isn't helping her.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
asdf
posted 3/13/09 @ 2:44 PM PST
And you my friend show the other things that are wrong with today's society. You probably knew nothing about Chris Brown before this incident. You believe all the slanted media garbage that you're reading. (Continued…)
sierra de aracena
posted 3/20/09 @ 5:26 AM PST
In a recent survey of 200 teenagers by the Boston Public Health Commission, 46 percent said Rihanna was responsible for what happened; 52 percent said both bore responsibility, despite knowing that Rihanna's injuries required hospital treatment. (Continued…)
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