LIFE IS WITHOUT NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR CHRIS BROWN.
— Canice Leung (@canice) February 13, 2012
Everyone’s read all the reasons why it’s wrong Chris Brown performed (and then won an award) at the Grammys. It doesn’t seem so difficult that you’d need someone to explain it to you, but if you’re in need of this thought-reform, please read it again.
Like everyone else, it struck me as a particular slap in the face to all women that his first of two (two!) performances should come before one by Rihanna, the woman whose face he totally fucked up a couple years ago, and that his second of two performance immediately followed a tribute to Whitney Houston, a woman whose own troubles with Bobby Brown hmmm kinda made them the Rihanna and Chris Brown of the ’90s, or the Ike and Tina Turner of the ’70s. It was almost like the Grammys were saying forcing a “we disrespect women and we don’t care!” poop sandwich down our throats. Then again, the Grammys also thinks it’s the victim here, and you know how victims become victimizers, right? Right?
Oh, then after the show he said this:
I mean the impetuousness and sheer arrogance is bad enough, but nobody says anything!!! Okay, Miranda Lambert said something (apparently she is a country singer of some recent note). And Michelle Branch; and Sherri Shepherd; and Eric Stonestreet — all people who are, in the celebrity universe, relative nobodies. In other words, anybody whose comments would have negatively affected Chris Brown’s record sales said… nothing.
Here’s how it should have gone down… Someone wins an award. They come on stage. They spend a minute thanking the usual suspects: the fans, producers, parents, spouses, God. Then they say, hey, while I have the stage I’d like to address a problem I have with violence in our community of musical producers.
Oh wait, that actually happened! In 1999! After the sexual violence-filled Woodstock earlier that summer! Thank Jebus Almighty for the fucking Beastie Boys, who are great enough as a musical act but also bloody awesome because they use their soapbox for political good. Observe the goodness, as they accepted their award for their very good (in fact “Best Hip Hop”) video, Intergalactic, at the 1999 MTV Awards!
Now, isn’t that refreshing?
Also, here are recollections from Kathleen Hanna, Ad-Rock’s wife, about how things went down that night.
Leave a Reply