If you don’t want your life defined by one incident, then stop talking about it. Though I understand Rihanna’s need to be as honest and open as possible with Oprah, it’s a bad idea to keep rehashing what happened with Chris Brown, especially from such an emotional place. She is obviously still mourning her breakup, and she should refrain from constantly reminding the public about the horrific abuse she suffered. Plus, if she really wishes Chris Brown the best as she claims, then the worst thing she can do is remind the public, once again, that he physically abused her.
My good friend called me yesterday to say he disliked my Chris Brown/Grammy post, insisting that Brown still isn’t worthy of the public’s forgiveness. “But when is enough, enough?” I said. And if the guy laid brick for a living, should we call his boss and ask that he be fired?” According to my friend, laying brick comes with different standards than being in the public eye, and it’s therefore worthy of different repercussions. And furthermore, Chris Brown doesn’t seem contrite. I argued that Brown might not share the same education and upbringing as other celebrities who have had trouble, and he’s therefore not able to properly articulate his regret. My friend pounced on that argument, saying, “He’s surrounded by people that are coaching him about what to say, and he still can’t do it. At some point, it’s about him and him alone. It’s too soon to accept him back.” He also referenced Brown’s Good Morning America debacle, saying, “that doesn’t look like a guy who is sorry.” He might be right, and he’s nearly convinced me. But until I decide, I’m posting his new video below, because you cannot deny that the guy can dance.
If we have to pay for our sins for the rest of our lives, then we’re all screwed. When Chris Brown performed at the Grammys everyone was outraged, including country star Miranda Lambert who tweeted, “Chris Brown twice? I don’t get it. He beat on a girl … Not cool that we act like that didn’t happen.” Though I have my doubts about his contrition, there’s one thing I know for sure — eternal punishment will halt reform. His physical abuse of Rihanna is certainly deplorable. And he unequivocally deserves to be punished. But when does it end? When is enough, enough? When is the man allowed to move on with his life and continue working? What if he laid brick for a living? Should we call his boss demand he be fired? This is his job. This is how he makes his living. If he’s contrite, and if he’s done the personal work to ensure he doesn’t make the same mistake twice, then he deserves to be forgiven.
I often fancy myself a Hollywood publicist. Image cleanup seems so simple, yet celebrities have the hardest time with it. That’s either because their publicists aren’t doing their job, or because the celebrities won’t listen to them. Chris Brown recently appeared on Good Morning America to promote his new album, and the interview apparently ended with Chris Brown ripping his shirt off and breaking a window. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased with Robin Roberts’ questions about Rihanna. If I were advising Chris Brown, I’d tell him to immediately return to Good Morning America and openly discuss the incident. He needs to say why he got so upset and explain precisely what happened. I’ve read that those questions were approved prior to the interview, so it’s unclear why he was so surprised and angry when they were asked. Unless he owns his flaws and continues to discuss the Rihanna incident with a calm head, the public will never forgive him. I understand he’s difficult to root for because he physically abused his girlfriend, but I’m not a fan of shunning people for life because of their mistakes. If he’s legitimately changed then I’m willing to move on. It’s difficult to believe he’s changed though, especially since he can’t even get through an interview with losing his temper.
