WTF of the Week: Russell Simmons Gives Chris Brown a Pass

Source:  Gemma Mary via Wikipedia Commons.  Obtained under a Creative Commons License.

 I am not making this up.  Check out Mr. Simmons' blog article, "Chris Brown:  When Fame Snatches Your Freedom" at Global Grind.   SMH.  Why did he feel moved to write an apologia for this fool?  Yeah, Chris can dance, but there are a million other great dancers out there.  His singing and rapping skills were never all that great either.  As the father of two young girls, Simmons should know better, but he doesn't seem to care how his support of Chris looks to women.  He even threw shade by saying that Chris is "suffering" and comparing Chris' issues to that of misbehaving former Disney stars.  Um, Lindsay, Britney and Miley never bashed someone's face in.  I guess men in hip-hop stick together.


I am sooooo sick of the Black media enabling Chris Brown's return to the mainstream.  I flipped through the channels earlier this week and saw him on 106 and Park!  Yes, right after his alleged violent outburst and property damage at "Good Morning America," BET was more than happy to help him market his new album live and in person with teens across the nation.  He's nobody's role model, and it's obvious that he needs a longer time-out (year, year and a half) from the public.  If he can't handle basic questions from the media without showing annoyance or busting up a dressing room, he most definitely needs to go back for another round of anger management counseling.

Those saying that he needs a chance or understanding (ESPECIALLY the misguided sisters) should wake up.  Fame is not a birthright--just because someone has talent and reached the top of the charts before doesn't mean that they are deserving of our attention in the present day.  You are here one day, gone the next, and everyone's on to the next big thing.  He's lucky to have even been granted the ability to step inside a recording studio for a major label after what he did to Rihanna.  Chris has even had a recent run of pop-friendly hits positioning him to return to media-darling status.  However, he astonishingly managed to wreck that goodwill on the DAY his album dropped.  He needs to take another look at the tantrum-prone man in the mirror...

Whether you're a feminist or not, please understand that even downloading a single by someone who commits violence against women or tuning into shows that feature such violence ("Jersey Shore," anyone?) sends a message that you're not bothered by violent celebrities and the corporations that profit from them.  Take a serious look at the media you're consuming, and make changes if/where needed.