It seems like almost everyone — Rihanna included — has forgiven singer Chris Brown for his 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend. Everyone, that is, except the country of Guyana.
Brown was scheduled to play a show there on Dec. 26, but after an outcry from women’s rights groups and some lawmakers, the R&B singer cancelled his show. The Associated Press reports Brown’s promoter, Hits & Jams Entertainment, cited the performer’s discomfort with the situation as the reason he backed out.
Earlier this month, when Brown was slated to perform in Stockholm, Sweden, protestors plastered the city with posters featuring the battered face of Rihanna. Brown still played that show.
When Brown’s abuse of Rihanna first came to light in February of 2009, the music industry revolted against the crime, ostracizing Brown for his actions. Fellow musicians spoke out against him, other acts refused to play alongside him and radio stations pulled his songs. Yet his outcast status was only temporary, and soon a number of women not only forgave Brown, but actually expressed a desire for Brown to beat them. Tongue-in-cheek or not, it’s still disturbing.
The women’s groups and politicians in Guyana have the right idea. Abuse of women — or men, for that matter — is absolutely wrong and should not be tolerated. Yet it seems like those in the public sphere, not just Brown, can get away with so much more because of their fame. And while one protest does not change the course of history, it sends a loud and clear message — one that Brown clearly heard.
