Wearing a baby blue sweater and an incongruous bow tie, Chris Brown's long-awaited interview with Larry King was finally broadcast this past Wednesday night. And what did the viewers get from it? Two statements that didn't help his case in the court of public opinion:
- When Larry King asked him about punching, biting and choking Rihanna, Chris Brown said he didn't remember doing it.
- Brown blamed the incident on age and lack of book learning: "I feel like that...we're young. We're both young. So nobody taught us how to love one another. Nobody taught us a book on how to control our emotions or our anger."
The feedback on the interview isn't good. You can tell not by looking at mainstream news media, but by seeing the reactions of two pop culture websites not normally known for their 'sensitive' handling of difficult issues.
MTV understood that the once-popular R&B singer isn't comprehending the severity of the situation. The network checked in with NOW and the National Domestic Violence Hotline; both agreed that Brown isn't acknowledging that the violence was about power and control.
And Gawker -- usually ground zero for snarky -- refrained from its usual verbal gymnastics and instead offered a straightforward acknowledgment of disappointment in Brown:
Even the singer's dimwitted attempts at chivalry, like not discussing the specifics of the infamous night (out of "respect") came off as nothing more than an endeavor at saving face....Brown's overall emotionless will likely only strengthen the image of him as a villain....Now he just looks like a jerk.
Brown insists that he wasn't taught how to love. He's right in a sense. Many children repeat the cycle of violence and/or abuse that they are exposed to in their early years. Alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic abuse...even low level literacy is often passed down from parent to child because of what is learned (or not learned) within the home environment. In contrast, what comes from 'a book' isn't as instinctive. It's experiential vs. theoretical learning.
Brown grew up seeing his mother abused by her partner. He did not see what a productive, mutually supportive relationship between a woman and a man should look like, and so his learned response to violence was to lash out. Could he have learned otherwise? Hard to say, but he'll certainly have the opportunity now with court-mandated counseling and domestic violence education.
I am not condoning his behavior. It was reprehensible. But his story illustrates why we have to take domestic violence seriously. It is never just one man and one woman who are affected, and if not addressed, it has the potential to spread.
Brown could have been a role model and taken responsibility with integrity and with a heartfelt desire to overcome his past. Instead, flanked by his attorney and his mother, he took the easy, blameless way out instead of being bold, forthright, and honest. By saying "I don't remember," he sounded more like a politician than a pop singer, and created the impression that he came on Larry King simply to improve his image and resurrect his tanking career.
His mistake is our wake-up call to demand that he and other partner abusers (both men and women) be held accountable.
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Comments
Please give this guy a break. I followed much of Chris’ interview with larry. I think he was very sorry for what he did and acknowledged everything. If you ask me…, my own feedback is positive.
omg can yall please drop this nonsense like people all over the world get beat on all the time and dont nobody make a big scene like this.i swear the public only believes that he said she said stuff. yall dont know what rihanna could have done to make him react that way. yes i am a huge chris brown fan and it just upsets me and makes me cry too see that yall are letting one go free and continue her carrer when yall really dont know what is going on. listen to each one chris and rihannas songs too see who really is insane. i like rihanna but yoo she not the good person here either! keep ya head up chris because if nobody wont stand behind you for support there is one fan you can count one and thats me!!
Man, this kid is doing the best he can with what has happened. He seems like a nice kid who did a bad thing and he is genuinely sorry. I will support him in the future and will pray for him and his redemption. I feel for his mother who has to watch her son crawl back from such a terrible period in his life. God bless them both and Rihanna.
I think People Just need to give him a break He is truly sorry and I know he went the Wrong way But with Peoples Support He could Change Give Him a Chance His action on larry king could tell how affeceted he Was
Just Give Him a chance But if He does It again I dont Blame haters For Hating
Why don’t you racist folks worry about whats going on with your folks, I mean…they are of the hook, killing their whole famly,spouses kidnapping,molesting their family members, , check the news its hoorible, and you sitting back worrying about one mistake Chris made. what mistakes have you’ll made in life some of you are much older than him and probably made all kinds of mistakes,Jesus forgave him, Jesus forgave you, why you can’t forgive, I,m praying for Chris every day God encamp your angels around him don’t let no hurt,harm or danger come near him sustain him for the next 5 yrs, so many people want him to fail, but I know you said not so, every demonic spirit that come against him will be cast down.
Wow, what part of “I take full responsiblity” don’t you people understand? And as he explained, he misspoke & only replied “no” to the “Do you remember” question because he was already asked about it 4x and made it clear he wasn’t going to discuss the specifics, which is fine because no one needs to know the details. Obviously there was more going on there than we’ll ever know. Selective listening isn’t very attractive.
The media throws a fit when he doesn’t speak out, and when he finally does nothing he says is good enough. He has admitted guilt, is going to counseling, and is determined to be a good example to youth. What MORE do you want from him? Let him live and give him the chance to redeem himself.
*When Larry King asked him about punching, biting and choking Rihanna, Chris Brown said he didn’t remember doing it.*
Um. Ya. Right. Why bother doing this interview if you’re gonna lie? Is there anyone out there that believes Chris Brown doesn’t remember assaulting Rhianna that night? Anyone? And what about his prior assaults? Does he not remember those either?
And that bow tie. Nice. I’m guessing his lawyer suggested that.
As far as other comments here that suggest Chris Brown is being villainized because he’s black, um – NO. The real reason is that the photographic evidence of what he to Rhianna was made available to the world and it shocked and horrified people. Without that image in circulation I think this thing would have blown over in time. Not that that would have been a good thing. But it would have been for Chris Brown.
The way Chris Brown should have handled the Larry King interview (in my opinion):
*He should have conducted the interview by himself (without his lawyer and mother)
*He should have chosen a better outfit
*He should have been honest about his recollections of beating Rhianna
If he’d have done these things I think I’d have been able to support him.
Anyway– my two cents.
The beating of Rihana by Brown has been exaggerated extremely by media and also twisted extensivly by extreme feminist women such as Operah and Tyra Bank plus others. Rihana had almost forgiven her Boyfriend, christ Brown but when Operah and Tyra Bank plus others added negative comments against Chris, Rihana changed her mine and decided to nail Chris on the cross. I would like to let people like operah and Trya Bank know that it is not fair to take side the way they did in the awake of Brown and Rihana incidence. Tyra and operah were so infuriated that each of the sounded like anti-male agents.
Wow! Thanks, Linda, for a very thoughtful post.
The infamous attack wasn’t the first time Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna. There were two prior incidents ~ one in Europe ~ the other in Barbados.
I think the judge in this case did an excellent job of holding Chris Brown accountable.
IMHO, we need to talk about this because there are way too many people getting abused by intimate partners and family members. This case is important IMHO because it broke down the walls of silence.
BTW, it is typical for abusers to not be able to recall the abuse ~ like alcoholics ~ many black out and can’t recall what happened.