What the hell is Chris Brown thinking? Even if he has no goddamn sense (and he clearly hasn’t), what the hell are his publicists thinking?
Chris Brown, having graduated from tossing chairs at windows after interviewers have the temerity to ask him about his battering of then-girlfriend Rihanna, has apparently decided that violence against women will be his new hallmark. He’s tattooed an image of a battered woman, which looks strikingly like the images taken to document Rihanna’s injuries though he of course denies it’s her, on his neck:
Whether or not the image is of Rihanna is exactly irrelevant. Why is he tattooing any image of a battered woman on his body? Why would any person — man or woman — do such a thing?
This is truly sick behavior and it makes me physically ill. It is incumbent upon those who have defended him in the past — arguing that he has paid the price and apologized for abusing Rihanna — to loudly proclaim that this behavior is not okay. It is incumbent upon all of us to let men who abuse women that that behavior is not okay.
Far too often, people are uncomfortable about domestic violence and abuse. Folks don’t want to hear the truth. They want the women who have suffered at the hands of those who would physically and emotionally abuse them to stay silent. Usually it’s for some bullshit reason like, “his voice is important” or “I really like his music.” When do we stand up and say no? When do we stand up and say that the emotional abuse reflects badly on — and only on — the abuser? If we allow abuse to continue and we don’t say anything about it, then we’re guilty too. If we acknowledge that abuse has occurred, but then place the onus of that abuse on the victim by demanding that she (and in many cases he, but I’m going with “she” for obvious reasons) stay silent, or keep the matter private “where it belongs,” then we are guilty, too. Chris Brown has traveled the road that many abusers travel — they off-handedly apologize, while continuing to evince by their behavior that they aren’t sorry at all.
[read full post at ABLC]
Villago Delenda Est
This guy is trolling.
He’s drawing attention to it.
He knows that this will keep his name in the headlines, on twitter, whatever.
DON’T FEED THE GODDAMN ENERGY CREATURE.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
What else does he has, beyond he’s the man who beat up Rihanna?
As Villago Delenda Est Says, he’s just a troll.
jibeaux
It’s also incumbent on people to stop buying that shit. Just don’t listen to that music.
And SN, gorram that is one hideous tattoo.
mdblanche
He isn’t.
“I wonder if Mitt Romney is hiring.”
James Gary
I agree it’s a phenomenally unattractive tattoo, but someone at the ThinkProgress link pointed out it’s supposed to be “Pharaoh transitioning into Osiris,” which apparently is a visual symbol the guy’s used many times onstage in the past. Did anyone, before rushing to condemn him, actually ASK Chris Brown what it was supposed to signify?
Erik Vanderhoff
Chris Brown is a blight upon popular culture. So long as his music sells and he is feted at awards shows, we will teach our daughters that a man who beats them is an acceptable sex figure.
Concerned dads across America, it is incumbent upon us that we take (rhetorical) bats to Chris Brown’s career until all that is left is a chalk outline on the Billboard charts.
TheStone
It doesn’t really look like a battered woman, unless it was battering of a decidedly unorthodox nature. But it is really clueless and ‘tone-deaf,’ as the children say these days.
Cassidy
@James Gary: Ahhhh…so he didn’t beat Rhianna, he was just helping her with her costume.
jibeaux
@James Gary: Erm. Not sure that’s enough. Even if that were true, I’d still boycott on the grounds that if he’s going to spend money on tattoos that ugly, maybe I’ll just keep my money. Is there a picture of this visual symbol used onstage before?
Brian R.
Christ, what an asshole.
Cassidy
@Erik Vanderhoff: Dude, if we forced our kids not to listen to music that had bad influences, then we better be able to teach our kids how to play their own instruments. People are going to listen to what they want to listen to. It’s not our jobs to ban the music, but to teach our kids why certain people suck. The message goes further when they draw their own conclusions.
Steve
It’s hard to look at Chris Brown and think of something other than a battered woman. But if I saw that tattoo on some random person I sure wouldn’t think, “Hey, that’s an image of a battered woman, wtf.”
Violet
Wait, that’s Chris Brown? I thought he was supposed to be sort of a squeaky clean guy–boy next door type–before he beat up Rihanna, that is. When did he morph into tattooed guy? What’s up with his hair? For a minute I almost thought it was an old picture of Dennis Rodman.
Sly
And yet, Charles Lane is still a bigger piece of shit.
TheStone
@Violet: I would love to see Chris Brown try to batter Dennis Rodman.
Cassidy
@Violet: He’s going through his Justin Timberlake “I have facial hair” phase.
brent
@Violet: Yeah. Its odd. I am pretty sure he has aspirations as an actor as well so marking himself up like that would seem to limit his range of roles considerably.
James Gary
@Steve:
Bingo.
Cassidy
@brent: Nothing a computer can’t fix.
gnomedad
@Steve:
More like: “Hey, dude, you should see a doctor about that.”
Violet
@brent: I guess he could always go the Mike Tyson route and kind of play himself.
More concerning to me is that Rihanna seems to be close with him again. I’m not sure what kind of message that sends.
shortstop
@Cassidy: That’s a lot more work than people think it is. Which is why a lot of directors/producers choose to slap thick body makeup on Angelina’s tats and hope we can’t see them peeking through (we can).
Randy P
Pop culture ignoramus. Who is this, who is Rihanna, and why do I care?
gnomedad
“Hey, baby, I’ll always respect you. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
Violet
From Rihanna’s Oprah interview:
Comes across to me like a classic abused person. “He didn’t mean it. He’s damaged. He needs help.” And notice how it’s all about him. Why can’t she be at peace if he’s unhappy or lonely? She’s got her own issues that keep her tied up with him. And if not him, perhaps some other abuser.
What I hope parents and other adults are teaching kids, especially girls, is that THEY matter. And it’s never okay to be in a relationship where someone abuses you. NEVER.
celticdragonchick
@Villago Delenda Est:
All the better for the rest of us to know just where to sucker punch the sonfabitch.
James Gary
@Randy P:
One good way to answer questions like yours is by using a “search engine.” One of the more popular “search engines” is called “Google.” You can get to Google by typing “www.Google.com” in the URL line of your web browser.
Yutsano
@Violet: That battered wife syndrome isn’t just in the fevered imaginations of feminists.
trollhattan
FWIW the only reason I know this person exists is because he likes to slug girls. I don’t know a single other thing about him, including what he may do for a living. Is he a Kardashian–famous for being famous?
Violet
@trollhattan: He’s a singer or rapper or something. Rihanna is also a singer.
SatanicPanic
Chris Brown is a very talented performer and appears to be an awful human being. My son is a huge fan, so I hope Chris gets his act together before my son is old enough to have to grapple with this kind of moral dilemna.
Or not. Plenty of my musical idols were (or still are) horrible people too.
Randy P
@James Gary: Sorry, no search engine is going to provide the succinct BJ wit and social commentary which will go beyond the basic facts and tell me who he actually IS and why and how much this matters.
So it depends on what the meaning of “is” is.
I’m afraid your wit is not up to the standard I had in mind. It’s a high bar here. Thanks for your input though.
Cassidy
@Violet: He’s a singer w/ light rapping in the same vein as Justin Timberlake or Cisquo.
Imani Gandy (ABL)
@James Gary: he says it’s not Rihanna, but a “random woman.”
trollhattan
@Violet:
Based on the above pic, he’s morphing into Dennis Rodman. Perhaps he can grow half a foot, learn to rebound and make something of himself. Trading elbows with NBA power forwards and centers will tell us whether he’s a sissy boy facing someone his own size.
Nina
One of the advantages of admitting that you’re old is that you’re freed from caring about the popular singers of the day. But that also means that you lose track of the relative importance of various pop figures.
I mean, I know who Justin Bieber is but that’s about my limit on popular bands. So Chris Brown and Rihanna could be as big as Ike and Tina or as minor as Tony Orlando and Dawn and I wouldn’t know. Thanks for giving us a relative gauge on this guy’s fame-o-meter.
They really ought to establish a fame-o-meter for us geezers. “Mr. X is .23 Michael Jacksons famous”
trollhattan
@Nina:
Yup. Then, having a grade-school daughter ensures one knows who Selena Gomez is to the point of (sadly) recognizing some of her songs.
“Who?” Don’t ask.
Lawn. Kids. etc.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: Is this actually helpful for someone who doesn’t know who Chris Brown is? IOW is the Thong Song that ubiquitous?
Cassidy
@Nina: @trollhattan: [Nelson Voice] HA HA
I’m currently involved in teaching my oldest the history of punk rock.
Djur
@Nina:
That’s probably the most apt comparison I can think of. They’re very popular performers.
hep kitty
@Violet: I was in 2 emotionally abusive relationships, one in my 20’s and one in my 40’s. Reading that excerpt, I totally understand where she is coming from. I would not have stayed if physical abuse was involved, but the emotional side of it has to be very similar.
It sounds crazy, I know, but you really, really, really believe you love this person. With all your heart. You think you cannot bear to see them hurt and they know how to win you back every single time. They are very crafty and possess a finely-honed ability to locate sensitive areas and harpoon them when necessary.
I guess she is over it now but at the time she gave that interview, sounds like she was struggling with not going back. Her friends and family probably had to physically hold her down.
If you’re lucky, someone will come along and just grab you by the scruff of your neck and tell you to GET OUT! NOW!
Anyway, it worked for me.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: Honestly, if someone doesn’t at least partially recognize one of the names, then there isn’t much that can be done. Kindly return to your Lawrence Welk episodes.
ETA: I’m kidding. but if you have no concept of pop culture, you’re best bet is to find articles on the VMA’s and Kid’s Choice Awards online. That will enable you to hold a conversation with your pre-teen/ teen grandchild.
Riley's Enabler
Delurking to comment that it looks more like half of a sugar skull / Día de los Muertos design than a battered woman.
Then again, I could be wrong. Has been known to happen.
Randy P
@Imani Gandy (ABL): As you point out, that doesn’t matter. I gather he was arrested for beating her up, and he’s choosing to make that a point of pride.
So I’m even more curious as to whether he has any actual success or is trying to use this as a way to get his 15 minutes (or better, reality show). Was his name known before whatever it was happened?
Ben Cisco
@Villago Delenda Est: I approve this message.
Chris Brown isn’t worth the pixels/ink/airtime, neither in terms of his music or his personal life, and on a properly functioning planet he would be shunned (or would have been looking for his dental work).
whidby
I guess one of the downsides of knowing who “Chris Brown” and “Rihanna” are is that you are also more likely to know what douchebags one or both of them are.
seaurch
@Erik Vanderhoff:
Does that seem very likely to work?
hep kitty
And, yeh, with his money, you’d think he could find a decent tattoo artist, that thing is hideous.
Djur
@hep kitty: Yeah, seconded. I really don’t think people who are wringing their hands about whether Rihanna is Setting a Good Example understand what it’s like. (Or, in some cases, they’ve just forgotten what it’s like.)
And it has zero (0) percent to do with whether she has the wealth to ‘get away’ from him, which is something I hear a lot. Sometimes the abused partner is the one with the money. I know that from experience. Obviously it’s harder to get away if you’re financially dependent, but there’s so much more to it than that.
SatanicPanic
@Cassidy: I’d add Usher to your list because, like Usher, Chris Brown is probably better at dancing than anything else.
trollhattan
@Cassidy:
Awesome. How old? My 10 Y.O. is too young for punk, what with the zesty lyrics and all, but she might be ready for power pop pretty soon. The Motors, the Flamin’ Groovies, Nick Lowe….
Djur
@Randy P: Yes, both of them were famous, successful performers before the beating. A lot of people thought it would end Chris Brown’s career, but he’s still extremely popular, especially among girls/young women.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: Dude, I am fully capable of digging the new.
@Djur: Rihanna might have the potential to be Tina – maybe. Chris Brown OTOH will never match Ike. Turner was a truly fucked up human being, but he was an outsized talent; Brown is hard to distinguish from the pack of similar artists – I doubt he will be remembered for much.
Gin & Tonic
@Cassidy: As one who actually went and damaged my hearing in places like CBGB and Max’s, I’m thinking that punk just doesn’t age well, particularly as recordings.
But maybe that just me. Kids, lawn, you know.
here4tehbeer
Aside from the Grace Jones tat on his neck, WTH is tattooed on his jaw?
Gravenstone
@Violet: Yeah, that was my first thought – he’s going for the Dennis Rodman look. And that turned out sooooo well for the Worm.
Arclite
Maybe he reflected on what he did and is trying to raise awareness about violence against women?
ant
Well I have no idea who the fuck this idiot is, I’m just checking in to note that neck tattoos look like shit. Yes, every single one that has ever been done.
tis all.
Djur
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh, sure, I wouldn’t compare them in talent. But in terms of being an estranged musical “power couple”.
Cassidy
@trollhattan: She’s 12. She’s been into a lot of the post-punk type stuff (Paramore, 30 Seconds to mars, MCR) the last few years and has been looking for something with more of an edge lately. On her own she started listening to Bowling for Soup (which I wouldn’t have allowed had I known) and early Green Day (she doesn’t like new GD, it’s “too pop” lol), so she started with the pop-punk as well. I listen to a lot of Social D and early punk, so I went way back to the New York Dolls and MC5 and we ended the night with the Sex Pistols and Ramones. I think the next stop on our tour is going to be Fugazi and Bad Religion.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: Sorry, I wasn’t speaking directly to you. That was meant generically.
@Gin & Tonic: I love the old recordings, personally. It’s the closest I’ll come, since I wasn’t born.
Djur
@Cassidy: No kid’s ever too young to listen to Marquee Moon, I’d say.
trollhattan
@Cassidy:
Got it. There’s a gulf of difference between fifth and seventh grades, but that whole time-compression thing is sweeping us forward and we’ll be there in about a week and a half. She already knows some Black Eyed Peas lyrics so it’s only a matter of time.
Dad’s not ready.
Shawn in ShowMe
@seaurch:
The only thing that’s going to diminish Chris Brown’s star amongst the young whippersnappers is for him to be charged with Tupac’s murder.
Edit: Yeah, I know he would have been a little kid then but remember it was a little kid that popped Omar on The Wire.
Alison
@Arclite: No.
brent
@Imani Gandy (ABL): Not exactly. The link says that sources close to Brown says is some random woman. Not too solid to say the least.
I don’t think much of Chris Brown. He seems like a real pig with a real hatred of women. But frankly, this story seems pretty shaky. Really that tattoo does not look like a battered woman to me at all.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: I have a crimes with 12 y/o twins who is doing the same thing. He is taking them to Riot Fest in Chicago this weekend. My nephew and niece who are 11 and 9 are likely to be lost causes. I got the niece to say she liked a song by Metric, but I think she was just being polite.
FlipYrWhig
@Cassidy: Bad Religion FTW! Great choice. Also worth checking out Naked Raygun.
Fugazi I was very meh on, to the degree that “very meh” is any more meaningful than “extra medium.”
Villago Delenda Est
@Ben Cisco:
I’ve been blessed by the Emissary of the Prophets today.
I can now go play with the cat with no guilt at all.
Cassidy
@trollhattan: Honestly, with the easy availability of Youtube, I’ve given up on trying to control what they hear. There are certain songs that I’ll turn off on the radio when we’re driving, but I don’t kid myself that they’ll hear it if they really want to. And there are certain bands I flat out say no to as well. For my part, I try and listen to a broad spectrum so that I’m familiar with current pop music that my three younger ones like and I play a very diverse set of music in my car and try to expose them to what I like. Funny enough, I got pissed at Pandora a few weeks ago as I made a point to play female punk acts. That’s one of the things I do around my girls is watch women’s sports, listen to female bands, etc. Anyway, they kept playing the same 20-30 songs over and over again and there is so muych good music out there. I was livid. Three Donna’s songs! Out of all their albums, only those songs. Admittedly not a hgue fan, but still.
Omnes Omnibus
@Omnes Omnibus: Why did auto correct turn friend into crimes?
SatanicPanic
@trollhattan: Don’t fight it. I had my son listening to the Ramones when he was 3 but now he’s having none of it. Only likes hip-hop. The worst thing about that is that most of the hip-hop I like tends to be wildly inappropriate for kids so I’m stuck with BEP, Bieber and Chris Brown. Can’t be helped, so I’ve made my peace with them.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: That is cool. I can’t wait to take my daughter(s) to their first punk show.
@FlipYrWhig: Dude. Waiting Room. How can you be meh about that?
Cassidy
And of all the punk talk, the two songs I haven’t been able to get enough of recently are Bad Religion’s “Dealy Beloved” (acoustic) and Johnny Cash “The Devils Right Hand”. The guitar in the last one just sounds so grimy.
SatanicPanic
@Cassidy: I was never too big on Fugazi’s recordings- I like Rites of Spring and Minor Threat better- but man were they good live.
Cassidy
@SatanicPanic: I can believe it.
smintheus
So what is this clown saying, “Go ahead, punch me in the neck”?
dance around in your bones
Ok, whatever the fuck about Chris Brown. he’s a piece of shit.
Bu, damn, have I ever seen some ugly ass tattoos on just regular people. I often think, how you gonna feel when you are 60, or 80, or whatever? with that piece of shit on your body?
I have one tattoo, on my butt, and I only show it to people I wanna show it to. That’s my advice for people wanting to get tattoos. Put ’em in a place where you only show them if you want to.
You’re welcome.
eta: P.S. – it’s a rainbow bird with a swallow tail, done by Ed Hardy before he was famous. My grandkids love it (when they see me changing clothes).
P.S. P.S – They also love my scar from my hip surgery – the little guy says “Oowie!” and I say “NO Shit”.
FlipYrWhig
@Cassidy: Sorry… I only ever liked “Margin Walker.”
different-church-lady
I’m honestly hoping this is the tattoo that finally draws an end to all tattoos for all time.
ninja3000
@brent: He ain’t the only “actor” with a tatoo, and that’s what stage makeup is for…
ninja3000
And by the way, I have been an entertainment publicist, and there ain’t an entertainment publicist in the world can make a moron client stop being a moron.
The Moar You Know
She seems fine with it. He will do it again, of course. She will claim not to understand why.
I lose all sympathy for battered women on the second go-round. At that point you’re not a victim, but rather a willing sacrifice.
hep kitty
Why am I only just now discovering this site? It’s great!
on Nine-Elevenalia check it out, if you haven’t already
Mr Blifil
Who is Chris Brown again?
hep kitty
@different-church-lady: I’ve found a few benefits to being old. The fact that I’ve never so much as considered getting a tattoo, or felt pressured to get one, is one of them. (In all honestly, I probably would have gotten a peace sign)
Also, FB & Twitter. I shudder to think about what might have happened if I’d had access to those two things when I was in my 20’s.
Ms. D. Ranged in AZ (formerly IrishGrrrl)
ABL, the link to the photo isn’t working. But I googled it and it is really disgusting. People should boycott his ass.
salvage
While he is a woman beating sack of scum and anyone who gives him an award or buys his music is a douche that’s not what the tattoo is, it’s a “Day of the Dead” thing. So everyone please put your jerks back into your knees.
JC
Chris Brown is a domestic abuser and a douchebag. NO DOUBT!!!
But, I think his tattoo is a version of this common theme showcased in a photo I shot in La Paz, Mexico that has nothing to do with battered women.
Sorry, but your wrong on this one.
Photo of Skull Girl
I think he is doing half a skull girl and half a real girl because it looks like he split her right in the middle. Look at where the stitches stop.
Some Loser
@The Moar You Know:
You can go fuck yourself then. Really, just drop dead right now.
@JC:
Comments from the Think Progress page led me to believe it was an Isis and Osiris thing that both Rihanna and Chris Brown was doing. Chris representatives says it is a sugar skull girl. Honestly, I don’t what to believe, but it doesn’t really look like a battered woman to me. The only thing I am sure about is that is an ugly tattoo.
West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)
Strictly hypothetical here, but I wonder if Justin B. would be in as much trouble for beating up Selena Gomez (though she could probably kick his ass) as is Chris B. for punching Rhianna. (I hope so. Violence against anyone smaller or weaker is a sign of a great coward in my opinion.)
West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)
Some Loser, can you explain in a little more detail your obvious pissed-offedness with The Moar You Know? His language doesn’t look all that much more harsh than does your own “go fuck yourself… drop dead right now”. Am I missing something? I’m not trying to be belligerent, I just want to understand.
I mean, I DO believe there are some pretty compelling psychological/economic reasons why a victim may choose to stay with a batterer, so I wouldn’t personally want to say, “Well, it’s happened more than once, you crazy victim, you, so got get stuffed.” (I gather this is how Moar feels.) Is that the point you’re making — that victims of D.V. should be granted more sympathy?
Jade Jordan
Good to know ABL never made a single mistake in her life. Lets kill everyone who slips up. Forgiveness and Redemption is so yesterday.
He made a mistake, he is young, he paid for his crime, Rihanna’s moved on ABL needs to move on AND GET HER FACTS STRAIGHT.
OBOT
Some Loser
@West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.): I just that attitude. It is not different from when people blame addicts or say shit like rape victims shouldn’t be putting themselves in bad situations. It is victim-blaming, plain and simple. I get pissed off when so-called conservatives expressed such attitudes, and it piss me off when people who know better say such things.
Though, I am not as angry as my language would suggest. I am more annoyed than anything. Internet hyperbole and stuff.
salvage
@Jade Jordan:
Uh beating up a woman is not a “slip up” that is made because you are young and stupid. It’s a crime perpetrated by an asshole who thinks women are property or less than human.
She was not the first woman he ever hit and she will not be the last but I guess if he kills his next girlfriend you’ll think about taking his poster down off your wall.
debbie
@
I see more Nacho Libre than Grace.
Patricia Kayden
@The Moar You Know: I read that she grew up in a home where her father abused her mother. Perhaps she thinks it’s normal for men to abuse their partners. Very sad situation. I hope she doesn’t put herself in a situation where he abuses her again.
Imani Gandy (ABL)
@Jade Jordan: I never slipped up and punched anyone in the face, if that’s what you’re asking…
bjacques
Skull Girl, and not a very good one, evidently.
That downgrades Brown to shithead instead of über-shithead. He’s obviously unrepentant about abusing Rihanna with his remark about it being a private matter between the two of them. Abusers rarely or never stop unless someone else intervenes. Calling abuse a private matter, especially long after it’s gone public, sounds like a continuing attempt to isolate the victim.
If you can’t deal with an abuse victim running back to the abuser, just say so. At least it’s honest and makes you no worse than most other people, because it takes a special effort to get involved. But you are abandoning that person and you realize it, or else you wouldn’t be ascribing to her some quality that exhausts your sympathy more than another type of victim might.
I wouldn’t be sorry if Anonymous came to believe Brown was abusing cats, but frankly I don’t care what happens to him. Instead I’d like to see Rihanna take her life back, tell the public how Brown operates and tell him to go screw.