YOUR FAVORITE SINGER IS A WOMAN BEATER

In class today, we talked about how the media has capitalized on the image of the black male as social deviants.

I started to think about the whole Chris Brown and Rihanna scandal, and how it played out on TV, on the internet, and in the tabloids. Everyone was quick to label Chris Brown as guilty before his story could even be told, and yet out of respect to Rihanna (and possibly to save his own career), he chose to remain silent on the juicy details we all wanted to know. Chris Brown, the sweet, young love-bird turned immediately into Chris Brown, the preying monster. Just look at the before and after pics from TMZ and, one of the many media outlets to depict the 19-year old as rather sinister. Check out the train of images. He's either demonized or sexualized:The Chris Brown Trials

Don't you just love a Black man in an orange jumpsuit? I know I miss the Cute and cuddly Chris:





Meanwhile, in a world when a celebrity's every (wrong) move is documented for the world to see, I had to shake my head when my favorite artist, Kanye West, decided to play the role of the violent black man. 'Ye made the mistake of interrupting country singer Taylor Swift to give credit to Beyonce's all-to-famous "Single Ladies" video. Swift, who is also 19 (a year younger than Rihanna during her ordeal), is victimized by the media in the same way, if not worse than Rihanna was.

Seriously, Kanye didn't punch Taylor in the face.

Perhaps we've converted back to the days of darkening the already tainted image of the Black man. (Interesting: to DENIGRATE is to defame; to attack somebody's character or reputation; TO BLACKEN)

Although acquitted of the (original) crime, OJ Simpson cannot escape being labeled as a murderer, see Family Guy Episode.



Although hilarious, this episode says something about the way the media influences our understanding of celebrities, their personas, and the extended community they so happen to represent.

Ah Kanye, he was the first to say "Give Chris a break." Now they're categorizing you as a mysogynist with the best of them: Worse Apology: Kanye West or Chris Brown? (With Video)