There Have to be Consequences

Chris Brown should not have a career, full stop, until he gets through his probation for beating Rihanna. Brown is the young vocal thing (rapper? singer?) who beat his then-girlfriend three years ago on the eve of the Grammy Awards.  At this year’s same honours he won two statuettes and performed.

The police statement from that night in 2009 has just been released and Brown’s assault on his fellow singer was even worse than previously reported.  In addition to punching her, he slammed her head against a car door and hit her so hard her mouth filled with blood.  And then he said the most chilling thing of all – that what she was getting was just a taste of what was to come when they got home.

Those who do these kinds of things monitored Twitter during Brown’s performance last Sunday night and little girls were falling all over themselves to forgive him simply because he’s “sooooo cute!”  One tweet said, “that hottie can beat on me anytime!”  It just proves my belief that teenage girls are (mostly) stupid.  Having been one, I feel I’m an authority on that subject.

Country star Miranda Lambert was very vocal about her distaste for having Brown as an icon at last weekend’s music awards ceremony.  I have to agree with her with an asterisk on it – once he successfully completes probation he should be able to start fresh.  But he’s only halfway through the 5-year term and it’s way too soon to call him rehabilitated.  He hasn’t shown a lick of remorse but his current girlfriend remains, for the moment, unscathed.   Perhaps he’s a different man.  But he should have to sit out another 2-and-a-half years before he can continue as if things are normal and all is well.