How now, Brown?

It's been hard to like Chris Brown for the good part of this year, and his appearance on Larry King Live made nothing easier. Between vague statements of remorse tied to refusals to serve the purpose of the interview -- to talk about what happened the night he beat Rihanna's face into a scourge on his career -- he threw some inarticulate barbs at his sentence ("With what I'm capable of doing, as far as influencing people, as far as influencing kids, the youth, I can do more to help the community other than picking up trash") and "immature media." He said the latter with no seeming awareness that he's using immaturity as a defense in this informal trial. "We’re young. Nobody taught us how to love one another," he whined at one point. Well, here's some immaturity to add to the pile: this kid is an entitled prick.

Chris Brown talks about his "natural fans," as though enjoying him is written into people's DNA. On that transparent apology that made the Internet rounds in July, he said, "I got a little help because of the wording, but it was all from my heart." I'm sure the same could be said of "You're like Jordans on a Saturday / I gotta have you and I cannot wait" (from "With You") -- he's speaking like a true pop star. Most offensive was his unwillingness to talk about the fateful night in question. Not only did he waste everyone's time by not sharing his perspective (we read the police report, we know you're a bastard), he also repeatedly blamed his unwillingness to spill on his "respect" for Rihanna (in a particularly garbled moment, he said we wouldn't, "because of her personal, and my personal," giving it the same ring of taboo the same way old people do to menstruation). As if by him opening up, Rihanna has anything to lose! The most assholish scenario (and don't count it out) is that he's implying that something he would reveal would turn the public against Rihanna. Unless she beat him with a puppy that then died, I doubt it. It felt like a weird, twisted way of blaming the victim -- "I owe it to her," he said, with no reference to owing it career, which is what this damage-control dud was all about.

You cannot plead the Fifth in front of the court of public opinion. We'll fill in the holes and scorn you just the same. You can't even plead guilty and leave it at that. If Chris Brown thinks this trifle of an interview, in which he was flanked by two defenders (his mother and his lawyer), is going to make this go away, he's in for a rude awakening. He recently told People that his sentence (which doesn't include a second of jail time!) was "a little harsh." It's so ironic that someone capable of such brutality has no idea what harsh means. Here's to education.

Comments

[WHAT]

First...

Chris Browns career is over.

[pete]

all the victim blaming and sympathy for this douche really infuriates me. i can only hope Rihanna will ultimately kick him to the curb. the thought of her sticking by him and possibly bearing his babies fills me with disgust. i'd like to show him what "harsh" looks like in my world. yeah, influence the youth to disrespect and abuse the women in their life. if this had taught him anything, he'd be setting the example by picking up trash with humility. that'd be a youth influence i could maybe start to get behind.

[Heather B.]

What bothers me about Chris Brown is that not only does he not get the severity of what he did but he doesn't care either way. Dude, totally fucked up his career. And as you said in the court of Public Opinion people don't forget. Yet there he is with this 'I don't give a damn' BS going on.

I hope he enjoys his unemployment

[Cheryl]

He's old enough that he should have been able to do this interview on his own, it seemed as he was trying to remember a script someone else wrote (yes I know famous people always have handlers and lawyers around but a one-on-one would have gone a lot further in him seeming genuine and remorseful).

It took him way too long to do this interview and the pictures of him jet skiing days after the event took place are what stand out to me, not him dresed in a sharp sweater trying his best puppy dog routine. Good call on him trying to appear as 'immature' as possible.

[Joan]

Bravo, Rich.

I blame the legal court for letting him continue to be an asshole. The amount of justice you get is equal to the amount of justice you can afford.

This is when I'd love to impose the "eye for an eye" punishment...let someone bigger than him beat the daylights out of him.

[Anon]

What scares me is that his career might NOT be over. From what I've read, seen, and heard, his young female fans blame Rihanna more than they lbame him. I won't even begin to touch on what that means for young black girls in America today.

Anyway, I hate Chris Brown and want him to die, but I also still like "Forever." Fortunately, I never really liked any of his music at all (aside from forever) so I don't have much of a problem with shutting him out of my life altogether.

[Jenn]

The "nobody taught us how to love one another" quote makes me madder than anything else he's said. Do you really need to be taught how to love another person? Do you really need to be taught that loving another person doesn't involve beating the crap out of her?

I'm also sick of people saying, "Well, she must have done something to deserve it," or, "She probably hit him, too." That doesn't make what he did okay. Not that her hitting him would be okay either - if the positions were reversed, she would deserve punishment as much as he does. But "she started it" only works in kindergarten.

Rich, your comment about him complaining about a harsh punishment after he committed a harsh act is spot on.

[steele]

"It's like wow."

[maria c]

You have to read the half-wits that commented on this at the EW site. I cannot comprehend how so many have decided that what he did is OK. It's like you need to actually see him doing it to get it.

I firmly believe he is getting his in one way or the other.

[Kelly]

"With what I'm capable of doing, as far as influencing people, as far as influencing kids, the youth, I can do more to help the community other than picking up trash" Riiiight. I'm a mother and there is no way in hell I would want a woman beater around my children. Why would any mother let their child near someone who clearly has anger issues? He says he takes full responsibility of his actions, but does he? Does he really? I agree with Cheryl. I mean, he beat the crap out of a woman and then took off to Florida (right?) and played on jet ski's. Oh that sure showed how sorry he was. Ass.

[gleopatra]

man he is a douche

leblogdegleopatra.blogspot.com

[Laya]

I believe the asshole scenario is the most likely - like a *wink wink nudge nudge* to the she gave him herpes/was cheating on him/some other thing that meant she deserved it rumors that have been flying around the so-called "immature media".

Also, the #chrisbrownsbowtie trending topic on twitter was the only good thing to come out of this interview. Any "leave him alone" comments were soundly drowned out by thousands of comments clowning everything he is and everything he supposedly stands for. But then again, 'teens don't twitter', so I doubt any of this has done anything to lower him in the typical teenage girl's eyes.

[Justin]

Yeah, when this first all went down, I have to admit I still liked him (or at least the image of him as a pop star). But that's pretty much over. I love "Forever" and a few other songs, but I'm over this dude in a major way. Fuck him.

[Jamie]

THANK YOU!

Even more infuriating than Chris Brown was his mother.

[dirty blonde]

Is anyone even honestly surprised? His first single had the lyrics "Girl I can set you off
Don't believe my age is gonna slow us down
I can definitly show you things
that's gon have you sayin I can't be 16"
He was destined to be an enema-house from the start.

[Melody]

I'm a long time reader, but this is my first time leaving a comment and I'm doing so to say I agree completely with you.

Chris Brown acts as though he was defending himself that night, but self-defense isn't beating a person (male or female) into a bloody pulp to where they need hospital care.

[Sarah]

Also, he looks like a twat in that powder-blue sweater and bow-tie.
I bet his idea of influencing the youth for his community service is making some TV PSAs and then going dancing. Pick up garbage, Chris, get some perspective.

[anna c.]

I can't bring myself to watch that interview. I might have to get a new tv after throwing whatever is within reach at it. I'm scared that in spite of what has happened, he'll still have a great career. I hope not. I'm just simply appalled at all his defenders. I went to ew.com and read what these fans reasons for "forgiving" him, and aside from being ridden with terrible spelling and bad grammar, they were completely batshitcrazy gibberish with little point and no intelligent reasoning. Oi. I'm not religious, but god save us all.

[chelsea]

I haven't watched the interview and I don't plan on it. he infuriates me. he makes me sick. I'm glad you wrote this blog because I'm tired of seeing all the victim blaming and the pitiful excuses. ie- "she started it" I just hope that rihanna has a good support system and doesn't go back to him, and that his career never takes off again.

[christiaan]

it seems as though every major scandal gives larry king their first interview. it frustrates me because he is such a terrible interviewer. but it makes sense because he doesn't really ask the hard questions and force them to answer them. his people should emphasize the fact that they're there to be asked the important questions and then get the answers. i also wouldn't be surprised if larry king has never heard of chris brown until the interview started.

chris brown's mother's responses and rhianna haircut annoyed me so much.

[Christine]

I didn't watch Larry King but thanks for the recap. What a douche!

[RP]

"You cannot plead the Fifth in front of the court of public opinion." - I'm going to borrow this.

I also, unfortunately, read the comments at EW.com which reminded me, once again, why I no longer have faith in humanity.

You always tell it like it is and articulate it much better than I can when it comes to infinitely infuriating issues like this.

I hadn't heard that he actually had the nerve to say that his sentence was too harsh. I'd like to know what he thinks should happen to someone who beats his face in.

[jennifer]

What scares me is that his career might NOT be over.
Posted by: Anon | September 03, 2009 at 01:14 PM

Same here. In fact I'm convinced he's going to be more popular than ever. I wish it wasn't so, but mark my words - his career is FAR from over. Maybe I just don't have much faith in people, but when you read the comments from young women & girls...how could I POSSIBLY believe otherwise??? :(

Rot in hell, Brown.

[Laura @ Hungry and Frozen]

Really nicely put, was nodding the whole way through reading this... Whoever gave him that "harsh" sentence is the kind of judge we need here.

[Emyko]

...Yeah, fuck him! Well said.