Chris Brown

I've been wanting to make a post about domestic violence for some time, and unfortunately, Chris Brown's performance at the Grammy's this Sunday affords me the perfect opportunity.  In 2009, Brown was scheduled to perform at the Grammy, an invitation that was cancelled when he viscously beat the sh*t out of his then girlfriend, Rihanna. After being given a "timeout" for those actions, he was again invited to perform at one of the most prestigious award ceremonies. For an account of the assault, read this. Or don't and take my word for it that it is truly terrible. 

Yesterday a friend made this post on Facebook: "Eve Ensler once said that the fact that we don't think of violence against women as extraordinary and that we are not shocked and appalled that it happens speaks volumes about our culture." Why aren't we shocked and appalled by Brown's actions? Or if we are, why don't we shout from the roof-top "this is not ok - we don't want to see him perform." Why do we support (either explicitly or by our silence) institutions that support violence against women? 

This passage from an excellent book, Transforming a Rape Culture, aptly sums it up, I believe: 

   "We are taught to see women as commodities and objects for men's sexual release and sexual fantasies;  most women are considered interior to men and thus not to be respected or trusted. Such thinking is encouraged and legitimized by our culture and transmitted via institutional structures (churches, workplaces), mass media (Playboy and Penthouse), misogynist music (rap and mainstream), and R-rated  and horror films that use exploitative images of women. And of course there are the ever-present tall, trim, Barbie-doll women featured in advertising for everything from condoms to the latest diet cures. Few men have been taught - really taught - from birth and to the heart and gut to respect, value, or even on occasion honor women."