The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

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March 21, 2024

Chris Brown’s Grammys performance sends wrong message on domestic abuse

After an enthusiastic introduction, R&B singer Chris Brown sauntered on to the Staples Center stage Sunday night before dancing to his new song, “Turn Up the Music.”

Chris Brown performs at the 54th annual Grammy Awards Feb. 12. Photo courtesy www.rap-up.com.

Brown performed at the 54th Grammy Awards, his first performance at the awards show since he was arrested for domestic abuse in 2009. But why is he performing at all?

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Brown for domestic abuse of then-girlfriend, Rihanna, the night before the 2009 Grammys. He was released after paying a $50,000 bail.

Brown shouldn’t be welcomed back with open arms — it’s barely been three years, and Rihanna’s restraining order against him was lifted just this month. The U.S. Justice Department still has him on probation through 2014, a fact Grammys producers chose to ignore. While his music may have gained popularity again, he is still a convicted felon for domestic abuse, not a great role model for any of his fans.

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But Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“I think people deserve a second chance, you know,” he told ABC News Radio. “If you’ll note, he has not been on the Grammys for the past few years, and it may have taken us a while to kind of get over the fact that we were the victim of what happened. We’re glad to have him back.”

Ehrlich’s remark is condescending and disrespectful to Rihanna, the real victim of domestic abuse. That the Grammys invited a convicted domestic abuser onto the show is maddening, but the fact that he insists he and the Grammys show were “the victim of what happened” is inexcusable.

The Grammys shouldn’t have welcomed him back with such open arms, even if Brown deserves a second chance, like Ehrlich said. He shouldn’t have been encouraged and applauded at the Grammys like he was. He performed twice and was highlighted in the ads as if he were the comeback kid. There are plenty of other prominent hip-hop stars in the music industry who haven’t committed crimes, and they probably would’ve been glad to perform.

But even worse than Ehrlich’s remarks or Brown’s performance were the number of disturbing tweets that surfaced during the Grammys.

“I’d let Chris Brown beat me up anytime ;),” one girl tweeted.

Another one said, “chris brown can punch me whenever he wants #love.”

These tweets show a troubling trend to forgive and forget. Domestic violence is a serious problem, but the message seems to be lost here, especially among young fans of the singer. Both the tweets supporting Brown and Ehrlich’s explanation of Brown’s return imply the same thing: because Brown is a valued performer, it’s okay that he beat up his girlfriend.

Brown doesn’t deserve the chance to parade around stage, indulging in the glory of being an R&B sensation. It’s been just three years since TMZ leaked the photos of Rihanna with bruises and cuts all over her face, but we’ve already forgotten.

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