Posts Tagged ‘Chris Brown’
Tuesday Link Love!
Posted on: January 26, 2010
Everyone make sure to check out the new group blog, Equality 101:
Equality 101 is a group blog for teachers. Here, we will post lessons, articles, and thoughts about diversity in K-12 and post-secondary education. Diversity can mean anything from tackling issues like racism, sexism, and classism in the classroom to inspiring diverse learners in any sense of the word.
this ain’t living’: Your Privilege: Check It
There’s an idea which some people have that if they name themselves “good allies” they are allowed to assess their own behaviour, and that they can even do so accurately because, you know, they are good allies. This is a fallacy. It’s a fallacy in part because even the very best allies mess up. Sometimes royally. Allies are like banks, then: You cannot rely upon them to regulate themselves. In part, it’s in their nature, in part, it’s because it’s really hard to self-regulate because you have no distance and perspective.
Bitch Blogs: Race Card: Chris Brown, Charlie Sheen, Race and Domestic Violence
So, is TMZ vilifying Brown in ways that it has failed to vilify Sheen? I’m inclined to agree with commenters who said that TMZ not only hasn’t vilified Sheen but has also tried to garner sympathy for him. After reporting that Sheen’s wife, Brooke Mueller, had accused Sheen of domestic violence on Christmas Day, the Web site first moved to discredit Mueller, reporting that she was legally intoxicated when police showed up to intervene. And the commenters above are correct when they say that there’s been underlying sympathy throughout reports about Sheen needing permission to visit Mueller in the hospital when she developed a high fever related to oral surgery.
Spare Candy: “Living Dolls” could generate big conversation
Author and writer Natasha Walter has a new book coming out (Feb. 4, I believe), called “Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism.” If you pay attention to UK newspapers, you know it’s already generating a number of columns and stories in the press.
Tuesday Link Love!
Posted on: November 17, 2009
So, this is going to be yet another week where I will be pretty absent from the online community. I’m working tomorrow and then I will be out of town Thursday through Saturday to visit some friends. In other exciting news, Sarah Palin will be starting her book tour for Going Rogue right here in my hometown of Grand Rapids at a local Barnes & Noble. “Sadly” not at the B&N that I work at and I will also be working when she’s going to be here so I don’t get the lovely privilege of going to her book signing. You can tell how upset I am about this.
Anyways, here are some of my favorite posts of the past couple days, as always. Don’t forget to leave links to what you have been writing/reading in the comments!
FWD/Forward: Glee: “That’s why we call it dismissing legitimate concerns instead of acting”
[Before I go any further: I didn’t feel “empowered” by Glee, nor did most of the women with disabilities that I know. That said, my goal here isn’t to tell you or anyone you know how to feel about the show. My objection to the above is not only the condescending tone and dismissal of everything that people who actually work in the industry are saying about representations of disability and how that affects their work, but also being told how I should feel about the show.]
Women & Hollywood: A Tale of Two Young Actresses
The NY Times ran two very different stories about two very different young actresses – Megan Fox and Kristen Stewart – who both appear in huge franchises, Fox in Transformers and Stewart in Twilight. Both women had cover pieces, Stewart in the Arts & Leisure section and Fox in the Magazine.
Both these women are big tabloid fodder. Their faces are everywhere but there are a lot of differences between these women and I think it illuminates some of the issues facing young women in the business today.
The Sexist: Chris Brown: “I Love Women”
It assumes that all women are the same. I’m a heterosexual woman with plenty of men in my life. I love my father, my brother, and my boyfriend. I do not love Tucker Max, Tom Cruise, or the skeevy guy in The Continental. How could this possibly be? Because I understand that even though my boyfriend and Tucker Max share a couple of pronouns, they have little else in common. Men who announce that they “love women” fail to recognize us as individuals.
Love for the Links
Posted on: September 1, 2009
- In: Link Love
- 2 Comments
Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope the week has started off well for all of you. Here are some of my favorite posts of the past couple days. Don’t forget to leave links to what you’ve been writing and reading in the comments!!
Oops, don’t care [o filthy grandeur!] – Chris Brown still love Rihanna, but do we really care?
Brief Thoughts on Feminism, Theorizing, Storytelling, Anarchism, and Community [Fiercly Independent] – why he identifies as a feminist and anarchist and the community that comes from that.
Straight Girls: Your Pretend Facebook Relationships Are Not Funny or Cute [Pieces of String] – straight girls in relationships on Facebook add to the erasure of lesbian relationships.
A Reflection: Feminism and Personal Growth [Small Strokes] – a reflection on how blogging and being involved in a feminist community online have brought about personal growth as a woman and a feminist.
Healthy Obligations [this ain’t livin’] – people are under no obligation to be healthy and why do people feel as if it is ok to comment on the health of others? It’s none of their business.
Raising a Feminist/Raised a Feminist: A Mother’s and Daughter’s Perspective [Feministing] – a post from a mother and a daughter on raising and being raised a feminist.
When the JK Wedding Entrance Dance video started making its way around the internet, I watched it…a couple times. I thought it was great and was like, “that’s what I’m going to do whenever I get married.” In case you missed it, here’s the video:
A tip via Twitter from @erinmjustice pointed me towards this article about the couple whose wedding this was and their fight against domestic violence. Their choice of song in their wedding entrance dance (“Forever” by Chris Brown) has increased downloads of the song and all of that money goes to Chris Brown. To combat this, they are trying to raise money for domestic violence prevention.
On the couple’s site (jkweddingdance.com), it states,
Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute. Sheila Wellstone was an advocate, organizer, and national champion in the effort to end domestic violence in our communities.
I can see the reasons behind chosing “Forever” (that they are going to be together forever and all). And while they didn’t expect their video to be so popular and to increase sales for Chris Brown, I think that it is great that they are using their “fame” to help combat domestic violence.
Chris Brown recently released this video apologizing for, you know, that “incident” in February. In the video, it is very unclear what he apologizing for. He only talks specifically about domestic violence when referencing what he experienced in his childhood. He only mentioned Rihanna by name once. If you didn’t know what had happened in February, you would be really confused.
I’m still not quite sure if this apology video should be taken seriously. Yes, I’m sure he is sorry for what he did to Rihanna…and sorry for the backlash that it caused against him. What about you? Do you think his apology is truly, 100% heartfelt? Or is it (if only partly) a publicity ploy aimed at gaining public approval again?
Further Reading:
On Chris Brown’s Public “Apology” [Feministing]
Chris Brown Apologizes For That Thing He Did [Jezebel]
Chris Brown Can’t Admit What He Did [Womanist Musings]
Chris Brown is Finally Guilty
Posted on: June 23, 2009
Did we ever have any doubts? I’m guessing that many of you are familiar with this case. Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend Rihanna. CNN reported that:
Under terms of the agreement, Brown will serve five years of probation and must serve 180 days in jail or the equivalent — about 1,400 hours — in “labor-oriented service,” said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. He must also undergo a year-long domestic-violence counseling class, she said.
Brown’s sentence is comparable to other felony sentences when the defendant has no previous record, she said.
“This is not an easy sentence,” Gibbons said. He must check in with a probation officer every three months.
I don’t really have enough of a background with assault or domestic violence cases to know if this is a fair sentence or if he is being let off a little easy, as many celebrities are. Feministing has some doubts on the effectiveness of the sentencing as well.
Rihanna was apparently at the trial and the judge issued something like a restraining order on Brown. Rihanna didn’t want this because she has apparently forgiven Brown (as was all over the entertainment news earlier this year) but her lawyer advised that she accept the “restraining order” at least until Brown finishes domestic violence counseling.
I am in complete support of the restraining order, even though I think women should have a choice in who they spend their time with. But Rihanna is in such an influential position for young girls and women and I feel like she is just showing people that domestic violence is ok if you really love the person. Love can forgive all. Even a public beating. This semi-restraining order (if publicized in the right way) can show these young girls and women that domestic violence is not something that is part of a normal relationship and is not ok.
Do you all think this is a fair sentence for Brown? What do you think about Rihanna’s “restraining order”?
Fighting with the Sky 