- Public down on singer Chris Brown
Singer Chris Brown hasn’t even gone before a judge yet, but he’s already had his day in the court of public opinion.
After getting arrested Sunday for suspicion of making a criminal threat, a dozen or so radio stations across the country pulled the R&B crooner.
“Yes, you are innocent until proven guilty. But right now he looks pretty damn guilty,” a program director for the Los Angeles station WBLI told Newsday.
It’s been rumored that the charge stems from a fight the 19-year-old star had with his 20-year-old girlfriend, singer, Rihanna. Authorities said other charges weren’t likely to be filed this week and Brown is free on $50,000 bail.
That didn’t matter for Fargo’s Y 94 FM. On Wednesday, the Morning Playhouse program asked listeners what they thought. More than 200 people wanted the singer’s songs pulled from the air, said Playhouse host, Zero.
“Y 94 has suspended the music of Chris Brown,” a banner ad on the station’s Web site stated. “Our listeners Do Not take his alleged actions lightly.” The ad also urges people who may be in danger to call the National Domestic Hotline.
On Thursday afternoon, Zero (Mr. Zero?) said the Brown ban wasn’t as much a rap against the artist as it was a way to shine a light on domestic abuse and draw attention to the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.
Which sounds great: Domestic abuse is a problem and I applaud the station for helping people get help.
But before you could finish reading the online statement, it rolled over to the next banner ad, promoting Saturday’s Saving Abel concert at the Venue. The rock band was recently in the news when the guitarist was charged with forcing a 17-year-old girl into oral copulation.
So what’s the difference?
Zero pointed out that the charge against the Abel-bodied guitarist had been dropped Wednesday when a videotape showed the girl led people to believe that she was older and wasn’t forced into anything.
Zero added that had listeners been as outraged at Abel as they were at Brown, “I think we would have had to consider the same situation with our playlist.”
But what about all the other artists in trouble? Zero said some people complained that they still play rapper T.I., who goes to prison in March for a firearms violation. Again, the DJ said if listeners complained, the station would react.
So why is Brown drawing the wrath? Why are listeners throwing him to the lions? He’s not the first artist to have abusive accusations swirl around him and his lyrics aren’t as misogynistic as some.
You have to wonder if the outrage really isn’t more about the alleged victim than the alleged assailant. If the alleged victim wasn’t a successful singer, wasn’t a stunning celebrity, would it be big news?
I hope so. But I also hope the accused gets a fair trial in the courts, even if the public has already made up its mind.
And I hope the judge won’t be named “Zero.”
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/230849/
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