Time to Equal The "Punishing" Field

Recently celebrity Chris Brown was arrested for physically assaulting R&B singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty. The two were known to have been in a relationship for a while before the incident occurred. There were rumors that Brown and Fenty had an argument that got heated and turned into a physical altercation between the two. Brown turned himself in and was charged with felony battery charges. Almost immediately, the press turned the story into a media circus.

Both performers immediately pulled out of their appearances at the Grammy’s. For Brown, the bad times had just begun. He was scheduled to make an appearance on the upcoming Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards. Once the charges had surfaced, people started to show concern and asked that Brown either be pulled from the show or remove himself. Brown voluntarily pulled out of the show and lost even more fans. The media coverage continued and Brown’s name continued to be dragged through the dirt. He also had a Wrigley’s chewing gum commercial in rotation on several networks that was very popular. The commercial was pulled almost immediately after the story broke.

There are hundreds of cases of assault on women reported each year. The men that are guilty in these cases are almost never reported and if they are reported they are not given as bad a rap as Chris Brown received. No, I’m not saying that assault is okay for celebrities to get away with. However, I feel like the only reason Brown got the coverage he got is because he is a celebrity. Scratch that, I KNOW the only reason is because he is a celebrity. Anyone else would have been given a pass or at least been out of jail within a days time, free to resume their normal functioning lives.

Whether it is a celebrity or a regular citizen, assault is assault. Whether it is a female or a male, abuse should not be overlooked for a regular citizen yet sensationalized for a celebrity. While I am not giving Brown a pass for what he did, I do feel like he is being ostracized for the wrong reasons. Yes he did cross the line when he physically harmed a female but he should be treated just like any other woman beater rather than crucify him because he is a celebrity. Or perhaps we can use his case to set a stricter standard for regular citizens. I urge police, lawmakers, politicians… anyone with a voice to demand harsher laws for ANYONE who has the audacity to put their hands on someone else. In this case, for once, let’s put everyone on an equal playing field.