“I’m worried about vaginas.” 

So I hear Chris Brown preformed at the BET Awards. His name is buzzing around because of it. A vlogger I subscribe to on youtube posed the question, “Is Chris Brown forgiven?” Comments left below suggest to me perhaps he has been, but something about restoring him to his former status doesn’t sit well with me. Here’s why.

Chris Brown is a man. Chris Brown is an icon. He’s given his apology so he as a man, I say deserves forgiveness. Rihanna is the victim and if she doesn’t hold a grudge it’s no one else’s place to. As an icon, I think forgiving him is problematic. His assault on Rihanna was vicious, we all know, and we all will never forget. I hear his name, I see his face, and the first thing I think of is her battered image. Kind of makes it difficult for me to listen to his music even if I did want to. The fact that people can listen to him without feeling that concerns me. I personally feel supporting him implicitly condones, or at least tolerates violence. Do we live in a society where people are not sensitive to that?

Whether you identify as woman or you are just lucky enough to have one you care for in you life, the trauma of violence against woman is something that can be easily understood but unfortunately, not often is. I want to ask these people who forgive Chris Brown, if it was their mother, their sister, their friend, would they still forgive him. Would they go to his concerts, buy his albums, sing his songs if a woman close to them had been the victim of his violence. 

But understand me, Chris Brown is not my issue, it’s the violence that he symbolizes. 

Ok, I lied, it’s him too.

The other day I over heard a lyric delivered by Kevin McCall in Brown’s song “Deuces” not realizing it was a Chris Breezy production until the song was over and the DJ announced it. The line, “Like Tina did Ike in the Limo, it finally hit me.” An Ike and Tina reference in a Chris Brown song?… Real classy.