Friday, February 27, 2009

Why Does 'The Insider' Hate Women?

My friend Matt has already done a great job excoriating all of the celebrities who are "withholding judgment" of Chris Brown until they hear "both sides of the story" ("Who Am I Not to Judge?") ("[S]ome of the reaction to the case has been disgusting ... many have suggested, either intentionally or not, that perhaps it is excusable to beat up your girlfriend. ... This is more than an oopsy, and any relationship that leads to one person beaten and bloodied and abandoned in the street is a relationship that needs to be worked out with one person moving on and the other moving into prison for a stretch.") And having never heard of the singer until he beat the crap out of his girlfriend, Rihanna, I really haven't felt too compelled to say much about it myself, other than the fact that he's obviously a pathetic coward who deserves to be held accountable for his grievous actions. But after stumbling upon this "poll" yesterday -- BETWEEN CHRIS BROWN AND RIHANNA, WHO DO YOU THINK IS IN THE RIGHT? -- I instantly felt outraged and compelled to speak out against its creators, the entertainment television show "The Insider."


While something so insensitive and misogynistic from an outfit that derives its name from the boorish Pat "hire a hooker and get some coke" O'Brien shouldn't really come as a surprise, it's still hard to believe CBS Television, which also distributes "The Oprah Winfrey Show," would allow something so reprehensible to be on its site, one that is frequented by millions of young people. (I don't watch the show, but Michael says they are running similar on television, too.) I later went back to the site and realized the polls rotate periodically. But the follow-up -- DO YOU THINK CHRIS BROWN'S NAME WILL BE CLEARED, with the first response choice being, YES -- I'M SURE THIS IS ALL JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING. CHRIS BROWN ISN'T ALL BAD! -- is equally callous and tells me that the people at "The Insider" just do not get that making light of domestic violence is both unconscionable and morally wrong. A victim of domestic abuse is NEVER WRONG, and a MISUNDERSTANDING is when the kid at Baskin-Robbins thought you said you wanted chocolate chip and you got mint chocolate chip. Bashing someone in the face repeatedly is not a misunderstanding. If you agree that violence against women is not something that should be treated as a celebrity WHO WORE IT BETTER? showdown, please take a minute to let the people at CBS Television Distribution know. Shoot an e-mail to Lisa Summers Haas Vice President, Communications "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" E-mail: Lisa.SummersHaas@cbs.com or call her at (818) 655-4928 The show's executive producer, Linda Bell Blue, is certainly not above sensationalism having been recently involved in the bogus "Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins early" story. But surely she recognizes that exploiting domestic violence is not helpful to anyone.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kenneth i felt exacyly the same way when i came across this question from the Insider.

Will or should Rhianna take Chris Brown back as her boyfriend Yes or No?

Noooooo!

m

Anonymous said...

You go, boy.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely vile. Good work, Mr. 212!

Anonymous said...

I tried sending the below email. However, it was bounced back to me with gmail telling me that "Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently."

"To even suggest your viewers, especially the impressionable younger generation, that someone who beats up on another may ever "be in the right" is disgraceful. Have respect for the victim. This was not self defense (or else Mr.Brown's attorneys would have already shown the pictures in order to hopefully clear their client's name). This is a battery. A case of domestic violence. For you to even suggest that a batterer is ever "in the right" is pathetic. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Matthew said...

People Magazine is reporting they are back together...but that doesn't mean we can't go on being disgusted by him and by those who support him. It would just mean, if true, that we need to add Rihanna herself to that list.

libhom said...

I'm so glad I don't watch that show. I hadn't even heard of it.

Anonymous said...

Kenneth,

Thanks for posting this blog. Domestic violence is a very complex issue, and most women will return to the relationship a number of times before they leave for good. Rihanna has multiple reasons for continuing with Brown if she decides to do that, and she needs support for whatever decision she makes.

Brown needs to take responsibility for the violence he chose to use, and he should get appropriate assistance so that he never makes that choice again.

Rita Smith
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
www.ncadv.org