Rihanna: A Domestic Violence Nightmare

The night before the Grammys in 2009, Chris Brown and Rihanna were leaving a pre-Grammy party when an argument escalated into one of the most famous domestic violence cases ever.  They were arguing when Chris Brown pulled his silver Lamborghini over and Rihanna proceeded to throw his keys out of the window and into the dark.  He flew into a rage and proceeded to hit, bite, and choke her until she was unconscious.  The infamous photo of Rihanna’s bruised and bloodied face was then leaked to the media, and an absolute circus ensued.  The incident shocked the pop culture world. Chris Brown and Rihanna were pop music’s prince and princess, with squeaky-clean images and a fantasy romance.  The story was on every magazine and blog for weeks.  Rihanna just recently did and interview with Glamour magazine speaking out about the incident for the first time.  She stated that she surrounded herself with her close friends and family but still felt utterly alone.  The media attention on her was excruciating and she was “humiliated” that her photo was leaked to the public by two women, which she considered the ultimate betrayal.  She is a prime example of how terrible the media and obsession with celebrities can be for a persons well being.  This reminds me of Cashmore’s article on how scandals are received by the masses.  We are obsessed with celebrity and sometimes that obsession can be detrimental to the person were are sympathizing with.  In a time when Rihanna should have been given privacy and the time to heal, she was hounded by paparazzi and was forced to see the most horrifying moment of her life plastered across every media outlet.  I have not posted the picture of her on this blog out of respect for the abuse that she suffered and I am embarrassed to say that I also followed the story very closely after it happened.  In a way, I feel that every person is responsible for contributing to the obsession that our culture has with scandal and celebrity.

Domestic violence is a serious, and often overlooked, issue in today’s society.  Rihanna is now speaking out to young girls and attempting to help them realize that it is not okay, and that it signifies insecurity on the abusers part.  She has managed to turn a nightmare into the opportunity to use her celebrity to raise awareness and help women around the world.