On Behalf of Women Everywhere...

My goodness it's been a while!  I got a little bogged down with things, but I'm back!  Be prepared for a barrage of blogs in the draft folder to come out in the open (moths and all)!

Last week, I read *two articles in the LA Times about the tracks that Rihanna and Chris Brown are releasing together, along with some runoff from the Grammys and the controversy surrounding Brown.  I must say, I found myself fuming.  Not just with Brown (don't get me started on how I feel about him), but with Rihanna as well.

Now, I'm not a huge Rihanna fan to start with.  I enjoy a few of her songs, but mostly... she just doesn't do it for me.  When I heard she was rumored to be getting back with Chris Brown, even after what he did to her, I had to question her judgement a little.  Especially after being so public about the incident in the first place.

For those of you who have not read the disturbing details of Chris Brown's offense against Rihanna, I suggest you do so.  They can be found here.   I think this will help clarify my feelings on the subject.

My main issue with Rihanna is this: if you were going to be as public as you were, why would you get back together with him?  And not only that, but celebrate it for your birthday?  Effectively, you have set the Women's Movement back light years, by showing women that it is okay for your partner to beat you.  Congratulations.  You may say that you understand your decisions are selfish, but admitting it doesn't make them less selfish. 

A word about domestic violence and victims thereof:  it is my understanding that victims of domestic violence have a tendency to go back to their violent partners.  The bond is hard to break, and even worse, their violent partners have in some way (verbally or otherwise) convinced them that they are not worthy of anyone else, so they return because they would rather not be alone.  Or because they've been threatened.  Perhaps I take for granted that I am a strong willed woman who would never allow that kind of behavior to go unnoticed.  Or unpunished, if I can swing it.  Sorry, lay a hand on this girl, and you are dunzo. 

Going back to Rihanna, I suppose I'm disappointed that a woman with such a huge opportunity to speak out against domestic violence chose, instead, to retract all of her public statements by celebrating her reconciliation with her violent former partner.  Actions speak louder than words, RiRi, and you basically just retracted everything you previously said.  Perhaps a more effective use of your publicity would be to join hands with a foundation that fights against domestic violence.  Or start one.

I suppose my bottom line is that despite my less than enthusiastic appreciation for  Rihanna's music, I was thrilled that she was willing to speak out about her traumatic experience, but I am supremely disappointed by her public celebration of her reunion with Brown.

*For the curious... the two articles I read can be found here and here.