Studying media coverage of the dispute between Rihanna and Chris Brown can provide important insights into the nature of domestic violence, a speaker said at Boston College Tuesday.
More than 25 students attended Domestic Disturbia, which featured a discussion about domestic abuse and a screening of news interviews with Rihanna and Chris Brown concerning their abuse scandal last year.
Associate professor Angela Amar from BC’s Connell School of Nursing led the discussion concerning relationship violence and abuse. Some students questioned the media’s role in portraying the celebrities. Others said they believed that Brown did not express sincere remorse for his actions.
Much of the discussion revolved around how society ignores domestic violence and does not see it as a public concern.
“Clearly they have both been exposed to domestic violence,” said BC senior Kettlynn Prophete. “But I don’t think that their communities really made it out as something wrong . . . it’s a private thing.”
BC senior Helida Silva agreed.
“I feel that a lot of children who experience domestic violence with their parents . . . look at it and don’t like it, but there’s a point where you normalize it,” she said. “And while you feel bad about it . . . you might just switch the roles and become that person.”
Almost everyone in attendance agreed that the media had painted various facades of the two celebrities’ lives.
“The media is facilitating who they are , Prophet said. “[Rihanna] had too much exposure. She has to listen to police reports, she has to relive the situation, whereas he is just getting asked in response to the issue.”
Eric Johnson, a BC senior and resident assistant, made the discussion a floor event. Johnson met up with residents beforehand to discuss what people knew and what people had seen.
“I was hoping to discuss preconception and dating violence, and whether is it prevalent or not,” Johnson said.
Melissa Sutherland, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, posed the concern that ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer may have implanted the audience with a certain opinion of Rihanna.
“When Diane Sawyer asks [Rihanna], “Did you do anything? Did you say anything?’ That essentially leads people who are watching into thinking, if they didn’t think that already, to ask, “Is Diane saying something, or what is she meaning to?'” Sutherland said.
As celebrities, the two artists have had to balance these personal issues, while being held accountable to their fans, Johnson said.
“In terms of fans defending him, it’s the same [as Rihanna]. They fell for the persona, and they’ll defend him because they don’t want to admit that they were tricked into idolizing this person. They couldn’t accept that they had put him up on a pedestal,” Johnson said.
“She has a lot of the fans disappointed and I know a lot of fans felt that she went back to him too soon after the whole incident happen to him,” said BC senior Ramatu Kandakai.
“I know a lot of people were wondering why she went back to him and why she didn’t speak out about it.”
Student reactions to Brown’s interview and apology differed regarding his sincerity and his quest for help.
“I don’t know Chris Brown, but we need to stand back and not hate him,” Kandakai said. “Maybe acknowledge what he did was wrong, and that he’s getting help for it. But certain situations are different. Hatred in the world is not going to help anything.”
BC junior Laura Mujenda said she wasn’t convinced by Brown’s apology.
“He’s not very genuine in his apology and he’s not taking the situation as seriously as he should. Even something [like] domestic violence, he’s like smiling and giggling while talking about it, like it’s not a big deal,” Mujenda said.
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