Did SVU’s Chris Brown & Rihanna Episode Go Too Far?

So Law & Order SVU thought it would be entertaining to do an episode based loosely on the violent episode that took place between Chris Brown & Rihanna in Feb 2009.

svu_LM-O XA_croppedHistory: After the Grammy Awards that year, the police reports states that Rihanna confronted Chris over a three-page text message from a woman who Chris had a previous sexual relationship with. This resulted in him first attempting to push her out the car and then escalated to him punching and biting her.

Fast forward to 2013. After the courts dropped a restraining order, the two are now back together and everyone is pissed.

Feminists are calling Rihanna the worst role model for women ever and Chris is woman-beating thug. Got it!

Enter SVU: While the writers haven’t confirmed that the episode was based on the couple, the similarities are clear.

The episode starts with a brutal beating in a studio of 19 year-old ‘Micha’ after ‘Caleb’ is caught flirting with a back-up singer. (Rihanna was 20 at the time.) After public scrutiny, ‘Micha’ gets cold-feet on pursuing legal action. A bow-tie wearing ‘Caleb’ then appears on a night talk show apologizing. Micha publicly admits she’s forgiven ‘Caleb’. And ‘Caleb’ appears with a sugar skull tattoo of a woman people believe to be the beaten face of ‘Micha.’

Creative freedom takes suit after Micha confronts Caleb over a text message he receives while on a private yacht.

The next scene is a reporter at a memorial for Micha … whose body was found in Bermuda … floating next to the yacht. (Rihanna is from Barbados.)

Have we gone too?

I personally don’t condone domestic violence, but I also don’t support the constant and public mockery of what I truly consider to be kids.

Do I think that Chris’ punishment was appropriate for the beating of Rihanna? No, I actually don’t and further more he’s shown on several occasions that he’s not rehabilitated.

Exhibit A – Throwing a chair through a window at “Good Morning America”
Exhibit B – The Frank Ocean fight at the recording studio
Exhibit C – Grabbing and throwing a fan’s phone in Miami
Exhibit D – Testing positive for pot

However….I also can’t imagine what it’s like at the age of 24 to be publicly ridiculed over and over and over again.

We have to give him (and her) time to learn and grow.

The fact is no matter how much anyone of us don’t agree with the punishment, none of us have the power to right the wrong. The courts took care of that. The case is closed. But what about the two people actually involved?

How horrible would it be to watch yourself dead? How horrible would it be to be thought of as a possible murderer…at only 24?

SMH…I know everyone wants nothing more than to see these two apart. If I had to cast a vote, I would vote ‘Nay’ too, but it’s not my vote to cast.

While I have my doubts that either of them will change for the better, I can not say for sure that these two won’t get it together and fly right. They’re still very young. But geez, can they get a break while doing it? Your 20s are bad enough without the entire world against you.

I think we’ve gone too far.

 

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