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Fans struggle to reconcile two images of Brown
Fans struggle to reconcile two images of R&B star Chris Brown; domestic violence expert says that's not uncommon
Date published: 4/9/2009
TAPPAHANNOCK --The Chris Brown accused of beating his girlfriend in Los Angeles isn't familiar to Gerry Smith."He's not a thug," said Smith, who works weekends at the Texaco Mini-Mart on U.S. 17 in Brown's hometown of Tappahannock, about 45 minutes southeast of Fredericksburg. "He's never been in trouble here in town--nothing." Smith is steadfastly standing by the 19-year-old R&B star, who pleaded not guilty Monday to two felony charges of assault and making criminal threats against his girlfriend, Rihanna. Brown is accused of beating the fellow music star just hours before the Grammy Awards in February. "It's a given that no man should ever put his hands on a woman like that," Smith said. "He's gotten himself caught up in a situation. Now the press is crucifying him." Two years ago, as his music career was beginning to explode, Brown told The Free Lance-Star no one needed to worry that he would change from being the nice, down-to-earth small-town boy he'd always been. There was no way, he said, he would set a bad example for young people. At age 16, his first Jive Records single, "Run It!" made Brown the youngest male solo artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2005 debut album, "Chris Brown," has sold about 3 million copies worldwide. Then 17, Brown insisted his head wouldn't be turned by such a rapid ascent. His father had prepared him for fame by warning him "to really stay focused, to stay grounded, and stay determined and keep in the game," Brown said.
"You never hear me sing anything too vulgar or obnoxious," he told The Free Lance-Star in 2007. Now, less than two years later, Brown finds himself facing up to five years in prison. And some friends and fans are having trouble reconciling that small-town image with the allegations of abuse Brown is now answering in a Los Angeles courtroom. Those contrasting images--and many other arguments being offered by Brown's fans--are not that unusual in such cases, said Christopher Kilmartin, a University of Mary Washington professor who specializes in the psychology of men and is an expert in the prevention of domestic violence.
Date published: 4/9/2009
Professor Kilmartin is as biased as the
(posted by
johnboy57
, Apr. 9, 2009 8:55 pm)
law. As a subject matter expert, I find that appalling. He said "When I tell people that I have expertise in domestic violence, people often ask, 'Why does she stay with him?' rather than 'Why would a guy beat his wife?'" Well,what if she did attack him first? Are women immune to battery laws? If she didn't, I hope he burns, but if she did, he'll still burn.That's just not right.
Free Publicity for CD Sales.
(posted by
MrZorro
, Apr. 9, 2009 3:18 pm)
Sweet, all the easy money that singers make. This is the third front-page FLS article, which should boost his cd sales. His beautiful, battered girlfriend is now out of intensive care. She looks very pretty in the news photos, but now she has to wear sunglasses.
CONT...but
(posted by
lcacciatore
, Apr. 9, 2009 10:04 am)
some of u people on here make it sound like he has beat and beat her a lot????? who r u, and a lot of children who grow up in that do not want to be like that!!!!! STOP BEING JUDGES AND LET THE LAW HANDLE IT AND PRAY FOR BOTH OF THEM THEY R JUST KIDS IN A BIG GROWN UP WORLD, AND IT IS HARD ENOUGH BEING A GROWN UP IN A BIG GROWN UP WORLD....
NO 1 KNOWS
(posted by
lcacciatore
, Apr. 9, 2009 10:01 am)
Really wat happened on here none of us where there so we can not pass judgement...we only go by wat the MEDIA tells us and trust me EVERYTHNG that the media says is not always correct!!!!!!!!! But lets let the law handle it,and hope that they both learn from this, and go forward, let me also say I do not just think I can hit and hit some1 and nothing happen, if it is him/her leaving you, or just finally getting sick of being hit on, you just can beat and beat on a person and think nothing will happen!!! but
Once an abuser...
(posted by
lulu0202
, Apr. 9, 2009 8:35 am)
Please, this thug beat a woman and threatened/tried to kill her. Reports say that he had beat her before. Lock him up! and mandate intensive counseling, not just anger management. I worked in the DV field for years, and it is very rare for an abuser to change, even with counseling. Sure it's possible, but not likely. All these bleeding heart excuses - his dad was abusive, the fame went to his head - are just that, excuses.
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