"Changed Man" May Not Change Anything
Chris Brown’s antics with his former girlfriend Rihanna have been headline news since last February. Brown was charged with beating on Rihanna when the two reportedly got into an argument. Immediately, his popularity dropped. No one wanted to be affiliated with an accused woman beater. A few days ago, a judge ordered him to stay away from Rihanna for the next 5 years. Many thought that would be the end of the Brown-Rihanna connection, but apparently even if he can’t be physically near her, Brown can still have contact with Rihanna via the internet.
Recently, Brown has released a new song over the internet called, “Changed Man.” In that song, Brown says things like, “Ima make it up to you and show the world that I’m a changed man” and “This ain’t over. . . . Baby, I’m sorry.” It doesn’t take a genius to see the message he is trying to get out to his former love.
So why has this story captured everyone’s attention? I believe it is more then just a case of juicy celebrity gossip. One major reason is that violence against women has been a topic of concern for years. The pressure has been on Rihanna not to take Brown back simply because of the example it would set for other women. So much time and money has been spent educating women to leave violent and abusive situations. If a high profile person showed that she believed her man could change, then other women might possibly justify their own situations.
This is one of the challenges of stardom. The moment you become a public figure and the attention is on you, your choices are put under the microscope. Take the feedback to the song. Some people are supportive of Brown, welcoming him back and thanking him for his apology. Others are angry about it, accusing him using this situation for his own good.
Whether the apology is sincere or not and whether or not Rihanna wants to take Brown back, is no longer the point. It’s about what their fans have to say. If Rihanna takes Brown back, she risks losing the respect and support of many of her fans. If Brown is shown to be insincere in any way, he will lose most of the remaining support that he has. No matter where their hearts are or what the best decision might be, in their lives all is decided in the court of public opinion.
