Chris Brown's sold-out concert shows the hypocrisy of cancel culture.
Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Brown has ignited fan frenzy by announcing he will be holding a concert in South Africa later this year.
After his announcement, supporters shared their excitement through social media platforms. Some joked that they were looking for something to sell to buy tickets, while others predicted that “OR Tambo Airport will be closed” and “people will be absent from work and school.”
These fans seem to have forgotten or outright ignored the allegations against the musician that went viral when they surfaced.
Also read: Chris Brown in SA: Performance dates and venues announced
Brown's history of violence
Brown's most infamous incident of abuse was a physical altercation with then-girlfriend Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty in 2009.
Images of the bruises on Fenty's face went viral, and the dark reality of their relationship was finally revealed, sending the public into panic.
The “King of R&B” was later charged with assault and criminal intimidation. Later that year, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge and took a plea deal for community work, five years of probation, and domestic violence counseling.
In another incident, this time in 2016, the singer was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a standoff with police at a residence in Los Angeles.
The incident occurred after a woman called emergency services claiming she had been threatened with a gun by the musician. No charges were filed after this incident.
The following year, Brown's ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran filed for a five-year restraining order against Brown. The socialite claimed he made offensive comments, including threats via text messages.
Additionally, Tran claimed that several years ago, the singer punched her twice in the stomach and threw her down the stairs.
These incidents are just a few examples of the many horrific abuses Brown allegedly inflicted on his intimate partners and women he knew for only a few hours.
Also read: Chris Brown is coming to South Africa
Gender-based violence in South Africa
Mzansi is perhaps the most dangerous country for women to live in, with a woman dying every four hours and a femicide rate five times the global average, according to a report by international women's rights organization Womankind Worldwide. be.
Former Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, reported on crime statistics for the second quarter of 2023/24 and said concerted efforts were needed to alleviate this prevalent problem in our country.
“The scourge of violence against women and children in South Africa must be faced head-on by law enforcement, the whole of government and society as a whole alike,” he said.
According to Cele, from July to September 2023, 1,514 attempted murder cases involving female victims were reported.
In addition, the victims of 14,401 GBH incidents reported to the South African Police Service (Saps) during the reporting period were women.
So why would a society fighting to protect women celebrate and even “sell out” the concerts of their abusers?
glorify abuse
There is no consistency in who we “cancel” as a country.
Chris Brown's social media feeds rushing to buy tickets were also outraged by P. Diddy's abuse allegations. A few years ago, they were disgusted by the harm R. Kelly caused.
But supporters will defend Chris Brown with the argument of separating art from artists.
Where do we differentiate between which abusers to condemn and hold accountable, and which abusers to glorify and give a platform to?
