I remember watching an awards show a few years ago (before they started dating) and seeing them present an award together. The chemistry was undeniable. I could feel it as if I was on stage with them. They traveled together. They performed together. It was young love and it was beautiful.
Rihanna’s 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer:
The Bad
In her interview, Rihanna said they started as friends, best friends. That’s what made their relationship dangerous. She admitted, “It was a bit of an obsession.” There are other reports of verbal and slightly physical fights between them. She’s slapped and thrown shoes at him. He’s slammed car doors so hard that it broke the glass and pushed her against the wall. Their relationship took a turn down a forbidden road. There was no turning back. Their love was fatal.
The Ugly
Rihanna confirmed the details of the infamous fight as Sawyer read the police report. After seeing the report myself, I saw that some details were conveniently left out. Was it to put Rihanna in a brighter light? Some people say yes. Some are confused as to why Rihanna would interview nine months after the fight. They claim that the only reason why she’s talking now is that her album will be coming out in a few weeks. It’s only for publicity.
But that would be a shame, wouldn’t it? That she’d talk on national television about her parents’ abusive relationship, which could possibly damage her relationship with them. That she’d talk about the fight and only divulge all of the details, but just those that made her look innocent? (Certainly a few things left me confused. Like what happened between reading the text message and the fight. Or how she told Diane she will never be with him, yet she still has feelings for Chris and doesn’t know what the future will hold.)
Chris Brown’s MTV interview with Sway:
The Aftermath
No one knows what happened in that car except for Rihanna and Chris. And he’s not saying what happened. Obviously. He’s had three public interviews and in none did he explain the fight’s details. Was it truly to keep it between him and Rihanna, or was it not to make himself seem like a bigger monster?
Rihanna is only 21 years old. Chris is 20. This is something that both singers will have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Chris Brown – the abuser. Rihanna – a domestic violence victim. After watching both interviews, I was reminded how young they are. You look at celebrities and entertainers and see them for what they do and are known for instead of who they are after you take away the money, the spotlight and the fame.
Unfortunately, this will follow them no matter how much they try to forget it. Their careers will be affected, for better or for worse.
A PR Perspective
This is where I disagree with Chris’s publicist and manager. Their advice to Chris should’ve been based on many expectations and possibilities. When Chris had his first interview, it was his chance to prove that he was truly sorry. It didn’t happen. He was poorly trained. When interviewing, especially on about a topic that has changed your life and career for the worse, proper media training is important. He was ill prepared, poorly dressed and said the wrong things. Viewers couldn’t relate to him. When he said that he was sorry, it wasn’t authentic. As was the case when he issued his “video apology” on YouTube in July. It was staged and emotionless. Chris seemed nervous in his interview with Larry King, was too informal in his radio interview with Angie Martinez (even referred to Rihanna as “Shorty”) and too relaxed in his interview with MTV’s Sway.
My advice to Chris would be to focus on his community service, his career, and bettering himself as a person and moving on from his. No more interviews. At this point, they would serve no purpose.
Rihanna’s publicist has been guiding her in hopes of recreating her tainted image. And she’s done a beautiful job. In the nine months that Rihanna was “silent,” she’s became a fashion icon, using the streets of New York as her runway. Hitting the studios in the wee hours of the morning recording for her upcoming album, Rated R. Putting her life and soul into her music. When she finally spoke (both to Glamour magazine and in her 20/20 interview), she said all she needed to say. No more interviews are needed. She answered each question asked. The questions that Chris dodged, she responded. After seeing how Chris was ridiculed during his many interviews, she knew what not to do. She was strong and looked beautiful on camera.
All both Chris and Rihanna can do is move on with their careers and give their fans something positive to talk about. They are living a life where millions of children and teens look up to them. Everything they do will be scrutinized because they are being watched. They are idols and role models.
But both are young and talented. Their career is in their hands. How they handle their lives from now on will determine how successful they will be.
After months of silence since the fight with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, R&B sensation Rihanna decided to speak publicly about the ordeal so she can be a voice to help others who may be in danger of returning to abuse.
We have to remember that although she is a celebrity, she’s still human and very young. Check out a snippet of her interview on 20/20. The complete interview will air on Friday at 9 p.m.
Listening to Drake’s “I Just Want to Be Successful” made me reflect on the effect that being a celebrity has on young adults (males in particular) who are in the entertainment industry.
In this song, Drake defines success as having money, fancy cars, expensive clothes and tons of girls.
But this “success” can’t replace the feelings of emptiness and stress felt by entertainers.
We’ve witnessed the downward spiral of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. We’ve seen how they turned to drugs, alcohol and other wild acts as a way to deal with the extreme pressure of being a public figure. But with men, it’s a little different.
Men are supposed to be tough. They are expected to be able to handle their problems privately and show no emotions, especially those that involve sadness, anger and gloom.
Recently, rap artists Soulja Boy (later followed by Bow Wow) vented about industry pressure via Twitter.
“Thinkin about taking all my money and leaving. F*ck having a Million followers f*ck putting out music.”
“My music dream was THE SH*T 2 years ago before I was signed. It was everything I could ever imagine. Then I get signed. This is where my dream slowly died… Water down my music and my appearance and make me look like something I’m not… Make me look ignorant in the media. It’s all bulls**t. Like WHY do I have to put up with this? Because it’s my dream?”
“Just KNOW that I’m only 18 man… And it’s only so much I can do. It’s only so much I can take.”
“… I wish I neva did and seen err thang so soon. I have nuffn to look forward 2. I’m down more than I am happy.”
A few days ago, Drake blogged about the “angels and demons” of his entertainment career, promising not to let his rise to stardom change who he really is:
“I will forever push myself beyond the limits despite advice and recommendations given because even with this new found success I am still the kid who wanted this more than anything in the world. It’s funny when I read comments from previous fans who have lost interest because of the radio play and exposure I have. I just want to assure anyone reading that nothing has changed on my end. I refuse to get comfortable, I refuse to fall in line and follow anyone else’s formulas.”
Soulja Boy is only 18 years old. Bow Wow is 22 years old. When you are a part of the entertainment world, you have to grow up fast. You see your childhood slip away and have to act like a man before you are really a MAN. They are going to make mistakes and because they are in the public eye, will be criticized for these mistakes.
That puts a lot of pressure on them, especially when they have record companies breathing down their backs, and don’t have parents or good role models to show them how to get through it.
All I can do is pray that they (Bow Wow and Soulja Boy) get through this rough time. I also hope that Drake remains strong-minded. But it’s hard when you are expected to transform into another person just to make money.
We need to stop expecting (young) entertainers to be perfect. Although they may have fame and fortune, this shows us that money is not everything.
Last month, the world seemed to come to a standstill when news spread that Michael Jackson passed away. Michael went in cardiac arrest, allegedly due to his addiction to prescription medication. Although it seemed like he had become almost irrelevant in recent years, he was thrust back into the limelight once his death was confirmed. His records soared to the top of the music charts (again), downloaded songs were at an all-time high, and Twitter was bombarded with #MichaelJackson tweets.
CAUSE
Years ago, Michael won a legal case after being accused of child molestation. This wasn’t the first time he had been accused. But after this last case, he seemed to get closer with his children, trying to protect them from the evils of the world and those trying to tear him down.
PROBLEM
Now that Michael’s passed, who is the best person to care for his three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket? Their health and safety are important and should be a primary concern for Michael’s family. In his will, Michael granted his mother, Katherine, custody of his children, not mentioning anyone else (including Paris and Prince’s mother, Debbie Rowe). In the eldest children’s infancy, Debbie gave up all custodial rights, stating that she wanted nothing to do with the kids. Prince even stated that he didn’t have a mother. How would Prince and Paris handle living with someone with whom they’ve never had a relationship? How would they take being split up from their younger brother?
In a recent interview, Joseph Jackson, the children’s grandfather, said the children should be in his custody. Oh, Joseph. The world has seen the effect he has had on his children. I’d even say that he’s to blame for Michael’s fixation with plastic surgeries. Why would anyone (in their right minds) grant him custody when his sole intention is to exploit them as he did his own kids?
(Some people are now arguing that Janet Jackson, Michael’s younger sister, should care for the children because Katherine is too old.)
SOLUTION
What is best for the children is that they are in a loving home where they are properly cared for, without pressure to live up to their father’s legacy.
Who would’ve thought that someone would use Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” to promote burgers? Not me. But somebody did. Burger King. It’s not using his song that bothers me. It’s infusing the song with references to SpongeBob SquarePants to appeal to children that bothers me.
It’s sexy, degrading and totally not appropriate for children.
My almost two-year-old son is SpongeBob’s biggest fan, and had his eyes glued to the television when we first saw the commercial. As a mother, I was appalled. As a woman, I was embarrassed. As a PR professional, I was speechless. I can’t believe Nickelodeon, the same brand that protested Chris Brown’s nomination for a Kids’ Choice Award, could go along with a commercial, featuring women shaking their goods for the BK King, as he measured the size of their butts.
Sir Mix-A-Lot was even featured in the ad, saying “booty is booty.” You’ve got to be kidding me.
But I’m not the only one who’s upset. The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC) has launched a letter-writing campaign demanding that Nickelodeon and Burger King immediately pull the ad.
Burger King responded that the commercial is intended to appeal to adults who take their kids to the fast food restaurant.
Umm, so when were adults the only ones to watch SpongeBob cartoons?
Where do we draw the line?
As you can probably tell, I’m infuriated. My children will not be indulging in any BK Kids’ Meals any time soon. They like McDonald’s anyway.
C’mon. I know you’ve heard of the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Oh, but they do.
When I was a child, my mother would tell me to rehearse that saying over and over again to block out the hurtful things kids would say to ridicule me. From elementary school of high school, guys would always tease me because of my slanted eyes. I convinced myself they only did that because they secretly had a crush on me.
At first I let it go. But the more they did it, the more it hurt. I was young. I didn’t understand why they would make Asian references to me when they knew it embarrassed me. I mean, who would want to be the center of a joke, especially a bad one?
I eventually developed a thick skin, and my embarrassment turned into anger. In my freshman year of high school, I attend a Catholic school. I was only one of 11 Black students in the entire student body. It was really awkward. I was teased because of what I didn’t own. My mom didn’t drive a Range Rover like Liz’s mother. My dad didn’t own a successful upscale restaurant like Lauren’s father. I wasn’t extremely poor, but I damn sure wasn’t rich either. People would call me “Shaniqua” or yell “Here comes the Black girl from hell” as I walked down the hall. I couldn’t take it anymore. I withdrew after my freshman year.
Fast forward nine years. I’m a successful PR professional and blog about children’s issues that are related to health and safety. And I’ll occasionally throw in a tip or two on how that issue corresponds with the public relations industry.
Well, someone commented on my last post regarding Bristol Palin’s pregnancy and her mother’s bid for vice presidency using some very derogatory and racist language. I was taken aback. According to the comment, since I’m not of the majority race, I know nothing about PR and have no business giving advice on parenting. I didn’t know how to respond, so I deleted the comment and said nothing.
This is my first post since then.
I came to grips with myself. Luckily I’m an adult who understands that there will always be ignorance in the world. There are people who get pleasure out of hurting another person’s feelings. Had I been a little more naïve, I could have agreed with this person and said, “She’s right. I’m a n!&&er who knows better than to give my two cents on anything.” Had I been a little more naïve, I would’ve given in to the boys who taunted me as a child. But that’s not me. Not all children are this strong.
The bantering and teasing is sometimes enough to drive a person to harm herself or others. Look at the girl who committed suicide because of nasty things her “friends” said to her on MySpace. Child taunting is a serious issue, and if you do it, you have to take responsibility for the effect your words may have on another person’s life… or death.
“If we were a movie
You’d be the right guy
And I’d be the best friend
You’d fall in love with
In the end we’d be laughing
Watching the sunset
Fade to black
Show the names
Play that happy song”
Play that happy song?
Well, things haven’t been so happy for kid star Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana). After giving the world, and bloggers like me, something to talk about when she posed half-naked for Vanity Fair, Miley has been the target of comment and ridicule. Thanks to you Miley, I have another interesting post to publish!
Children are obsessed with Hannah and her split personality, as they are with Jamie Lynn Spears and High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens. But what are parents to do when their children are looking up to 16-year-old parents-to-be and young actresses with topless pictures floating on the Web? Or how do they explain to their kids that Miley, even with her exposed back and post-sex hair, is still a good girl?
That’s a hard one. I’m just glad my daughter isn’t fanatical over Hannah Montana.
ATTENTION PARENTS: Be prepared to talk about the birds and the bees!
According to Miley, the picture was “artsy,” (she now has changed her opinion) but if you call that artistic, then I guess so are the pin-ups on the ceilings and walls of the nearest prison that Jim of Cell Block D is using to help relieve his sexual frustration.
OK, that may be a tad extreme, but there are perverts that get pleasure from looking at little girls with their clothes on, let alone those covered in only a bed sheet.
But wait, it gets worse. Rumor has it that Miley has gotten an offer to pose in Playboy. Yup, in three years, Hef (another perv) wants Miley to grace the magazine’s centerfold. I wouldn’t be surprised if she said yes, with full support from dad.
That’s scheduled to happen three years from now, but what in the meantime? Will Miley follow behind Jamie and become preggers? Or will she trail Lindsay (Lohan) and Britney (Spears) and be the latest star-gone-wild, behavior Miley calls “normal” and should be expected from 21- to 25-year-olds? I think we all know the answer to this one.
So, where does Disney go from here? How do they handle a bad situation that could’ve been prevented and may have a damaging effect on Disney’s market?
This is a tough one, but the first thing on my list would be to have a talk with Miley and her management team (because they obviously aren’t doing a good job of managing). Whatever Disney decides to do, they need to do it quick because ratings are already decreasing! (read more)
Listening to Drake’s “
Last month, the world seemed to come to a standstill when news spread that Michael Jackson 
Well, someone commented on my last post regarding Bristol Palin’s pregnancy and her mother’s bid for vice presidency using some very derogatory and racist language. I was taken aback. According to the comment, since I’m not of the majority race, I know nothing about PR and have no business giving advice on parenting. I didn’t know how to respond, so I deleted the comment and said nothing.
Play that happy song?
According to Miley, the picture was “artsy,” (she now has changed her 
That’s scheduled to happen three years from now, but what in the meantime? Will Miley follow behind Jamie and become preggers? Or will she trail Lindsay (Lohan) and Britney (Spears) and be the latest star-gone-wild, behavior Miley calls “
