Brownout
In May, when I graduated from high school, I decided it was time to assume the responsibilities of adulthood (okay, some of them). I opened my own bank account, applied for a job, and, most importantly, I cleaned up my iTunes library.
The remnants of my dubstep phase went first, then the entire Fall Out Boy discography, until finally, with a firm hand, every Chris Brown song I downloaded in middle school was tossed into an electronic abyss. Oh man, I thought, if only it was this easy to get rid of him in real life.
Apparently, I spoke too soon. Thanks to AUX Labs’ new plugin, Chris Brownout, it is that easy to delete Chris Brown from your life—or at least, your life online (which, let’s face it, are one and the same).
According to AUX Labs, the Google Chrome extension “makes the internet Chris Brown free” by censoring his name whenever it appears on Facebook, Tumblr, or any other site you’re visiting (we all know you’re on Perez Hilton, you can stop pretending).
Having downloaded and installed the app, I now feel proud to say that instead of scrolling down my newsfeed and seeing “omg Chris Brown is so hot” beneath a picture of an offensive neck tattoo, I now see “omg ***** ***** is so hot” beneath a picture of what is still a really, really offensive neck tattoo.
While the plugin is funny, it’s also kind of sad: it make it visually obvious just how much Chris Brown appears in the media, nearly four years after he physically abused his girlfriend at the time (and rumored current flame), Rihanna.
It would be one thing if we only heard his name in criticisms of his domestic violence and the ridiculous way that he responded to it, but that isn’t the case. Since the scandal in 2009, Brown has released two commercially successful albums, performed at the Grammys, and, just this past month, won two MTV Music Awards.
His name and his music continue to pervade our culture, despite the fact that he is a public figure whose actions the media should condemn rather than ignore. We can censor his name and delete his music from our iPods all we want, but until the public sees him for who he truly is, ***** ***** will still follow us wherever we go.
In 1988, Sean Penn tied then-wife Madonna to a chair and beat her with a baseball bat.
Charlie Sheen was arrested for violently assaulting adult film actress Capri Anderson.
Roman Polanski raped of a 13-year-old girl before fleeing the country.
Michael Fassbender was charged in 2010 with beating an ex-girlfriend.
Gary Oldman hit ex-wife Donya Fiorentino repeatedly about the face with a telephone receiver in front of their two children.
Sean Connery thinks an openhanded slap is justified if a woman is a “bitch, or hysterical, or bloody-minded.”
Josh Brolin was arrested for abusing Diane Lane in 2004.
Glen Campbell beat Tanya Tucker and on one occasion knocked her teeth out. Glen actually received a tribute at the 2012 Grammy Awards—the same year that Chris Brown received so much vitriol for performing.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers was arrested in 2005 after he was accused of beating up his teenage girlfriend and throwing a cellphone at her. The 27-year-old actor later made a counter allegation that the 18-year-old girlfriend had assaulted him. The warring couple were both questioned at a London police station before being released on bail. He was also verbally abusive and threatening to a woman who tried to help him up off the floor during one of his drunken airport episodes. “Don’t you know who I am?”
Harry Morgan, best known for his role as Col. Sherman Potter in the television series “MASH,” was accused in July 1996 of beating his wife.
Sean Bean has been arrested for harassing an ex girlfriend and has been reported for domestic assault.
Tommy Lee pleaded no contest in April 1998 to a felony charge of spousal battery against his wife, former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson.
Ike & Tina, Mike Tyson, Bobby & Whitney (RIP), the list goes on for a while. Why is it okay to verbally assault Chris and ignore all of the other celebrities who have perpetuated misogyny & rape culture?
Charlie Sheen in 1996 AND AGAIN IN 2011 (2 years after ***** *****) and he has a show now, is doing a tour, etc etc NO MOTHERFUCKING REPERCUSSIONS.
I’m sorry but I am sick of people shaming Chris Brown and not following through with other celebrities in their lives. None of these people should get a pass any more than Chris. They are ALL wifebeaters and deserved to be shamed, but because of their age/skin color/celebrity status they get a pass.
STOP THE GODDAMN BULLSHIT AND BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR WORLDVIEWS.
Just because the author doesn’t like Chris Brown doesn’t mean she approves of these other people either. How you didn’t realize this while writing such a lengthy screed (WITH CAPS SO WE KNOW HOW SERIOUS YOU ARE) is a mystery scientists will hopefully one day understand.
OBVIOUSLY. We as a society need to move the discourse away from Chris WOMANPUNCHING Brown to other people was my point – and furthermore, the best way to make him disappear – which is her intention hence the downloaded brownout app – is to STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM. Let’s get real discourse going about wifebeaters and BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR GODDAMN WORLDVIEWS.
/sorry if I seem rude. I am just seriously frustrated at this point with Chris Brown being the center of domestic violence talks when other [white] people get a get-out-of-jail-free card. I have a personal history with domestic violence so seeing him as the poster-villain has gotten quite old.
First, are you really advocating a more open discussion about domestic violence and at the same time telling people to just stop talking about Chris Brown and the problem will go away? I think you have a lot feelings here (for example, your frustration that more white women-beaters aren’t getting the same kind of hate), and they’re getting in the way of you making a good point. If you really care about domestic violence, and I’m sure you do, you should be happy that any women-beater is being shamed, not just white ones.
Also, caps locks. Lets turn em down, shall we? Domestic violence is a serious issue, but taking out your anger on this one post that is actually meant to be against domestic violence probably isn’t the best idea.
k chris brown
It seems like you are saying that we need *more* of this sort of public awareness, not less.
How do you make these people go away? Boycott their music, shows, products, endorecements.
All this anti-Chris Brown rhetoric is racist.
ugh chris brown just leave
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