I’m Gonna Strangle You: Violence in the Music Industry

I don’t know about anyone else, but I spend a lot of time watching MTV Jams. As much as I don’t like Comcast cable, they have blessed me with an actual 24/7 music video channel that I can stand. They do play a lot of the same songs during the week, but sometimes they will hit me with a cool themed play-list and I’m all about it. However, the last two weeks I have noticed they are playing a lot of Chris Brown. I’m not talking just playing them casually, his videos are all making the MTV Jam of the Week and it’s starting to bother me.

Maybe I am way late on this, but I am going to assume everyone knows what happened 2 years ago between Chris Brown and Rihanna right? If not, basically Brown and Rihanna were dating and he ended up assaulting her. The pictures were all over the internet of her bruises. Brown was charged with 5 years probation and some community service in 2009. Most people were none too happy with this sentencing, but it appears that people have forgotten about it. Last year, Brown issued an apology to his fans and Rihanna and since then it seems like people are kind of forgetting what he did only 2 years ago.

When I first heard what had happened I thought that was it for his career. Who would want to associate with someone who can attack women like that? Look at Ike Turner. As soon as Tina Turner spoke out against him, he was instantly black listed. This seems to have the opposite effect on Brown’s career, because there he is every day at the top of every hour singing and dancing right there on my television screen. It is his team of lawyers surrounding him and his major label creating a new better image for him? The whole situation is confusing to me especially when you take into the recent events at SXSW involving a little man named Ben Foster.

The Tip of the Ice Cube

Punk rock should be shocking, but when you wake up one morning and found out one of your heroes was arrested after hitting two women at a show one can’t help but feel sick to their stomach. During a performance at this year’s SXSW Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel struck a woman who had apparently been taunting him all night. I have watched the video and it is rather unnerving. What drives a man to do that? My first reaction was, “How drunk was he?” or “Man he must have really been in a bad mood” and that’s when it hit me. Why am I trying to justify his reasoning? He hit girls, there is no justification. That throws every rule in the book out. Since as far back as I could remember, hitting a girl was always wrong. It bothered me even more when people were coming to his defense, as if this was the norm at punk shows. I don’t remember the last punk show I went to and saw woman being wailed on by men on stage. If this is really happening, I must be going to the wrong shows.

So after my initial reaction things started to fall into place. For years now, the punk rock community has been well aware of Ben Weasel’s attitude toward the scene that in all fairness he built from the ground up. Not to give him way too much credit, but there is no denying Screeching Weasel’s influence on established bands and gets kid just picking up guitars. For whatever reason though, be it religious or just plan getting old, Ben Weasel began turning his back toward the scene that adores his work and personally attack other artists. Several people are well aware of his most recent feud with the Max Levine Ensemble and he has been known to even take jabs at his current label, Fat Wreck Chords. It’s safe to say that Ben’s actions were finally catching up to him and now he is without a band and left with a tarnished reputation.

Cool Kids Club

As soon as the news broke out about the incident at SXSW Ben Weasel was immediately thrown under the bus by a very PC punk scene that has been thriving for years now. Is it for the better though that the scene has become more open? Probably, considering no one should be afraid to go out to shows to meet with people who supposedly share the same views and values as them. It's good that people are becoming thoughtful, but what is really acceptable today? A lot of people have been ignoring the fact that Ben Weasel also punched a man at the show. It makes one wonder if anyone would have cared if he only hit a man. This kind of reverse sexism pops up throughout not only the punk scene, but society in a whole. How many men report domestic violence cases? Rape cases? It is rather disheartening.

On the flip side of this whole situation we can look back on Chris Brown. Brown is surrounded by a completely different scene, the hip hop scene. Since the invention of gangster rap females in rap have become somewhat second class citizens. It could just be the glorification of the Pimp or it could be something deeper than that. You can listen to several songs and hear the word bitch or hoe used throughout and you might even catch a few phrases about slapping them as well or "keeping hoes in check." This kind of word use is most likely a product of the communities that artists were raised in. Brown was quoted saying that he grew up with domestic violence surrounding him in his home life, but is that really an excuse? I am no psychologist, but it is possible that Brown saw so much violence that he became desensitized and considered it the norm. But can one make a general statement about the entire hip hop community? No, that is not fair to an entire culture, but does it give Brown a free pass? It shouldn't, but that may very well be the case.

Voice of a Generation

One of the more interesting things I have discovered about hip hop culture can be summed up with a new song by Kanye West. On West's newest single he raps about hitting his girlfriend and getting the cops called on him. I am not sure if he's telling someone’s story or a story from his own personal experience, but either way no one seems to be really outraged by this. Either way, the ultimate irony of the song is that Rihanna sings the chorus of this song. Would she condone West's actions after that happened to her? Maybe she supports the stance in the song since West talks about how he regrets the whole situation and wishes he could be with his daughter. After all he did "spend that bread" on lawyers and court fees. However, the reaction or lack of reaction from this song kind of makes me think that violence in hip hop is something that is expected. For the most part that is the argument of several people who are defending Ben Weasel's actions as well.

Desensitized

I can't consider myself a big Chris Brown fan, but I am a fan of hip hop and it makes sad to know that these kind of actions can just be brushed off. And as far as Ben Weasel goes, I think I will always be a fan of Screeching Weasel, but I will now reconsider if I will continue to support any future endeavors. It's true that we live in a violent world, but as entertainers who have access to such a large audience it seems rather irresponsible to not think before you act. After the recent passing of Mitch Dubey it is clear to see that violence brings nothing but pain and suffering to all parties involved. Violence has no place anywhere no matter the venue or audience.