Mark Harris doesn’t mean she’s forfeited that mantle by anything she’s done.
When my editor suggested that I write about Rihanna this week, I ran screaming in the other direction.
(Well, not literally.
Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage
Journalists arent that physically active.
But I did mope and overeat, which is like running and screaming without the sweat and noise.)
On some level, I wanted to shove this aside, not pick it apart.
What kind of pig hits a woman?
Ummm…a criminal.
Or an overentitled celebrity.
Or someone who grew up watching men hit women, as Brown has said he did.
Pick the option that best matches your sense of misplaced sympathy or knee-jerk contempt.
And what kind of woman gets back together with the man who hit her?
Or someone who might have grown up believing that its no big deal.
Choose your favorite rationalization as your stomach turns.
What lessons should we draw from this?
Okay, Ill play.
Heres what they call the teachable moment: Dont hit women.
And dont give men who hit you a chance to hit you again, ever.
NEXT PAGE: Rihanna?
Have we lost our minds?
Wait, lets rephrase that.Alex Rodriguezis a terrible role model.
Rihanna is just a young woman who is completely unqualified to be a role model.
We might become a more compassionate nation of pop culture gossips if we started considering the difference.
Maybe we could all take a minute off from clucking Dont do it, girl!
Theres nothing wrong with that.
Have we lost our minds?
Or perhaps were all just looking for new ways to beat up Rihanna and get away with it.
Some stories make everyone feel dirty.
I hope this one goes away soon.
