R E S P E C T
Rihanna did women--most particularly young and possibly abused women-- PROUD last night on ABC's 20/20 with Diane Sawyer.
I've had a change of heart and thought regarding her timing of this interview. Let me explain.
Rihanna is still (rightfully) angry over the beating she endured at the hands of Chris Brown. Yes, she does have a new cd coming out in a matter of days, but so does Chris Brown. If and only if viewers (and cd buyers) have no conscience or compassion, they'll still buy his stupid cd. Rihanna was incredibly eloquent and forthcoming last night regarding that fateful evening in February, wherein she was left beaten, bitten, bloody and alone in a strange neighborhood. (Remember, that little pu$$y, Chris ran off after he did his number on her.) The timing of this interview is going to kick Chris Brown in the nuts and his bank account. Bravo. Seriously.
Once I listened to Rihanna thoughtfully explain what she went through over the weeks following the beating, I understand completely why she didn't hit the airwaves to talk about her troubling situation. I, like other bloggers (and the public at large) FORGET that celebrities are human beings. There is no way in hell I would've hopped onto Oprah's couch two weeks after being beaten up by a boyfriend. Would you?? I doubt it.
These past few months have given Rihanna distance from the situation, to some extent. I appreciate how she said that her wounds may have healed, but the flashbacks of the beating are always there, haunting her--and that remnant from the abuse never goes away. This is where Rihanna spoke to other young victims of abuse. She knows these girls look up to her.
I felt maternal and very, very proud listening to this young (and now stronger) woman speak to the entire world about the humiliation she suffered at the hands of the man (?) she thought she loved. AND she did it in front of the entire world.
The video of last night's 20/20 is on ABC.com if it's yanked from YouTube. If you missed it, I strongly suggest you watch it--and watch Rihanna. I believe Rihanna was completely sincere in every word she shared. She didn't simply bash Chris Brown. She spoke about her weakness, her embarrassment of the infamous photo being leaked, her father hitting her mother and the cycle of abuse that she witnessed. Rihanna has every reason to seem a bit hardened right now. The person she loved and trusted the most shattered her world. But I think she knows exactly what she wants--and doesn't want--in a relationship now.
I applaud Rihanna for not making the intervew a sugar-coated, puff piece made simply for ratings and cd sales.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on Rihanna and this interview.
**Help is available to callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 languages through interpreter services. If you or someone you know is frightened about something in your relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224.**
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