That crowd had better boo the ever-loving crap out of him. And her too, for that matter.

What a pathetic bunch of shiat.

Sounds like something for Dr. Phil, but he probably doesn't pull enough celeb water.

I love the further commodification of violence.

coco ebert: I love the further commodification of violence.

Hollywood's been doing it for years, why not daytime TV?
On the broader subject: bleh. Public apology? Just walk away, both the audience and the singer.

I'm pretty sure Oprah is smarter than this.

She's not getting it. HIT HER AGAIN!!!

I would have thought she'd have learned by now.

When I was in the Philly DA's office, it was just horrifying how many women were the victims of not just isolated incidents but rather patterns of physical abuse of all sorts. These women - often entirely rational otherwise - couldn't extricate themselves from the situation. Many (most, in fact) were poor, had limited education, and essentially no support in any effort.

A DA I worked for nearly cried, relating how many women she'd known who were later killed after refusing to press charges against the men who beat them.

When I see this woman - a rich woman, in the public eye, with quite literally every opportunity possible to escape a man who is willing and able to beat her so savagely that her face looked like it did in those photos...I struggle to feel sympathy for her. I'm not saying I feel none, but it's a struggle. She has no excuse for staying with him, and it's a disgusting example for her to set for other women to forgive him.

I'm sorry, but there is no forgiveness for some things. Rather, you deserve no forgiveness for certain things, no matter how contrite you are. If you beat your child, your spouse...no, I'm sorry, but that's the end. That's what you are. You have to deal with the consequences of being a spouse/child-beater.

I don't care about this story because of Rihanna. I care about it because of the thousands of young women who will look to her and then tell themselves "See? He can learn. I should take my man back, even though he split my lip and left me unable to see properly out of my eye." I care because Rihanna is going to be contributing to thousands of victims tricking themselves into thinking abuse is okay.

I find it reprehensibly irresponsible for either Rihanna or Oprah to do such a thing to their viewers.

mattharvest

On the one hand, you profess sympathy for women unable to extricate themselves from that situation and then on the other say there is no excuse for Rihanna not to. Confused much?

And if it's because she has money then you don't understand how abuse works.

She's been having second thoughts about them being back together. Agreeing to go on Oprah's show and tell the world how sorry he is will help make up her mind.

Sure, then they can go ahead and get married, if he apologizes.

mattharvest I find it reprehensibly irresponsible for either Rihanna or Oprah to do such a thing to their viewers.

You're right. The way this is set up, it's like Oprah is saying that it's OK for them to get back together if he grovels and apologizes to her in front of millions of people. When any abuse victim knows that their abuser does apologize and grovel after the incident, and often will do almost anything to get them back. shiat, Oprah ought to know better. I hope she's happy when they get back together after her show........

coco ebert: On the one hand, you profess sympathy for women unable to extricate themselves from that situation and then on the other say there is no excuse for Rihanna not to. Confused much?

No confusion. The other women lack the economic means to leave. They literally can't afford to (monetarily).

No such situation exists for Rihana.

cryinoutloud: When any abuse victim knows that their abuser does apologize and grovel after the incident, and often will do almost anything to get them back. shiat, Oprah ought to know better.

All I can say is it better be a trap.

I hope Oprah pulls out a .45 and blows his brains out and screams: "this is for all the abused women out there arsehole!" Then she runs to a waiting helicopter and flies to her private island where she can't be extradited.

That's good TV.

coco ebert: mattharvest

On the one hand, you profess sympathy for women unable to extricate themselves from that situation and then on the other say there is no excuse for Rihanna not to. Confused much?

And if it's because she has money then you don't understand how abuse works.

I think you must have missed the other part of my post:

mattharvest: When I see this woman - a rich woman, in the public eye, with quite literally every opportunity possible to escape a man who is willing and able to beat her so savagely that her face looked like it did in those photos...I struggle to feel sympathy for her.

There, I even bolded the most relevant language.

Rihanna has no excuse, because there are no limitations on her behavior. She has money. She has fame (i.e. people's attention). She has public support (though she'll bleed some off if she forgives him). She has direct access to essentially every single imaginable resource for help in leaving this abuser.

If you don't see the difference between this and a poor woman who literally cannot afford to leave the home of her abuser, then I cannot understand your perspective.

They don't have kids together either. That is often a huge determent to leaving.

If the abuser won't hurt the kids outright, s/he'll start a custody battle that can go on until every one of those kids turns 18.

cryinoutloud: They don't have kids together either. That is often a huge determent to leaving.

If the abuser won't hurt the kids outright, s/he'll start a custody battle that can go on until every one of those kids turns 18.

This is quite correct, and is one of the differences I'm referring to. There are no social, structural or economic obstacles to Rihanna doing the smart and healthy thing. The absolutely only reason to stay with him is that she honestly believes he won't hit her again, and frankly that's just insane. Abusers don't - by and large - stop abusing, especially after they get away with it.

This is why it's so important to never, ever let yourself think violence is okay in this sort of situation. No matter how angry your spouse/child/etc. gets you, you cannot hit them once because after that they will never be able to trust you. Forever, you'll be marred by your mistake, and rightfully so. Once you've been shown willing to cheat - to break the rules of relationships and civility - how can anyone expect you to play fair? How can you ask them to expect that you'll play fair?

This seems more geared towards the Maury Povich or Jerry Springer crowds ... not Oprah.

She's rather ugly and wears a TON of makeup to counteract that. She's literally repulsive in some pictures. That goes for most stars, but geez, she's way over the top.

/cut her head off and I'd hit it (even headless) like a judges gavel in an unruly courtroom.
//insert "way below my standards" pic or "do you know how I know you're gay" snark below

Sounds to me like she wants to get public approval for getting back with him. "See? He apologized to me on Oprah, he really does love me. And since that means he's an upright guy now, make sure you buy his album."

PC LOAD LETTER: She's rather ugly and wears a TON of makeup to counteract that. She's literally repulsive in some pictures. That goes for most stars, but geez, she's way over the top.

As the only pics I've seen of her that I knew were her were the recent ones where she was beat up, I decided to do a GIS. While the majority of the pics I found were either professional studio or red carpet type shots, there were a couple of "candid" ones. While she looked better in some than others, in none did she look "ugly" in any way. Do you have a pic that supports your assertion? Because in most of what I found she looked like this:

Chris Brown has a wonderful opportunity to explain his misunderstanding of the euphemism "I'd hit it"

How about you just go f@ck off Rihanna...

How about Rihanna apologizing to Chris Brown for acting like a biatch? Throwing the Lambo keys out the window? What a coont. She deserved to have her face beat in.

This should be on Jerry Springer.

/low class trash with money.

fark them both. He's an abusive asshole, and she is a farking moron for taking him back.

Insincere smile is insincere.

guilt by association: Insincere smile is insincere.

Damnit.

Will she be dressed as a Dominatrix and yielding a whip?

Beat her again. On the show.

I have zero empathy for this dumb broad. None.

She probably tells friends "Well, I love him."

Well I also hope she enjoys her face being used as a punching bag.

Who gives a DAMN about any of these three people? Seriously, quit following celebrities and get a life.

Oprah is their leader.

when ghetto goes mainstream

Some sample title tracks from Rihanna's album:

Push Up On Me
Breakin' Dishes
Shut Up and Drive
Hate That I Love You
Rehab
Question Existing

Sounds like a well-balanced, healthy girl to me.

coco ebert: mattharvest

On the one hand, you profess sympathy for women unable to extricate themselves from that situation and then on the other say there is no excuse for Rihanna not to. Confused much?

And if it's because she has money then you don't understand how abuse works.

That's true, the Muslim world has insanely high abuse rates of women even in the wealthiest Arab states. Domestic abuse has more to do with culture than race. Educating women, taking them out of the trailer park, the ghetto or religious muslim societies does wonders.

than race or wealth*

FTFM

Marketing! Gotta love it!

amo: I'm pretty sure Oprah is smarter than this.

No, no she's not.

There are no social, structural or economic obstacles to Rihanna doing the smart and healthy thing. The absolutely only reason to stay with him is that she honestly believes he won't hit her again, and frankly that's just insane.

Well, that, or she doesn't mind so much. Anyway, you're so right, and it's refreshing to hear. I've been hearing way too much sympathy for her, suggesting that blaming her for staying with him is "blaming the victim," which is nonsense. If she didn't know what he was before he showed his true colors, then of course it's not her fault he attacked her. But if she sticks around for more, with every exit avenue open to her? It won't make him any less disgusting, but I couldn't feel sorry for her in that case. She'd be choosing it.

That said, I do have to agree with what some farkers have pointed out, which is that she looks really, really stupid. Beautiful, but stupid. Decision-making is probably not her greatest strength.

This is the kind of shiat that just makes me want to PUNCH her right in her nose. POW!! POWPOW!!! AMIRITE?

impaler: cryinoutloud: When any abuse victim knows that their abuser does apologize and grovel after the incident, and often will do almost anything to get them back. shiat, Oprah ought to know better.

All I can say is it better be a trap.

I hope Oprah pulls out a .45 and blows his brains out and screams: "this is for all the abused women out there arsehole!" Then she runs to a waiting helicopter and flies to her private island where she can't be extradited.

That's good TV.

How about Friendman pops out from behind the curtains, kills everybody while screaming "I can't even get a dinner date while women go out with abusive assholes! And they STAY!!!"

Atomic Spunk: How about Rihanna apologizing to Chris Brown for acting like a biatch? Throwing the Lambo keys out the window? What a coont. She deserved to have her face beat in.

woot! woot!

Stedman was ambushed by some paparazzi, and they asked him if he'd gone to the inauguration with Oprah. He said, No, Oprah went with me.

/Good for him.

You know, she looks a lot better when she takes her makeup off.

Came here for the "Is Chris Brown gonna have to choke a biatch" insertion, leaving, angrily dissapointed....

domestic violence is equal for women on men vs men on women.
are we sure she didnt start it. men are always presumed guilty.

npina: domestic violence is equal for women on men vs men on women.
are we sure she didnt start it. men are always presumed guilty.

Her starting anything (of which there's no evidence anyway) is no excuse for him beating her half to death and threatening to kill her.

Twisted Fate: npina: domestic violence is equal for women on men vs men on women.
are we sure she didnt start it. men are always presumed guilty.

Her starting anything (of which there's no evidence anyway) is no excuse for him beating her half to death and threatening to kill her.

What if she overwrote his FFXII save, 12 hours in?