Role Models and Such: An Early Morning Rant

Since I'm up and the kiddo is still soundly snoozing and I'm feeling inspired, it's early morning snark - yay! So I was sitting here, staring at the ceiling figuring out if I was going to be able to go back to sleep (no), and if not what should I do? Can't touch the DVR because those are my watch while cleaning and B is napping shows. It's too early to put on the news and get all riled up over something ridiculous (although that happens a lot). Maybe I'll watch a movie? Pitch Perfect? And then without even turning it on, songs get stuck in my head (I do love Anna Kendrick's version of "Cup Song")  but one in particular got stuck and made me think of my post yesterday. So if you've seen the movie you know where they have their little underground singoff thing? Yeah, remember how one of the categories was sex? And one of the songs was Rihanna's "S&M"? Well, I hate that song, and I'm not a fan of Rihanna, but the two together really made me mad when it came out.

Remember a few years ago how everyone was all, "Oh, Chris Brown beats women!" and "Poor Rihanna, she got beat by her boyfriend, a wannabe thug musician, blah blah blah"? Do you because I do and my eyes did a lot of rolling into the back of my head. Not because I'm all for women getting beat and such but because I feel that if you're a celebrity (whether legit or two bit), you should be held to a higher standard and you should not be beating people, driving drunk, setting fires in random people's driveways, and then have the media glamorize it (which even when they act like they're not, they do). Here's the thing, the Chris Brown-Rihanna fight blew up and she had a platform to be a voice. She could have stood up and really sounded off against domestic violence. She may have run a few PSAs or said something in interviews but clearly it didn't stick. Instead she released a song called "S&M". So, the press took pity on her, threw Brown to the wolves, and then acted like she was so liberated and forward by releasing this track. If you're unfamiliar with the lyrics the chorus goes as such,

Cause I may be bad

But I'm perfectly good at it

Sex in the air

I don't care

I love the smell of it

Sticks and stones

May break my bones

But chains and whips

Excite me

Because that's the message that I would want sent to my young daughter who idolizes Rihanna (you know, if I had a young daughter but thank goodness I don't because I'd probably lose my mind). She didn't have to do this song, it could have went to someone else but to me it's interesting that she did. In my opinion she's saying it's ok to get beat because it's a turn on. She got beat on in a horrific manner (we all saw the hospital photos) and people rallied around her and supported her and everything and then she lets everyone down by releasing a song like that. Oh, and she got back with Brown much to the dismay of many of her fans and the general public. She had such a chance to be a powerful voice for young women in abusive relationships and she failed. Perhaps if our "news" media was more obsessed with actual news and not just celebrity, this country would be a bit better off. I'm pretty much over the celebrity worshipping in this country where the goal is to get your fifteen minutes of fame rather than be a good, productive citizen.