Lot's Wife Edition 6 2015

ARTS & CULTURE 43
‘Is it then possible to separate the man from his work? And if
we can, if we do decide to continue to support them and their
work, is there a possibility to find a balance? Or is it simply
unethical to demonstrate any support for these people who
have shown that they are simply unworthy of it?’
this completely contradicts these celebrities’ staunch and
purported feminist positions. Did they not think that by
showing support for this man they are then subsequently
supporting his string of domestic violence, which has been
public knowledge since 2002 and to which he has received
comparatively light jail sentences? Yet, surprisingly, when
the Mayweather v. Pacquiao boxing match took place earlier
this year, the focus laid less on his crimes - such as beating
his now ex-girlfriend in 2010 in front of their children - and
more on how he shouldn’t have won and Pacquiao was more
deserving. The boxing industry’s elevation of him, which
passively condones his actions and normalises them to
society, is just insulting to the people, and his children, who
he has brought distress and harm upon, as well as to anyone
else who has had to endure any similar form of abuse.
Is it then possible to separate the man from his work?
And if we can, if we do decide to continue to support them
and their work, is there a possibility to find a balance? Or
is it simply unethical to demonstrate any support for these
people who have shown that they are simply unworthy of it?
Because by being passive consumers and singing along to
the charming lyrics of Brown’s that "these hoes ain’t loyal"
is giving credence to these men and enforcing that as much
as we, as a general populace, think they are a typically awful
person, because they so happen to exist in the world of fame
and fortune, their work-related efforts account for much
more than their violent, abusive nature.
Fiona McCormack, a guest speaker at the Human Rights
Conference 2015 hosted by Monash’s Castan Centre for
Human Rights Law, spoke about domestic violence and
where this issue stems from. With 95% of domestic violence
perpetrated by men, the issue is largely a gender-based one.
Common factors listed by the media that are to blame for
abuse in the home include mental health issues, economic
stress, upbringing and environment, and alcohol and drug
abuse. While these can play a part in some cases, they
are not the ultimate driving force behind what is now one
woman a week losing her life due to domestic violence. Rigid
stereotypes, the status of women and violence supported
attitudes are often the catalyst for these behaviours and
if these perceptions of gender are not challenged, we are
therefore supporting these attitudes and propagating
ingrained beliefs and gender stereotypes. This mirrors our
perception of these male celebrities who have caused harm
to others. If we do not challenge their actions and if we
continue to support them by buying their albums, liking
their Instagram posts or simply ignoring their crimes, we are
allowing them to continue forth, untouched and unscathed.
Even the beacon of sagacity that is Pitbull has chipped
in his two cents on the Rihanna and Chris Brown fiasco in
2009, stating that "there’s her story, there’s his story, and
then the truth." That doesn’t actually deter from the fact
that the truth is not completely separate from their version
of events and that his comments make as little sense as
his vomit-inducing lyrics do. So their versions of the events
cannot intertwine with the truth? So maybe Rihanna fell out
of a moving car and that is how she came to look severely
beaten and bruised? And maybe Chris Brown just drove
his Lamborghini around town, flashing his high beams? By
Pitbull excusing Brown for his actions by labelling him as
a poor, young lad who "just finds trouble", the blame steers
away from Brown and his actions are seen as the result of
provocation from Rihanna.
Whether people wish to admit it or not, the world of
Hollywood and the like does have a profound effect on
society with people often using celebrities as a measuring
stick for their own actions. By demonstrating that men
who commit wrongdoings, hold misogynistic and harmful
attitudes towards women are allowed to succeed and have
undue support in their lives serves only to normalise and
perpetuate victim blaming.
Celebrities are not perfectly invincible creatures whose
worth transcends that of non-celebrities; they are humans
who make mistakes and need to be held accountable to the
same degree as anyone else. This belief that they are more
worthy and outside of the rule of law disseminates an elitist
attitude and is damaging to the outside community. We
need to stop victimising the perpetrator and de-victimising
the victim – it’s ignorant, offensive and destructive. It
conditions women to think that if they are made to be a
victim by the ‘uncontrollable whim’ or the blunt force of a
man, she is somewhat to blame and equally responsible
for his actions. We need to deconstruct the issue to
highlight just who a victim is and who a perpetrator is and
not cut corners about it. The more we build and generate
a supportive discourse, showing women they are not to
blame, the more we can work towards helping women who
are in these situations to try and seek help and to not view
themselves as the issue.