By Megan Tripp, Staff Writer, Emerson College
Jodi Foster’s clearly unscripted and slightly unhinged Golden Globes rant was annoying and seriously frustrating for some in the LGBTQ community. She almost divulged personal information before going on to plead with the public to respect her privacy regarding her personal life.
There is a sizable Internet fandom fascinated with Kristen Stewart’s treatment of invading paparazzi. She flips them off, laughs when they get almost hit by cars, and pushes roughly through them when they crowd in front of her. This is her version of a desperate Golden Globes plea for privacy.
Miley Cyrus has also been very vocal throughout her still young career about paparazzi badgering her and her family. A video of her screaming and threatening one photographer who bumped into her mother has over 42,000 views on YouTube. She aggressively attempts to protect her family from invasive photographers, again just wanting privacy.
We, as a culture, are obsessed with celebrities and their personal lives but all they want is the privacy that we possibly take for granted.
And so, when I heard the news about Rihanna returning to Chris Brown and the backlash response toward her, all I could think about was rambling Jodi Foster and angry K-Stew.
I want to make it clear that I am not defending Chris Brown’s actions. I was, and still am, as disgusted by his actions toward Rihanna at the 2009 Grammys as the rest of the nation. I thought, as many did, that the man whose abuse inspired dark songs about horrible relationships like “Russian Roulette” and “We Found Love,” would be in her past for good. I hoped, like many did, that she would learn what she could from such an awful situation and move on to continuing success.
But, she didn’t. She chose to go back to him. They cuddled at the Grammys, Instagramed pictures of them in his bed, and speculative rumors about a sparkly ring on her left hand started circulating.
Some may, and have, condemned her for this. People see her as fulfilling the typical victim stereotype, as weak and submitting to his abuse once again, as making the same mistake twice.
But, Rihanna’s life is Rihanna’s life. While I enjoy following it avidly and unashamedly buy magazines with her half naked picture on the cover, when it comes down to it, I, and the rest of the Internet for that matter, have no authority to judge her decisions. I can’t pretend to understand all of the last few months of interaction between the two of them or see clearly how he has or hasn’t changed toward her.
I was not privy to her conversations with him or whatever changes he has made in his life over the past three years. I was not given details about his probationary proceedings or what, if any, rehab or therapy he participated in. I can read tabloid articles, but I can’t definitively say anything about their relationship. It’s not my relationship; therefore it’s not my place to judge.
From what I know of Rihanna, courtesy of Rolling Stone articles and pre-Grammys interviews, she is a strong independent woman capable of making her own decisions, and sometimes mistakes. She does not strike me as the kind of woman who would allow herself to be manipulated into entering back into a miserable relationship. She also doesn’t strike me as the type of girl to be fooled into thinking that he has changed in a typical victim fashion. He must have really done something to win back her affections. Her work certainly seems to reflect that. The striking line “I choose to be happy” in her newest single, “Diamonds,” seems to tell us that no matter what we may know, or think we know about her life, it is ultimately up to her to decide what will make her happy and what it best for her.
Although I can’t pretend to know if any of that is true either.
I guess it boils down to this: imagine if your relationship status, instead of simply being subjected to Facebook comments, is talked about on TV shows nightly, brought up for endless discussion in every interview you participate in when you’re trying to promote your career, and slammed in blog article after blog article for months. Rihanna’s personal love life is no more my business than mine is hers.
I think what’s important to remember here is that even though we might wish it so, Rihanna is not our best friend or our sister or even our distant cousin who we enjoy berating at Christmas time. My relationship is mine, your relationship is yours, and her relationship is hers, no matter how public their breakout or how famous they are.
Megan Tripp is a junior WLP major who drinks way too much coffee and watches and re-watches Gilmore Girls way too often. She likes shiny things and looks forward to making a career out of making things up and writing them down.
Jodi Foster’s clearly unscripted and slightly unhinged Golden Globes rant was annoying and seriously frustrating for some in the LGBTQ community. She almost divulged personal information before going on to plead with the public to respect her privacy regarding her personal life.
There is a sizable Internet fandom fascinated with Kristen Stewart’s treatment of invading paparazzi. She flips them off, laughs when they get almost hit by cars, and pushes roughly through them when they crowd in front of her. This is her version of a desperate Golden Globes plea for privacy.
Miley Cyrus has also been very vocal throughout her still young career about paparazzi badgering her and her family. A video of her screaming and threatening one photographer who bumped into her mother has over 42,000 views on YouTube. She aggressively attempts to protect her family from invasive photographers, again just wanting privacy.
We, as a culture, are obsessed with celebrities and their personal lives but all they want is the privacy that we possibly take for granted.
And so, when I heard the news about Rihanna returning to Chris Brown and the backlash response toward her, all I could think about was rambling Jodi Foster and angry K-Stew.
I want to make it clear that I am not defending Chris Brown’s actions. I was, and still am, as disgusted by his actions toward Rihanna at the 2009 Grammys as the rest of the nation. I thought, as many did, that the man whose abuse inspired dark songs about horrible relationships like “Russian Roulette” and “We Found Love,” would be in her past for good. I hoped, like many did, that she would learn what she could from such an awful situation and move on to continuing success.
But, she didn’t. She chose to go back to him. They cuddled at the Grammys, Instagramed pictures of them in his bed, and speculative rumors about a sparkly ring on her left hand started circulating.
Some may, and have, condemned her for this. People see her as fulfilling the typical victim stereotype, as weak and submitting to his abuse once again, as making the same mistake twice.
But, Rihanna’s life is Rihanna’s life. While I enjoy following it avidly and unashamedly buy magazines with her half naked picture on the cover, when it comes down to it, I, and the rest of the Internet for that matter, have no authority to judge her decisions. I can’t pretend to understand all of the last few months of interaction between the two of them or see clearly how he has or hasn’t changed toward her.
I was not privy to her conversations with him or whatever changes he has made in his life over the past three years. I was not given details about his probationary proceedings or what, if any, rehab or therapy he participated in. I can read tabloid articles, but I can’t definitively say anything about their relationship. It’s not my relationship; therefore it’s not my place to judge.
From what I know of Rihanna, courtesy of Rolling Stone articles and pre-Grammys interviews, she is a strong independent woman capable of making her own decisions, and sometimes mistakes. She does not strike me as the kind of woman who would allow herself to be manipulated into entering back into a miserable relationship. She also doesn’t strike me as the type of girl to be fooled into thinking that he has changed in a typical victim fashion. He must have really done something to win back her affections. Her work certainly seems to reflect that. The striking line “I choose to be happy” in her newest single, “Diamonds,” seems to tell us that no matter what we may know, or think we know about her life, it is ultimately up to her to decide what will make her happy and what it best for her.
Although I can’t pretend to know if any of that is true either.
I guess it boils down to this: imagine if your relationship status, instead of simply being subjected to Facebook comments, is talked about on TV shows nightly, brought up for endless discussion in every interview you participate in when you’re trying to promote your career, and slammed in blog article after blog article for months. Rihanna’s personal love life is no more my business than mine is hers.
I think what’s important to remember here is that even though we might wish it so, Rihanna is not our best friend or our sister or even our distant cousin who we enjoy berating at Christmas time. My relationship is mine, your relationship is yours, and her relationship is hers, no matter how public their breakout or how famous they are.
Megan Tripp is a junior WLP major who drinks way too much coffee and watches and re-watches Gilmore Girls way too often. She likes shiny things and looks forward to making a career out of making things up and writing them down.