AIBU? Am I overreacting? Cheryl Cole interview on radio (possible rant)

[FeedingTheBirds]

Am not a prolific poster but just heard this interview with her on local radio and it is eating away at me.

Local radio station but I think they have many other "local" radio stations around the country, her interview can apparently be heard at www.indemand.fm. Don't know how to link - sorry.

She was discussing an upcoming possible duet with Rhianna and they got onto the subject of Chris Brown. Cheryl said that because Rhianna had publicly (sp?) forgiven Chris B that the rest of "us" should also. She went onto say that him being in the public eye made it harder for him and that through "her charity" she had met lots of reformed characters who had done "bad things and been in prison" and they were now upstanding members of the community.

I can't help thinking quite ferociously that she has said something quite silly. I know that 10 years ago when I was plucking up the courage to leave violent ex husband that hearing something like that might have made me think, hang on maybe he CAN reform and be a lovely pillar of the community and stayed and suffered for it. At that time I wouldn't have thought to myself I wonder how many violent men actually DO change their ways. I still do not know the statistics but I am betting it is fairly low.

Am I overthinking this? I am more than tempted to write to the radio station or in fact the company who own the various radio stations because I think she has said something stupid and potentially dangerous for many many vulnerable women. (Not sure what response I would expect if I even did contact them). Very unsure and as I have said, possibly overthinking.

BBC report of her conviction

But why come from the point of view that famous people have a moral responsibility to speak or act in a certain way? Cheryl Cole is stupid, Natalie Cassidy is stupid, Kerry Catona is stupid. Yhey are famous for some reason. I think society should accept that stupid people are stupid, smokers smoke, drinkers drink and some people don't wear a seatbelt. It is so patronising to believe that censorship should prevent the stupid people from being them because it may set a bad example.

When NC went on this morning, I was baying for her blood (not actually literally) but that is because she set herself up as this DV guru, spouted on about it, made money from it and then kicked every woman who is suffering from DV in the teeth by saying it wasn't that bad and what a poor baby he was. That is wrong and she should be rejected by the media.

The media are absolutely evil, they encourage this sort of crap and rarely report with a balance from the other side. Whether it's Dv or Bahrain, I think the media should be held to account, not the stupid people it exploits.

It really does just feel like there's so much wrong going on and outputted by celebrities, and people look away, turn a blind eye, don't speak up and say this is all wrong. It's all for another agenda of self-promotion and if they whitewash away all the bad stuff, they all still get to sell millions of records or whatever.

A duet with Justin Bieber makes me think his parents, his management, himself - someone should have said no fucking way dude - you hit and strangled and bit a woman! Get the fuck away from me. But JB is as guilty as everyone else in the whole celebrity machine - they all tell themselves a man deserves a second chance but it's not about that, it's about making more money.

Sometimes I think it's so much worse these days, that celebrities of whatever ilk can do whatever they like - hurt, abuse, use, attack, rape, and they are protected from the consequences - a wall of PR and lawyers goes up around them and they allowed to carry on making money for everyone. But then I think - look at OJ and the circus of his trial, look at Ted Kennedy that killed a girl driving off a bridge and all he got was a suspended sentence, look at what when on with Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack. It's the same as it ever was and it boils down to one thing - if you're making a lot of money for a lot of people, they have a vested interest in keeping you out of jail.

But then - it does warm my heart that so many musicians were furious when CB won that award, and spoke out so publicly...so maybe not all is lost.

Brilliant post mumsyblouse.

I too don't get why the assault on Rihanna is viewed in almost flippant terms. I don't think someone like that can easily be rehbilitated - Brown was filmed kicking off in a violent way a few months back. He is evidently a violent, enabled thug.

Cheryl Cole is blisteringly stupid, but obviously can't condemn Brown as she is a convicted thug as well. I don't sEe how anyone can overlook how revoltingly she behaved - she, a pop star, punched a toliet attendant in the face. It doesn't matter what the attendant may have said to her, what kind of person is she that she would react in such a violent and awful way? Vile.

I think that you are right bettybat. Sometimes people are so quick off the mark with PR and lawyers that I think it gets to a point where the police/cps are fighting an uphill battle.

I think a lot of you are being a bit harsh. Cheryl has a brother who has had a lot of issues and been in and out of jail and which I think has lead to her involvement with the charitable work she mentioned. I suspect this more then her own past crime influences her desire to believe in the possibility of rehabilitation and I can only sympathise with her for that.

I know plenty of people with 'issues' who don't behave as her brother does.