Op-Ed: What the Chris Brown Situation Has Taught Us About Cancel Culture

Chris Brown has had enough of being “cancel culture’s” favorite target because of his past mistakes. Everyone remembers the domestic incident that occurred between Brown and his ex-girlfriend Rihanna, but will he ever be able to move beyond that dark shadow?

The R&B sensation began trending on Twitter after Chloe Bailey announced their collaboration for their new single “How Does It Feel,” and of course, everyone had to share their opinions on her decision to work with him. Kiely Williams of 3LW voiced her opinion which sparked Brown’s unfiltered Instagram rant tweeting:

Although Chris Brown is currently on tour overseas he decided to address this ongoing issue on his Instagram story.

As a human being, it is not hard to understand his frustration. To be ridiculed for your past mistakes while others openly receive praise and success for doing the same things. This is where the major discrepancy with cancel culture occurs. Everyone isn’t privy to the same rules and outcomes of being “canceled” which makes it quite ineffective. Chris Brown spoke about this in his rant as well.

Although his delivery wasn’t the best, there is much truth to this statement. Countless public figures have engaged in wrongdoing, including domestic violence, and yet we continue to support their art without hesitation. Why is that?

After the assault case with Rihanna in 2009, Chris Brown undoubtedly suffered the strongest type of cancellation possible. Being expelled from various countries and mocked throughout all forms of media. Even though social media hadn’t yet reached the heights of popularity that would soon appear. Making it almost impossible for him to reach the heights that we know his talents deserve to see.

In his Netflix documentary, “Welcome to My Life,” he was very transparent about the incident. He also was not too proud to take full accountability for his actions. This speaks volumes about his understanding of the damage done and his growth as a man.

Despite the backlash and negative energy Chris Brown has received since the incident occurred, he continues to push forward and make music for the fans who have forgiven him. Despite the negativity, we can all learn something about forgiveness and persistence from Brown’s cancel culture experience.

Apparently, the idea of cancel culture is one that doesn’t actually function all that well. Certainly, there are millions of individuals who will criticize a celebrity online, but how much of that is fake, and are there enough people who care? Although we may deplatform, it then becomes a slippery slope as to who deserves to suffer that fate, and it is obvious that no one will ever agree across the board.

This is a true story of persistence, determination, and passion for his craft. After facing several disappointing moments that could have caused him to throw in the towel with music, he keeps on going! From the AMA’s canceling his Michael Jackson tribute for unknown reasons to not being invited to or nominated for any awards for over 10 years. Chris Brown shows us that he will not stop no matter how long the odds may be against him.

There are still many die-hard fans and fellow artists who continue to genuinely support him to the fullest, but we can all see that his career will forever be severely affected. In 2020, Rihanna revealed that she’d forgiven Chris and if she can forgive him then why can’t we? We can all take a page from his book when we face opposition, rejection, and backlash for our past mistakes or just trying to live out our wildest dreams. No one should be punished forever for a dark season in life because we all experience them. Those seasons shouldn’t define who we are but instead, mold us into who we need to become.

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