High school students mock Chris Brown incident in blackface. |
The 2009 incident ended on a sour note when they got into it. Chris Brown was arrested for domestic violence when he assaulted Rihanna.
After the breakup, the singers traded subliminal jabs at one another. Also they've gotten controversial tattoos that got the public wondering if this feud was getting serious.
The Barbadian singer is signed to Def Jam when her mentor Jay-Z held whelm of the record label. Her successful crossover from reggae singer to pop icon has brought her chart acclaimed success. But out of the studio and in the public eye, many see Rihanna's party lifestyle just as controversial as her rebound with Chris Brown.
I've all but written off Chris Brown as a washed up celebrity. He's not bringing on the massive fandom as successors such as Justin Bieber and Drake. He's pretty much making more and more mistakes that's putting him front and center in the news.
This story has to do with the troubled pop stars. Out of upstate New York some high school students revisit the 2009 incident in which Brown punched and kicked Rihanna on their way to the Grammy's Awards.
They decided this act would be a part of their "spirit week" in which students show their pride for their alum matter.
Waverly High School is in the town of the same name. The town is north of New York by a few hours. The population is nearly 100% White.
At least one of the students is holding back the umbrella-wielding Chris Brown impersonator as the student portraying Rihanna is cowering on the floor.
Students who attended the pep rally appear to be smiling and laughing in reaction to the skit.
Many across the spectrum look upon this with outrage. The hip-hop community and women's rights groups are probably up in arms about this skit.
For one, domestic violence against a person isn't funny! These individuals had a right to make light of the incident, but they have to prepare for the consequences when the cameras are rolling on them and someone takes it to the national news agitators.
Of course, Chris Brown and Rihanna are looked upon negatively. But they're human as are those who mocked the 2009 incident.
The Daily Mail reports that the high school in upstate New York has found itself in the middle of a controversy after it was revealed that a trio of students in blackface performed a skit making light of the singer Rihanna being beaten up by Chris Brown during a pep rally Friday.
The story has attracted national attention after Waverly High School alum Matt Dishler posted a photo from the skit on CNN's iReport Monday.
The image shows three white students in dark makeup, with two of them portraying Rihanna and her ex-boyfriend, who were involved in a highly publicized domestic violence incident in 2009.
Students who attended the pep rally appear to be smiling and laughing in reaction to the skit.
Could all have been forgiven by pop singers. |
'I can testify there's not a lot of racial diversity in that school whatsoever. We're not really exposed to that at that school.' He told the Star Gazette. 'I felt like something should have been done about this. I don’t believe the kids had any vicious intentions, but the administrators should have said that’s not exactly OK.'
Waverly Superintendent Joseph Yelich said he was not aware that the students were planning to do the skit, but he has received numerous complaints since then.
Whistle-blower: The photo from the racially charged skit was posted on CNN's iReport by Waverly High School alum Matt Dishler.
'The Wevarly School District is committed to creating a positive atmosphere through all activities,’ Yelich said. 'I’ll be working with building administration, staff and students to develop future activities consistent with that commitment.
In a phone interview with the Daily Mail, Yelich said he has met with staff, students and a school psychologist Tuesday to discuss the incident. He said that all those who attended the meeting made commitments to examine the school’s current activities and ‘set clear expectations’ going forward.
Yelich, who has taken over as school superintendent a little over a year ago, said that he plans to further address the situation during a school assembly planned for next week.
‘I have a personal commitment to create a positive environment,’ Yelich said.
The superintendent has declined to comment on whether the students who took part in the skit or the teachers and staff who signed off on it or failed to stop it during the rally have been or will be reprimanded.
‘There’s more work that need to be done,’ he said.
According to an opinion piece posted by Dishler on CNN iReport to accompany the photo, the Friday rally was attended not only by students, but also by parents, members of the media and local community leaders, and ‘none of them stopped the skit.’
The 24-year-old Waverly graduate shared reactions to the incident from his fellow alumni, including Waverly alum and Yale University graduate Vlad Chituc, who was quoted as saying, ‘I think it's unconscionable that such blatant racism has been tacitly approved two years in a row.
‘The administration should be creating an environment where minorities are welcome, not the butts of racist jokes that make light of domestic violence.’
Dishler’s schoolmate Hannah Van Wie-Desisti said, ‘I used to be so proud of where I came from. Not so much now due to the recent incident. I found it unfathomable that the faculty would not only approve this idea for the skit in the first place, but allow it to go on during the pep rally.
‘I honestly don't believe that the students meant to offend, but were just ill informed of how offending their skit actually was. The staff should have stopped it before it even started. By acting like the skit was acceptable, they are teaching their students that racism is okay and that abuse is humorous.
'The whole thing outraged me and made me so disappointed in the school that I was once loved.’
Dishler has since come under criticism from some Facebook users who compared the skit to a piece of satire, saying that it is not unlike some of the off-color material that is frequently shown on TV and in the movies.
Meet the guy who tipped off the mainstream media. Matt Dishler told the press about his former school's racial antics. |
‘Do they do it on TV? Yes. Know what else they do on TV? Eat maggots, talk openly about their sex lives, use profane language, show drinking, smoking, a litany of other offenses. If your justification for why it wasn't wrong is because it is ‘on TV,’ he wrote Monday.
Dishler’s mother, Janet, came to her son’s defense on Facebook, writing that she is proud of the 24-year-old for shedding light on a seemingly racist display that took place during school hours, with elementary school students in attendance.
‘Also, I would like someone to explain to me what this skit had to do with team spirit and promoting the homecoming game?????’ Janet Dishler wrote.
Chris Brown appears under RCA Records.
Rihanna appears under Def Jam Records.
No comments:
Post a Comment