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Is there a racist double standard with celebrities?
People overlooked all the problems Amy Winehouse had as tragic, and still loved her, when she was alive. But when MJ was alive, despite him getting cleared of the legal issues, people mercilessly made fun of "wacko jacko", until his death. And then now, another British celebrity called Cheryl Cole assaulted a toilet attendant (a middle aged black woman) after she tried to stop her from stealing some candy. And yet people still give that the blind eye and then say to not focus on her past as it happened so long ago. But after Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna, people thought Chris Brown should be locked up forever. And now, after he's done his time for his crime, people still want him to never be successful again. What the hell? Only some people can be forgiven for their mistakes? Look at other celebrities who messed up in the past but people have forgiven. Robert Downey Jr, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears etc. People cheer on Lindsay Lohan and hope the best for her, despite all she's done, but when Chris Brown makes one mistake he should be condemned forever? Add in Whitney Houston to this mix, too. People went from joking at her drug issues when she was alive to saying they were big fans and everything after she died. And then again, people praise and laugh with Charlie Sheen, and praise his bad deeds.
What is wrong with people nowadays? Am I overreacting or is this really racism? Cause I can think of so many examples now. Like with the Trayvon Martin case, just because Trayvon Martin wasn't a saint, people tried to use that as justification for Zimmerman to kill him. You can't just go stalk and kill someone in the street. We have laws in this country for a reason. It's just frustrating to see how racism is still in this society. Like again, with Obama, I don't care if someone's against his policies and what not, but I don't understand why some people have to use racist things that have nothing to do with him as an insult. Like despite all the evidence, birthers still can't believe Obama could be born in America, for example.
Why is America still so racist? I've lived in various countries and literally don't have a racist bone in my body (I think it's illogical to be racist or stereotypical cause we're all individuals), but as I've grown I've learned to not be as sensitive and understand that there's still racist people, cause it's not worth it to spend all my life being sad that our world isn't as perfect as I want it to be. all I can do is just try to be a good person and be nice and nonjudgmental towards everyone.
sorry this is really long but it still does bother me, cause I just think it's pointless. I'm so tired of humans being mad at other humans for stupid reasons like color, having a different lifestyle, different religion, sexuality, etc. we could accomplish so much if we didn't waste so much time, money, and lives trying to hurt each other for having different qualities. we're all humans, dammit. it's like people know this, but they don't truly comprehend it.
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chris brown harmed another person - many of these other people you've mentioned just had drug addictions.
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Well, I don't think you are wrong per-say, but you are a bit all over the place with your thinking and you are going to miss a lot if you continue on with this extreme focus. Simply labeling everything you've mentioned here as 'racist' is an oversimplification of a bunch of social phenomenons, including racism.
Which isn't to say that racism isn't at play in many ways, subtle and overt. But what is likely a much larger issue than racism in a lot of these cases, is celebrity culture.
And with the celebrities you've mentioned, you've done cherry picking in your interpretations of public opinion, 'cause from where I am standing Naomi Campbell and Chris Brown still get work and make heaps of money and be cheered on by adoring fans, despite it being proven beyond any reasonable doubt in courts that they have habits of violence that just seem to continue on and on with very minimal punishment. I'm not sure who think is routing for Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears, 'cause no one I know is doing anything but guilty enjoying their car-wreaks of personal lives. Cheryl Cole is probably going to get a pass this time, because she's in her 30s with no prior violence on her record and she really just isn't all the damn famous, so no one really cares.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall is definitely a factor here. Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and MJ all cracked very near the peak of their fame - that gets remembered very differently then stars who collapse as their fame dwindles.
Birtherism is undoubtedly racist, but it's also a common political tactic to attempt to invalidate your opponent's win. With Bush it was the ludicrous activities in Florida that cast doubt on his second term, with Obama it's bitherism. Racism feeds into in a big way, but it's also what happens in politics. If he were a white democrat, the radical right would still be trying to invalidate his presidency, birtherism just wouldn't be as easy a sell.
Also happens in the news. People who wanted to be contrary were going to try and rip down the victim (Trayvon Martin) no matter what colour his skin was. Just the same way subtle hints are used to suggest a woman was asking to be stalked, hit or raped, or that teens hanging out late/in a bad neighborhood deserved to be beaten. Regardless of skin colour, this is what happens when any story gets that kind of attention and is interwoven with policy question. The crazies come out and try to make their point by ripping down the victim in some way. Was racism at play in the case of Travyon Martin? Undoubtedly. Was it the only factor in the treatment his case received? Undoubtedly not.
As part of your recognizing people as individuals, you need to widen your vision a bit. Racism is certainly a factor in what you've described here, but so are many other social factors, and all of those observations are being run through your own personal filter. You need to understand that people's motivations and thoughts (and the media's) are almost always more complex then just racist. There is a lot more going on. That is part of why it's not comprehensible as a whole.
Racism is real, it's impacting your world, but it is absolutely not the only thing that defining the situations you've described here - in some cases I doubt it's even the largest factor at play.
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