It’s not just what is said that is important; it’s who is saying it.
Consider the following statement regarding Tiger Woods, who just took to the golf course again after five months full of raunchy revelations and pun-ridden headlines:
“I think people always deserve a second chance. Whatever (Tiger’s) personal life is — and I think this goes for me and him — his personal life is his personal life. Nobody has the right to place judgment or make any judgment on somebody else’s personal life when they’re not directly involved with them.”
To a certain extent, this is a reasonable statement. Tiger is a very public figure, but that doesn’t mean he does not have a right to a personal life. And it’s true—no one in the public has a right to judge him. That’s better left to his wife and the various multinational corporations who have him under contract.
The problem lies not in the statement, but with who is stating it: Chris Brown. It’s difficult to absorb such moral pronouncements from someone whose celebrity is based not just on his vocal talents, but his tendency to choke and bite fellow members of the R&B community.
In taking Tiger’s side, he cleverly inserts himself in as a victim. “I think this goes for me and him–his personal life is his personal life.” Unfortunately, people can be quite nosy in cases of assault.
I don’t disagree with you, Chris. People deserve a second chance. You’re in the middle of a five-year probationary chance of your own. So far, it looks like you’re doing pretty well.
But maybe you should let someone else do the talking for a little while.
