Rihanna Disappearing

Unless you've been in a cave for the last few days, you've already heard about the smackdown between hip-hop artist Chris Brown and pop singer Rihanna Sunday night right before the Grammy's. Last week I wrote about how, IMHO, there was much ado about fact that Michael Phelps smoked pot and his losing at least one endorsement deal.

You may not agree with me about Phelps, but I can't think of a legitimate reason that would cause a man to punch and hit a woman to the point that her lip split and her face became bruised. While Brown is 19 and Rihanna is 20, 19 is old enough to know better--to have enough respect for a woman even in the heat of an argument not to use your fists to prove your point.

If there is anyone who needs to lose endorsement deals, it's Brown. Not surprisingly, once Brown was arrested and the details were leaked to the press, Brown retained a high-powered PR firm (who, according to press reports, specialize in "crisis management") and issued a statement that read in part, " am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person."

I hope that this is not just lip service (pardon the pun) but that this experience sobers up Brown and he does indeed learn from this experience and gets any help that he needs regarding anger management.

In what has to be a moment of utter stupidity, even for him, Kanye West was one of several stars who have publicly defended Brown. At a VH1 program taping, West, after being asked about the incident said, "Can't we give Chris a break?". Um, no, and I bet you'd be singing (or should I say rapping) a different tune if your beloved late mother was beaten up by some guy.

I think the only one in this circus who has shown any amount of class is Rihanna. She has not been seen publicly since the incident and has issued no statements. Ironically, her latest single is called "Rehab", which is a place Chris Brown may very well end up.