Credit: Wikimedia Commons
When Chris Brown is in the news, it's all but guaranteed that said news will involve an act of profound moral depravity. The latest example of this mathematically proven principle? The "singer"—who is currently in the throes of yet another "off" phase in his on-again, off-again relationship with Karrueche Tran—has taken to Instagram to bash, berate and otherwise demoralize his ex-flame.
Here's the exchange, which started with a relatively thoughtful, self-respecting post from Tran taking a stand against Brown's poor treatment of her.
So to recap: Tran shouldn't get upset about being treated like garbage because she purportedly participated in threesomes; should feel guilty about not visiting Brown more often when he was in prison for beating up another girlfriend; and is, for stating her desire to move on from a painful relationship, full of "bullshit." Also, other celebrities are self-involved. Take five to reflect on that hypocrisy for a minute.
Earlier today, Brown did say he was sorry, specifically for the Drake accusation. But he didn't take into account any of the other despicable things he said to about Tran. And in an impressive feat, he somehow managed to turn the "apology" into a defensive psuodo-humblebrag:
"So I AM APOLOGIZING I live in a glass house and the same s--t that makes me great also is my curse. Everybody know I love that girl. I don't care how my image look to the public because I'm still gonna be the best at what I do. I just want baby girl to know I apologize!"
People have long debated how much we should judge a celebrity by their moral actions, if there's value in their art. While Brown's artistic merit is debatable, I concede that some do benefit from his music and performances. But exactly how immoral does one have to be before we decide that his negative social actions outweigh his artistic contributions—and that he no longer deserves the wealth and fame that come from being a celebrity?
Here's a handy illustration of just how twisted this dynamic is in the case of Brown . . . in easy-to-read numerical form! We think it'll help clarify things.
Net worth: $24 million
The R&B singer has accumulated millions of dollars through the sale of tickets to concerts (which people still attend) and CDs (which people still buy). "Fun" fact: Brown's worth is 530 times more than what the average social worker makes in a year. You know, the same people who counsel those women suffering from domestic violence . . .
Number of arrests since rising to fame: 3 
In addition to beating Rihanna, Brown has been charged in a hit and run, as well as a felony assault after punching a hotel worker in the face. Outside his arrests, he has brawled with Frank Ocean, smashed a window on The Today Show and tweeted the following charming comments to female comedian Jenny Johnson: "Being a worthless piece of s— can really age a person" and: "Take them teeth out when u Sucking my d— HOE” (to which Johnson brilliantly retorted, "It’s ‘HO’ not ‘HOE’ you ignorant f—”).
Price of L.A. mansion: $1.5 million
This was the recent asking price for Brown's swanky Hollywood Hills pad, which—weird fact!—apparently had monster murals that were scaring the local children*. (*Not the only reason they should be scared.)
Number of rehab centers to expel him: 2
Brown has been kicked out of not one, but two rehab programs for rules violations, including throwing a rock through his mother's car window and writing a note that said "I am good at using guns and knives" to counselors.
Twitter followers: 13.4 million
Because he's a big famous star, remember?
Clearly, Brown has some anger management issues and is in need of professional help. And we'd like to think he could change. But considering he's hit upon a winning formula for success—basically, abuse and insult women while enjoying millions of dollars, ritzy mansions, impassioned fans and general lavish success—why would he?
Images: Wikimedia Commons
