Is Chris Brown's Career Totally Doomed?
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So can Chris Brown be a famous singer after this whole alleged crime?
—Marnie, Scottsbluff, Ariz.
I reached out to dozens of crisis PR experts today—people who have handled everything from food recalls to child sex-abuse scandals. Their only point of disagreement: Whether Chris Brown's career is finished, over or merely done.
This is no small fall for a guy who, just last year, was named by Forbes magazine as a "celebrity dealmaker to watch." His biggest sin since the alleged crime? Staying silent.
Of course, what actually happened remains to be sorted out in full view of Lady Justice. But PR people universally agree that Brown should have launched his I'm-an-ass apology tour by now, or at least some sort of self-mutilating statement.
Here's the long-shot strategy he should be following...
Police investigation notwithstanding, crisis PR pro Dave Cieslak tells me he that somebody in Brown's position should "admit his unspeakable mistake and genuinely beg forgiveness from Rihanna and his fans, all with tears streaming from his eyes."
And yet there is a very tiny chance that Brown could crawl and scrape his way back into our collective good graces.
How? Focusing on his fans in the African-American community is a good start, image management consultant Goldie Taylor says. "We have a forgiving heart in the community," Taylor says. "It's happened time and time again. We saw it with Al Sharpton and Tawana Brawley, and look at Michael Vick. He isn't done yet."
(Indeed, Vick gets out of prison in July, and his lawyers are reportedly seeking to get him reinstated into the NFL.)
That focus may take the form of a sympathetic interview with Cousin Jeff on BET or giving us a very public come-to-Jesus moment by joining an African-American church.
He also needs to curb any news leaks coming out of his camp, as well as put out his own strong message, Taylor says:
"That his love for Rihanna is unfaltering, that he has undying love and respect for black women everywhere, that he has sisters and watched his mother struggle as a single mom, and that he can't comment on anything directly but that he has great faith in the American justice system.
"But if they keep up with this radio silence," Taylor says, "he's a dead brand walking."
Of course, Brown's own anti-domestic-violence foundation must follow.
Even after all that, don't look for a Chris Brown live tour anytime soon.
"If his people are smart," says Peter Shankman, founder of the PR firm Geek Factory, "they'll keep him under wraps for at least six months."
—Marnie, Scottsbluff, Ariz.
I reached out to dozens of crisis PR experts today—people who have handled everything from food recalls to child sex-abuse scandals. Their only point of disagreement: Whether Chris Brown's career is finished, over or merely done.
This is no small fall for a guy who, just last year, was named by Forbes magazine as a "celebrity dealmaker to watch." His biggest sin since the alleged crime? Staying silent.
Of course, what actually happened remains to be sorted out in full view of Lady Justice. But PR people universally agree that Brown should have launched his I'm-an-ass apology tour by now, or at least some sort of self-mutilating statement.
Here's the long-shot strategy he should be following...
Police investigation notwithstanding, crisis PR pro Dave Cieslak tells me he that somebody in Brown's position should "admit his unspeakable mistake and genuinely beg forgiveness from Rihanna and his fans, all with tears streaming from his eyes."
And yet there is a very tiny chance that Brown could crawl and scrape his way back into our collective good graces.
How? Focusing on his fans in the African-American community is a good start, image management consultant Goldie Taylor says. "We have a forgiving heart in the community," Taylor says. "It's happened time and time again. We saw it with Al Sharpton and Tawana Brawley, and look at Michael Vick. He isn't done yet."
(Indeed, Vick gets out of prison in July, and his lawyers are reportedly seeking to get him reinstated into the NFL.)
That focus may take the form of a sympathetic interview with Cousin Jeff on BET or giving us a very public come-to-Jesus moment by joining an African-American church.
He also needs to curb any news leaks coming out of his camp, as well as put out his own strong message, Taylor says:
"That his love for Rihanna is unfaltering, that he has undying love and respect for black women everywhere, that he has sisters and watched his mother struggle as a single mom, and that he can't comment on anything directly but that he has great faith in the American justice system.
"But if they keep up with this radio silence," Taylor says, "he's a dead brand walking."
Of course, Brown's own anti-domestic-violence foundation must follow.
Even after all that, don't look for a Chris Brown live tour anytime soon.
"If his people are smart," says Peter Shankman, founder of the PR firm Geek Factory, "they'll keep him under wraps for at least six months."
Tags: career, management, pr
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Damnstraight on -
Nah it's not over. Chris has amazing talent, and if you have that, you're good. Remember, Kobe Bryant was accused of raping some young White girl and lost all of his endorsements...but look at him now...Still getting it in. Time heals all wounds. Chris will be alright.
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Permalink Reply by Cougar $pice on -
Once all the details are out that's when we'll see. We don't have all the details yet.
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Permalink Reply by Jeanette on -
I'm Team CB. Pray things work out for him. But I'm no dummy. Its as clear as day that CB is attracted to European woman or women that favor his mother. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!
Man 4get beating around the bush, I'll just say it...shit this is Baller Alert :Eddie voice: AINT NOBODY EXEMPT ON BALLER ALERT!
"...Focusing on his fans in the African-American community is a good start"
THAT COMMENT RIGHT THERE HIT A NERVE WITH ME! CB should 'Focus' on the AA community, really? Um, bitch who do you think had his back when he blew up! Check the DVDs and all you'll see are millions of little chocolate girls buying 10 and 20 copies of his debut CD screaming and crying their eyes out!
Chris hasn't really focused on 'us' since he crossed over and that's real! Congrats, Chris get your Euros I'm not mad at you but these managers shouldn't think that the AA community is so dumb that we won't notice!
Check his video catalogue (yeah imam take it there because its true)...he hasn't had a chocolate LEAD girl in his video since 'Goodbye'...and that is a fact! Its been about what 4 years since then? Brea in 'Kiss Kiss' does not count because her 'ass' was just a prop...and that brown girl getting it in the 'Freeze' video was T-Pain's lead girl.
(I really don't want to get into the colorism debate because that's not what I'm talking about. All women of all shades and ethnicities are beautiful. I'm referring to what the lady meant by the AA community...that he really hasn't shown love to...as in the brown girls that had his back in the verrryyyyy begining...lol, alleged love interest Ms. Davis not included)
Now, Chris is in a fucked up situation...I want the best outcome for him, he is an incredible tallent...BUT I have my eye out on this one...if in his next music video, he allll offf a suddeennnn is up on a brown skinned girl after FOUR YEARS then I'm callin' bullshit....as in uhhhh huh, you done messed up with the white folk now you wanna get all lovey dovey with the chocolate sistas that spent their allowance on you in the first place...I see u dude...
Point blank period, if his next album has the same r&b/hip hop formula as his first album , and less like his current dance/house/pop projects AND if his next lead chick looks more like Tina Davis and not like his Mother then I know that he's starting allllllll over....(sad in a way as if the chocolate sistas are at the bottom of his totem pole but it is what it is...CHECK HIS VIDEO CATALOGUE I'M NOT LYING...)
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Permalink Reply by Damnstraight on
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I mean as a very light-skinned male, I don't see any issues with him featuring lightskinned women in some of his videos. I could see your point if he was darker-skinned like Mario or Neyo, but Chris and his mother are very light people. There are white artists I'm very fond of, but I won't take issue if they only feature/date white women. If you consider him African American, then I just don't see how you can't see the women who are the same skin color as him to be the same.
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Permalink Reply by Jeanette on
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I'm not trynna fuck him so Chris preference doesn't bother me. At least he's not an ass hole like Burg. Its basically the 'Bait and Switch' mode that he's on/ his people puts him up to is what pisses me off.
When these young chocolate girls saw his first video 'Run It', it was like "he can sing and dance, and the girl he's all up on looks like me! So he'll want to date me! Let me spend my cake on him and really support him!".
That dude said "Goodbye" and never came back...I'm just waiting to see what his next lead chick looks like and what his next album sounds like. I mean, if light bright damn near white is your preference then don't USE these nieve chocolate girls, whom many have self esteem issues as it is, as your financial crutch, to blow up, forget about (keep it real, he has), and not recognize them later down the road...4 to 5 years down the road to be exact.
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Permalink Reply by MissE on -
he might like the lighter girls but sometimes the artist doesn't choose the girl.
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Permalink Reply by Jeanette on
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"he might like the lighter girls but sometimes the artist doesn't choose the girl."
For 4/5 years straight?
I enjoy him as an artist but he just might be at rock bottom...as in he has to take what he can get.
I just hope Tina and them don't think he can just grind on a coupla 'dark butts' in a few videos then cross back over.
I'm just waiting to see what the girls are going to look like now that be should "focus on the African American community"...for her to even SAY that about black man, I'm starting to think she KNOWS he's been really been focusing on massa for a while...like I said, this isn't a colorism issue, but it is what it is
Just check all of his videos and you'll see what I'm talking about...better yet, check out that BET dvd that came with Exclusive
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Are you guys watching?
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I'm think he's full of shit just becuz he used the words assertion wrong..yup
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