‘Shame on you’: Rihanna takes aim at Snapchat
Ad poked fun at singer’s 2009 domestic attack
Defining what i t means to be tone- deaf, Snapchat debuted an ad for its in- app game “Would You Rather?” this week that asks users if they’d rather “slap Rihanna” or “punch Chris Brown.”
It’s a question that clearly plays on the unforgettable 2009 i ncident in which Chris Brown physically attacked Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time, and was promptly arrested. Photos of her injured face still resonate. Brown received five years probation f or his crime.
Activist Brittany Packnett called out the app on Twitter, writing, “I know that social media ads go through an approval process from the platform. This means @ Snapchat approved an ad that makes light of domestic violence.”
Chelsea Clinton replied to Packnett’s tweet, writing, “Just awful. Awful that anyone thinks this is funny. Awful that anyone thinks this is appropriate. Awful that any company would approve this.”
Snapchat promptly removed the ad, releasing the following statement: “The advert was reviewed and approved in error, as it violates our advertising guidelines. We immediately removed the ad last weekend, once we became aware. We are sorry that this happened.”
On Thursday, Rihanna commented on the situation in an Instagram story — itself a scathing move, as Insta stories are considered Snap’s biggest rival — writ- ing , “Now SNAPCHAT I know you already know you ain’t my fav app out there! But I’m just trying to figure out what the point was with this mess! I’d love to call it ignorance, but I know you ain’t that dumb!
“You spent money to animate something that would intentionally bring shame to DV ( domestic violence) victims and made a joke of it!!! This isn’t about my personal feelings, cause I don’t have much of them … but all the women, children and men that have been victims of DV in the past and especially the ones who haven’t
WOULD YOU RATHER ... SLAP RIHANNA (OR) PUNCH CHRIS BROWN?
made it out yet …. you let us down! Shame on you. Throw the whole app- oligy away.”
Even Brown commented, via his lawyer Mark Ger ag os, saying ,“They should change their name from Snap chat to Tone Deaf.”
For the first time ever, Brown might have a point.