Why are we banning Chris Brown?
There’s a degree of inconsistency in Immigration NZ’s rulings around misbehaving musicians, says Laura McQuillan.
Brown’s rap sheet has grown over the past six years, and his fans have learnt little from his mistakes.
IN A back office at Immigration New Zealand HQ, a huddle of public servants is frantically shaking a Magic 8 Ball, hoping to find the right answer to their Chris Brown problem. Just a few days ago, they would have been readying the ‘‘reject’’ stamp for the American singer’s upcoming tour, following an established process that grants Caucasian criminals entry to New Zealand, while keeping brown trouble-makers out.
Last year’s ban on Odd Future was an easy call to make: The group had previously been rejected over its homophobic lyrics. A lobby group was putting pressure on Auckland Council to stop the show because of songs about rape and violence. Members of Odd Future are also not white.
Eminem, whom Odd Future was supporting, has past assault and weapons convictions, a history with drugs, and raps about killing women. He’s white – and Immigration New Zealand approved his visa.
Mike Tyson and Snoop Dogg, too, have been rejected by the same system that lets washed-up (sorry, bogan) white stars like Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Lee and Vanilla Ice enter New Zealand.
As Kanoa Lloyd on TV3’s Newsworthy adeptly observes, ‘‘If you’re black and you’ve been violent or offensive, we don’t want a bar of you. If you’re white, you’re still welcome. We’re much more certain you’ve learned the error of your ways.’’
But if Tainui’s party-planners get their way, that’s about to change. Forget rolling out the welcome mat: the Maori King’s son is planning a hui in honour of Brown, a singer who’s best known for violently beating his pop star ex-girlfriend, Rihanna.
‘‘We will put on a major powhiri befitting of an international star,’’ Tukoroirangi Morgan promised.
It’s a poor-taste move, to reward years of bad behaviour with a party.
Add to that a bizarre call by former Maori Party co-leader Dame Tariana Turia – a staunch and principled antiviolence campaigner – to support Brown’s visa application, as though his taking the stage at Vector Arena will make any difference to New Zealand’s appalling domestic violence statistics.
‘‘He can only but bring something good to our young ones. I’m sure that the message he will bring to them will resonate. I am sure that he has learnt from the mistakes he has made,’’ she told Radio New Zealand.
On the contrary, Brown’s rap sheet has grown over the past six years, and his fans have learnt little from his mistakes: to an astonishingly large number of young women, a Chris Brown beating is something to aspire to.
BROWN has shown little contrition in the past, though he has gone from smashing TV studio windows when asked about the assault, to chuckling through interviews on the subject when he’s promoting a new album.
On this very day, he’s on a charm offensive, becoming a two-tweet antiviolence campaigner after the Australian Government announced it would refuse him entry.
In fairness to him, Brown’s violent past has, in its own way, had a positive impact, thanks to Rihanna showing young women that they can find the strength to leave toxic relationships, and report abuse to the police.
I doubt the Government here will buy Brown’s very recent remorse: better to be Tainui’s party pooper, and disappoint all 500 people who’ve ‘‘liked’’ the Facebook page, than to face a wider public backlash.
Turia does make one point I can agree with: ‘‘Personally, I believe in forgiveness, I think forgiveness is extremely powerful, and it’s when we are able to forgive and move forward that great things can happen for us.’’
If we can forgive the old, white musicians who committed the same crime, why not Chris Brown? And if not now, when?
Good luck to Immigration New Zealand striking a happy balance on this one. But whichever way it goes, I hope the party’s cancelled.
Laura McQuillan is a former Wellington journalist who worked in the parliamentary press gallery for RadioLive, Newstalk ZB and Australian Associated Press (AAP). She now works for Fairfax NZ.