How Well Did the Grammys, NFL Address Domestic Violence ?
One week after the Super Bowl aired an anti-domestic violence ad, President Barack Obama and activist Brooke Axtell spoke about the issue at the Grammys.
A week after an anti-domestic violence public service announcement aired to millions watching the Super Bowl, President Barack Obama made a video appearance at the 2015 Grammys, calling on the public to pledge to help stop rape and domestic violence.
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The NFL’s sponsored anti-domestic violence PSA came after a season rife with abuse scandals. The Grammy Foundation has previously addressed social issues during the show, and Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich contacted Brooke Axtell, an Austin-based writer, activist, and spoken-word performance artist, in order to invite her to write a speech for this year’s awards, according to Slate. The event’s attention to the issue came six years after Chris Brown infamously attacked Rihanna before the 2009 Grammy Awards.
Axtell shared her story of surviving abuse, live on stage before Katy Perry sang “By the Grace of God.’’
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Axtell asked victims of domestic violence to speak out, saying their voice will save them. The moment fell in line with a recent “No More’’ campaign sponsored by the NFL that asks bystanders to take action, in which it says, “When it’s hard to talk, it’s up to us to listen.’’
Both messages at the Super Bowl and Grammys stress the importance of supporting victims. When assault victims feel supported, they receive more helpful information and experience less secondary trauma, according to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). Both the NFL and the music industry have dealt with publicbacklash in the wake of assault scandals, prompting critics who accuse them of being hypocritical.
Writer Roxane Gay pointed out that Chris Brown, who was sentenced to 1,400 hours of community service and 5 years probation after assaulting Rihanna, and R. Kelly, who was acquitted in court when he faced child pornography charges, were each up for Grammys this year.
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“Surely it’s a matter of public relations,’’ said Brett Ingram, a Boston College professor who teaches a course called “Masculinity, Sexuality, and Difference.’’ “I hate to be cynical, but these are massive, powerful industries with serious public relations problems on their hands…nevertheless, if that’s what it takes to initiate a discussion, we could wring our hands and say it should have happened a long time ago, but people need to keep the pressure on.’’
After high-profile domestic assault arrests against NFL players have received attention over the past five years, critics asked the League to update their personal conduct policy to include more direct language about prohibited behavior and investigative procedures. The Recording Academy honors achievements in the music industry, but does not directly preside over artists as an employer.
“In the case of the NFL, it is a franchise that has a responsibility as the employer to have clear policies in place and a way to hold its employees accountable,’’ said Maureen Gallagher, Policy Director of Jane Doe Inc. “In the case of the Grammys, they don’t have the same authority over their peers. On the other hand…organizers of the Grammys have sent a clear and powerful message about the expectations members of that industry have for behavior.’’
Twenty people are victims of intimate partner violence every minute in the U.S. This equates to more than 10 million women and men each year. By providing resources to domestic violence victims through a public platform that reaches across the country, it’s believed that this violence can be prevented, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Domestic violence is a long-standing issue, but awareness has risen in recent decades due to increasing numbers of nuanced campaigns, according to Anthony DePietro, executive director of Healing Abuse, Working for Change (HAWC).
The “It’s On Us’’ campaign was launched last September through the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, a group established by the President and Vice President in January of 2014. The campaign was launched in partnership with the Center for American Progress’ Generation Progress, who then partnered with SB Nation to release videos where athletes ask the public to take the pledge. DePietro would like to see more.
“Domestic violence is so cross-cutting in our society that I would put the responsibility on all institutions to educate themselves,’’ DePietro said. “The decision [by the Grammys] to air positive, supportive messages could be seen as balancing or counteracting the message inherent in giving awards to abusers. [But] celebrities of all types often get a ‘pass’ in society, and it is more difficult to hold them accountable.’’
DePietro suggests that the most effective way to counteract this trend is for more celebrities to stand up and show themselves as positive examples in healthy relationships. Ingram suggests those in the public eye have a responsibility to steer the conversation, not just to start it. The NFL’s approach pointed out a lack of conversation, he said, but played on stereotypes that men can’t speak with empathy or social sensitivity.
“[The NFL’s] approach recognizes the problem in communication of the issue but doesn’t offer a model to break free,’’ Ingram said. “Pose this to what they did at the Grammys, where they had Katy Perry and Axtell; female bodies being capable of eloquent, articulate, compassionate words.’’
The crux of the “It’s On Us’’ campaign is that domestic violence and sexual assault are issues that affect everyone — not just abusers and victims. Every individual has a responsibility “to not be a bystander to the problem, but to be a part of the solution,’’ the site says. This approach is attempting to include perpetrators in the conversation.
“Putting more messages out there impacts the offenders, too,’’ DePietro said. “It’s saying that their abusive behavior is unacceptable, and people are going to recognize it as such.’’
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