I’m taking a few minutes address a disturbing trend of content creators making a mockery of domestic violence on social media.
One of the latest trends of prank videos is one where the woman appears to be only wearing a towel and lets it fall to the floor, revealing clothing. Upon seeing her release the towel, her boyfriend assumes she is nude and rushes to push her out of view of the camera.
The problem with a few of the latest videos is that the manner in which the boyfriends intervene is becoming increasingly violent.
In one video posted on Facebook Watch, the boyfriend jumps rushes and kicks the woman out of view. In another video uploaded to Instagram and reposted to Snoop Dogg’s account, the boyfriend strikes the woman violently with a pillow so hard it appears to send her crashing to the floor (You can see our post condemning it below).
I don’t find anything remotely funny or entertaining about domestic violence, even under the guise of ‘playing around’. If someone was to do any of above to a friend or family member of mine, I am going to have a major problem with that kind of behavior. I don’t care what excuses he comes up with, or even if she found his violent reaction amusing, it is unacceptable to me as a father, son, brother, and a friend to women whom I love and respect.
A woman doesn’t surrender autonomy over her body (and image) simply because she is in a relationship or even married. If you don’t like what your girlfriend or wife does on social media, maybe she’s not the one for you. Maybe you should find someone that adheres to whatever informal norm you believe in. Better yet, maybe you should consult a therapist to address you insecurities. Either way, violence in any form is not the answer.
Here’s a few others things to consider. To the women, note that making light of such behavior not only creates an environment conducive to violence, but gives room for it escalate (It’s a bad habit to start as ‘play fights’ often turn real).
To the men, I hope you keep in mind the excuse that you were just playing won’t hold up in court should she be injured or decides to press charges at a later point. Why you’d want to put yourself in such an avoidable vulnerable position is beyond me.
Lastly, none of the people liking the posts are going to help you acquire legal counsel or put a single cent in your commissary if convicted. And, if you’re Black, the justice system can be severely flawed and unfair. Just giving you something to consider when putting yourself at risk for attention.
There are so many other ways to create entertaining content. Please find one. I don’t think it’s worth it, do you?
Be’n Original
