False Idols

Last month saw the return of Chris Brown to touring in the UK, playing stadiums across the country. At the same time as Brown’s tour was happening, Brad Pitt was dominating media coverage as he undertook his press tour for the upcoming F1 movie. Both men have faced public allegations of domestic and sexual violence, and although Pitt wasn’t charged in his high-profile dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, Brown remains on bail for an alleged assault in 2023. Despite this, they have both been able to continue their lives and careers largely unscathed, with thousands attending Brown’s concerts. 

At the same time that such high profile figures have been able to repair their images following allegations of extreme violence against former partners, there has been a terrifying increase in femicide numbers and reports of domestic violence. Whilst many are understandably concerned about the influence online figures such as Andrew Tate are having on rising extreme misogyny, the influence of mainstream celebrities such as Pitt and Brown must not be underestimated. 

The current government has committed to halving violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade, and has introduced several new measures to tackle these issues, including in the Data Use and Access Bill as well as the Crime and Policing Bill. However, whilst efforts to legislate are important, many experts have warned that a top-down approach which focuses primarily on the law will be ineffective, especially given the overcrowding in prisons and stretched parole services. These new laws have to come with a widespread attitude shift, and this becomes significantly harder if high-profile figures with long histories of abuse are allowed to remain in the public eye. 

Earlier this year former England manager Gareth Southgate called for better role models for boys, taking aim at gamers and pornography. His call for better role models is right, but it goes beyond just needing better role models for young boys and the influencers he identified. All children and adults deserve better role models. They deserve to see people uplifted in society that have made great art and have done so without abusing their power or anyone else. They deserve to see hardworking individuals and communities rewarded for their selflessness. They deserve to have role models who remind them of their value as human beings and teach them the signs of abuse so they can keep themselves safe. The government can legislate all it wants and schools can introduce new rules and classes to try and tackle misogyny but until there are real world consequences for high-profile abusers, the plan to halve VAWG in a decade will remain a pipe dream.