Fuck the Cubs: Cubs Apologize After Playing ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ for Accused Domestic Abuser

[cali]

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Apology not accepted and not enough. Now donate the proceeds from a game to domestic abuse shelters and organizations and cut this abuser from the roster (never happen, I know)


Back in March, Aroldis Chapman, who was then playing for the Yankees, was suspended for 30 games after he allegedly choked his girlfriend and shoved her against a wall (police reports also state that he fired eight shots into the wall). Since then, he’s been traded to the Cubs, who had the brilliant idea of playing the Prodigy song “Smack My Bitch Up” as he closed out the ninth inning of Sunday night’s game against the Cardinals.

For some reason, playing a song in which 50 percent of the lyrics are the exact phrase “smack my bitch up” for an accused domestic abuser didn’t quite sit right with people, leading the Cubs to issue the following formal apology:


The selection of this track showed a lack of judgment and sensitivity to an important issue. We have terminated our relationship with the employee responsible for making the selection and will be implementing stronger controls to review and approve music before public broadcast during our games.

<snip>

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/08/cubs-play-smack-my-bitch-up-for-aroldis-chapman-domestic-abuse.html
The Chicago Cubs acquiring Yankees pitcher Aroldis Chapman — a player with a history of domestic violence — was deemed a controversial trade for some following the team's announcement Monday.

Chapman was never arrested, but was accused of firing eight gunshots in his garage and choking his girlfriend during an October 2015 argument near Miami, Fla.

Sharmili Majmudar, executive director of Rape Victim Advocates, a Chicago-based organization that helps victims of gender-based violence, said the news of the trade was "disappointing."

"It of course is concerning that someone who has been recently suspended for 30 games related to their behavior is then signed up by the Chicago Cubs," she said.

Following news of his trade, Chapman said he had "regret," though in May had chalked the incident up to "just an argument."

<snip>
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160725/wrigleyville/aroldis-chapmans-signing-by-cubs-disappointing-victim-advocate

[apcalc]

1. Grrrrr

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Myths and facts about domestic violence.

A woman is beaten every 9 seconds.
The American Medical Association (AMA) and FBI estimate 3-4 million women are battered each year in the U.S.
Domestic Violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women.
The FBI estimates violence will occur during the course of two-thirds of all marriages.

http://www.dvipiowa.org/myths-facts-about-domestic-violence/

It's really frightening and all too often, it's not taken seriously.

[cali]

3. People can't be reminded too often of those facts- and myths. Thanks.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

32. Thank you for posting that.

nt

[CrispyQ]

37. Sobering stats.

Great link. Thanks for posting.

[auntpurl]

4. For god's sakes.

"We have terminated our relationship with the employee responsible for making the selection"

but not terminated the relationship with the f*cking d*ckhead who choked his girlfriend!

[cali]

5. Yes, the dj got shit canned but the maniac abuser is a proud addition to the team.

[AngryAmish]

7. DJ can't throw 105.

[cali]

8. I don't give a shit how good Chapman's fast ball is.

[a la izquierda]

6. My husband was apoplectic about this yesterday...

Me, not so shocked. Increasingly I say "fuck the sports world." They cover for the slimiest of human characters.

[Travis_0004]

12. Should somebody with one conviction on their criminal record be unemployable

I hear all the time that its racist if a company just refuses to hire felons, and companies should not be allowed to ask about criminal history, so do you disagree with that?

In this case, Chappman wasn't even charged. He did have a 30 game suspension though?

Should he never play baseball again because of that?

[cali]

13. I don't know how to answer that. Except to say, his comments don't reflect any remorse.

[bullwinkle428]

36. Maybe a good start would be not glorifying the act of abuse?

[Travis_0004]

46. The employee was fired. what more do you want?

[HereSince1628]

9. Book-marked. Liberals claim to be smarter. A recent post suggests research backs it up

Certainly nothing about Aroldis Champan's past abusive behavior is good. Nothing.

But this post boils down to a call-out complaining about failed effectiveness of expected public shunning.

We live in a system that's supposed to be regulated by lawful rules including contractual agreements, punishments are meted out and served.

In our system there is supposed to be a chance for the misbehaving to be served a punishment and to then move on.

This post reinforces the notion that punished persons are never to move on too well. Chapman's moving on is too good.

If society doesn't want people who break laws and rules to move on with life after punishment, then we need a system with harsher punishments that place permanent post-punishment limitations to restrict people from moving on too well.

The civil liberties controversies that creates should be interesting to follow.

[cali]

14. I actually agree with you- in part.

but Chapman was never even charged. There is no dispute that he was abusive.

It appears from his remarks that Chapman is wholly unrepentant and it also appears he got preferential treatment.

[HereSince1628]

15. Chapman was punished by MLB, punished enough? That's gonna be argued

Professional baseball, like all professional sports, is about making huge amounts of money for investors. In this case, the Ricketts' family picked him up so the team could make money from their run at breaking the 100 year absence of a world series title.

There is obviously a very limited pool of elite baseball talent, and the investors who buy and trade the talent, want them in the game making money. So there is always pressure for special treatment.to enable the money-changing to continue.

But, as you know, special treatment is pretty common for the elite.

I have a clear memory of a now former POTUS who kept his job after an incident that would have cost me my job and career had I been --alleged-- to have done such a thing. The asymmetry of power I was trained by PR departments to see as preventing true consent, was dismissed with minor punishment by the Arkansas Bar. He then went on to trade on the celebrity being POTUS had given him to become a multi-millionaire.

I remember the liberal cry at the time to have been MOVE-ON! Some DLCers it seemed were 'ours' and therefore allowed to get beyond their offense to get on with life quite well.

Was that political privilege? White privilege? A matter of being defensive about 'us' and 'our party'? Other? All of the above?

[Ace Rothstein]

10. This song shouldn't be played at a sporting event, period.

[HereSince1628]

11. This song was banned from MTV after it's first playing.

It then returned on MTV in late night play and then in a series on 'controversial' music.

It is widely recognized as being offensive and it doesn't make play lists on most stations.

The Cubs recognize it as so offensive that it's play harmed their club's image, which is why the 20-something that played it lost his job.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I'm Inclined to Wonder...

...if the person that played this wasn't making a statement because of the domestic abuse. Yes, it cost them their gig, but i don't think it's far-fetched that the person may have been actually protesting Chapman that way.

[HereSince1628]

18. I wondered that too and I don't know.

Yesterday, I listened to a Chi sport radio station for an hour while driving. The discussion and call ins were mostly about the playing of the song.

Why the song was played wasn't addressed, and I didn't hear anything that may have been a statement from the guy who played the walk-on music or his representative.

That sports radio station had a week or more ago had discussions about how the addition of Chapman to the team was going to caste a shadow on the image of the team. Everyone outside the club seemed to expect bad news sooner or later.

Now, that certainly has happened.

[Coventina]

34. When I heard the story I took it as a criticism of the player as well.

[HereSince1628]

21. Yes, that's correct.

[Locrian]

22. doubtful

>>Certainly controversial, possibly laced with deeper meaning

Probably not. Just another "twist" to be shocking - certainly not a message against misogyny.
Actually quite lame and in no way similar to "Born in USA" which is pretty clear when you listen to the whole song. There's nothing in that song even remotely close to a message, and the video has nothing much to add.

[HereSince1628]

23. Here is a reference to depiction of the female as the protagonist

The music video for "Smack My Bitch Up" drew fierce criticism for misogyny, particularly from feminist groups such as the US National Organization for Women, accusing it of encouraging violence against women, despite the main protagonist being a woman.[8][9] Others, however, praised the video because of the way it subverted stereotypes of domestic violence, showing that women are also abusers.[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smack_My_Bitch_Up

[HereSince1628]

26. Yes, I heard that yesterday while listening to a radio discussion about it.

I suspect the wiki page about the song is getting a record number of views per hour.

[FrodosPet]

33. Right Wing lyrics for "Born In The U.S.A."

La La LA La
La LA La La
La La La LA
LA la la la la

Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

La La LA La
La LA La La
La La La LA
LA la la la la

Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

La La LA La
La LA La La
La La La LA
LA la la la la

Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.

La La LA La
La LA La La
La La La LA
LA la la la la

Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.

[anoNY42]

40. I bet they also sing the part about the "yellow man" nt

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

31. Brilliant writing, that.

If my son listened to that shit, I'd be tempted to smack him.

Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Smack my bitch up
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahaaahaaaaaaaaaaahha
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahhaaaaa
Aaahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up

[snooper2]

43. Well, considering it is a woman protagonist doing the smacking in the song....

I take it you haven't seen the music video?

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

47. And when teen boys listen to this crap, do they know that?

No thanks.

My son can listen to whatever he damn well pleases, as long as it doesn't espouse violence against anyone or glorify crime. That goes for my daughter, as well.

[snooper2]

48. Does this glorify crime? Just got him a visit from the secret service :)

[spanone]

17. WTF???? were they thinking

[HereSince1628]

19. If 'they' is the Cubs owners...

they were thinking of acquiring an elite talent who could help the team on their quest to break "the curse of the goat" that has kept the team from winning a world series for over 100 years.

And they were thinking, because his reputation was damaged they could get him at a bargain price. They did.

Now they are paying the public relations price. As a guy who grew up in 'chicagoland' and watched baseball not as a fan but as an addict of the 'maybe next year' dream, I'm interested in whether or not a victorious season will overshadow this.


There isn't, at least yet, evidence that the music was approved for use by the club. The person who played it was promptly fired.

[spanone]

24. no. they were not thinking.

[HereSince1628]

28. Except of course they were. Just not what you accept as 'thinking'

[exboyfil]

30. The club did not release his name

I got to think he can become as "popular" as Bartman.

[TonyPDX]

27. I suppose it's true that sport reveals character after all.

[CrispyQ]

35. I'm so sick of this shit.

[DonCoquixote]

38. sadly this song was promoted by Madonna

Prodigy was on her label when they put that song out.

She also funded the video, which supposedly made everything all right because the abuser was a woman, a real "special teist at the last moment" type bullshit.

[3catwoman3]

42. Madonna is a self-absorbed...

...idiot. Never liked her.

[Nye Bevan]

39. What kind of mysogynistic piece of shit would release a song called "Smack my bitch up",

anyway? And what kind of disgusting person would pay for such a song?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

41. I'm pretty impressed a 19 year old song still causes this much controversy

Even "Let's Spend The Night Together" had a shelf-life. I thought "Smack My" had entered ironical stage by now after being used in "Charlie's Angels".

[snooper2]

44. Same people that came out with this greatness

Now you have to change the station whenever this comes on...

[Yavin4]

45. Between the domestic violence by pro athletes and the continuing police shootings

we've learned NOTHING from the OJ trial . NOTHING.