Well, it seems as though the noise surrounding the erasure of violence against women from Straight Outta Compton got loud enough for Dr. Dre to say something about it.
In a statement given to The New York Times, Dre apologized to the women he hurt:
Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again. I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives.
That’s certainly more of a mea culpa than he gave only a few months ago in the Rolling Stone cover story on Straight Outta Compton, where he slipped this –  “I would say all the allegations aren’t true — some of them are.” – into his “apology.” It seems that now, he at least understands that the onus of all his behavior is on him. That’s a start.
I really hope that he’s changed for the better, and that his wife hasn’t had to deal with any of the violence he’s inflicted on others. I hope that the women he’s hurt find some sort of closure, having gotten their stories out again recently.
And perhaps it’s not a bad thing that those instances of violence aren’t in Straight Outta Compton. Film is forever. If some future young man is going to watch this film and start looking up to N.W.A for their contributions to music and their political message, perhaps it’s best to not conflate that with violence against women.
Then again, there’s still a scene where one of them throws a mostly-naked woman out of a hotel room. *sigh*
Message to Future Young Men Who Will Look Up to N.W.A: You don’t need to treat women like property to make a statement or to make good music. That’s not a thing. Find other ways to express yourself when you can’t handle what’s going on around you. Women aren’t your punching bags, or your solace, or your scapegoats. They’re people.
(via The Hollywood Reporter; Image via Jason Persse on Flickr)
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