Member-only story
Pointing the Finger at Elvis, Weinstein Doesn’t Absolve R. Kelly
I keep telling myself I won’t write another R. Kelly column. (I’ve already written three articles.) But I’m beginning to realize that that is a futile exercise. Every time I step away from my computer, something new happens in the case. At this stage, it’s pretty obvious this is a media frenzy. The media has locked onto him and are going to follow this story to the bitter end.
I thought CBS’ treatment of Kelly, including daily stories and a one-hour special, was overkill. But a media colleague told me it was a legitimate story — and it got great ratings.
But I have noticed something else about the R. Kelly story. I’ve seen several articles and posts from black people claiming that Kelly is being unfairly treated. They often want to point the finger at white artists and entertainment figures who have also been accused of sexual misconduct. This is classic “whataboutism.” This occurs when you’re having a discussion about a topic and then the person opposing the argument tries to change the subject by pointing to an unrelated issue.
Firstly, trying to point the finger at other culprits is not the point. We’re talking about R. Kelly. The central argument about the R&B superstar is he has a…
