By A. A. Hotep
May 08, 2007
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
Once it was determined that the case was closed on the Akon/Danah incident, TV6 changed its tone on the issue. In fact, the 7pm TV6 report on Monday 7th May, 2007, called the dance simply a “sexy dance” which is a far cry from their earlier reports which described the dance as “lewd”, “dirty” and “sexually explicit”. This type of irresponsible journalism has translated into other foreign media jumping on the bandwagon: “Verizon ends tie with ‘rape rapper'”, “Akon Axed by Verizon Over Simulated Rape” and other such reports.
This goes to show that much of the local media cannot be trusted to present the truth. The tendencies of these media to sensationalize and distort stories makes them untrustworthy and complicit in deliberately feeding bogus stories to the public.
The foreign media, having bought the Trinidad Express reports, have gone down the road of continuing to demonize Akon, accusing him of “rape”.
TrinidadandTobagonews.com and Trinicenter.com presented alternative information to explain how this issue may have attracted widespread local and international attention. In fact, from the onset, TrinidadandTobagonews.com and Trinicenter.com were dispelling the nonsense of the immorality/ illegality of the dance as this type of dancing is common during Carnival and in other fetes in Trinidad and Tobago. These websites presented some facts for people to consider: the fact that many are uncomfortable with sexuality; the issue of colourism/racism that was clear in the thrashing of Akon; ageism; and the ambiguity of the laws of the land.
Some US media and White activists seemed to have been motivated by revenge for the position some Black activists took in calling for sponsors to distance themselves from Don Imus following his “‘nappy-headed hos” comments. In retaliation, they were lobbying for sponsors to distance themselves from Akon over this incident.
They were not interested in the culture and people of Trinidad and Tobago and could care less about what happens down here. They were quite eager to lap up the sensationalized reports from the Trinidad Express which did not reflect the law of the land and even the views of the majority on this issue. They felt they had a Rap artiste to exact their revenge on and they went after him.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s ‘disgust’ about looking at a tape of the Akon/Danah dancing was more of an attempt to appease his Pentecostal supporters, some of whom were busy protesting the appearance of Elton John at the Tobago Jazz Festival because of his sexuality. It was reported that Mr. Patrick Manning was present for Sean Paul’s “dutty wine” performance at the Tobago Jazz Festival and he made no comments about it, which exposes his hypocrisy.
If the police dropped the case, it was only because they could not find evidence that Akon engaged in sex or attempted to engage in sex with the fifteen year old Danah following their performance. If all the police had to go by is the same tape of Danah’s and Akon’s performance that is available online, then they certainly did not feel this was sufficient to warrant any charges. Ergo, Akon did not break any law.
The lone videoclip that was shown around the world was taken out of context of a much larger picture. Initially, Danah was the aggressor after winning two raunchy dancing competitions to get her dancing ‘trip’ with Akon on stage at Club Zen.
When the videoclip was posted online some people were stunned by what appeared to be a petit, light-skinned female being wildly handled by Akon on stage. Many initially saw her as the victim of an aggressive African male who took advantage of her, until other photos of her performance were made available online. Only then, some of the racist comments gave way to a better evaluation of the circumstances of the performance.
The police could have charged the owner of the Zen nightclub for admitting Danah while she was underage. It appears that the police are also dropping this matter. They are letting the Zen nightclub off the hook for breaking the law.
As these websites have previously pointed out, Akon did not abuse Danah and did not break any law even while dancing in the manner he did with Danah. The police certainly were not convinced by the tape and photos that a crime was committed, hence they dropped the case.
I hope Akon learns a lesson or two from this experience. He is an African/ African-American and that carries additional stereotypes in relation to many people’s poor perception of African primitiveness. He seemed to have been unconscious of the possible reaction of Whites who are seeking revenge on African Rap artists following the Don Imus affair. He also would not have been aware of how unaddressed racism and colorism would have initially fueled responses to the infamous videoclip.
I think the owner of Zen owes Akon an apology. The media that sensationalized the matter also owes him an apology. However, I do not expect any of them to accept responsibility for their conduct.
I hope Akon reads some of the articles on these websites about this and other related matters so that he would not be the unwitting victim of unaddressed social issues in the future.
Below is a video clip of ‘Hot Wok dancing’ in Trinidad and no one gets arrested for it:
‘Hot Wuking’ in Trinidad
http://www.trinicenter.com/tnt/2007/090507.html
NEWS UPDATE: May 09, 2007
Akon apologizes for incident with underage girl ocregister.com
In a statement released Wednesday to The Associated Press, Akon, 34, said he was sorry for the incident but also said he didn’t know the girl was underage.
“I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I’ve caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert,” Akon said.
“It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience,” he said. “Somehow, that standard was not met.”
NEWS UPDATE: May 17, 2007
Akon Speaks
On May 17th Akon spoke exclusively to EZ Street of 93.9 WKYS on how he really feels about what happened and the ensuing controversy.
Listen to the interview here:
[audio:akon220507.mp3]Trinidad and Tobago News Blog’s URL for this article:
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=238
Raunchy Akon costs Gwen Stefani a sponsor philly.com
Sponsor pulls out of Stefani tour news.bbc.co.uk
So far no concerts have been cancelled and Akon remains on the tour.
TrinidadandTobagonews.com, I have been following your articles and comments for some time now and I must say that you all are doing a good job in depicting a balanced view of events as they occur. I must agree with you for pointing out the often times tabloid nature of Tv6 and the Trinidad Express (both owned by the same company). Do you remember when the Express ‘dropped’ the story with the supposed ‘terorist lab’ in South Trinidad?!
But back to the point, I have to disagree with you on this report. The Akon/D_A_ incident has nothing to do with racism! What this incident has done was to highlight an artist’s imappropriate actions, expose the hypocrysy of a nation and to highlight the ‘culture’ of Trinidad…yes CULTURE!People are not being unfair to Akon….as he deserves all of the backlash that he gets. Akon is an Adult entertainer, and as such he entertains adults! Obviously, his performance and material is going to include XXX material. However, what he did on that stage went BEYOND being an adult entertainer. That was gross disrespect to a young woman (regardless of her ethnicity)! Let me remind you that there are photos of the other women who were onstage. At least 2 of them were of african decent, and another was extrememly light skinned. Had Danah not successfully defeated them (rememeber she won the dance off fair and square) one of these other women would have suffered the same experience of being flung around and left on the ground like a discarded condom . Akon did not have to go that far, furthermore he lied to D_A_ about the whole trip thing…However, as we all know there was never a case against Akon, as he was not to know that miss D was a minor. This brings me to the ‘CULTURE’ of Trinidad.
For generations now, underage Trinis have been going to adult parties and nightclubs and enjoying themselves. What D did is not new. Minors have been going to fetes, even drinking and common sense dictated that they keep a low profile. This ‘part of our culture’ is what separates Trini Minors from their European and American counterparts. Whereas we keep a low profile, and are admitted into these places….they enter the clubs, get drunk and cause a whole set of Bacchanal! Thats why ID checks are strictly enforced in the UK, and even more so in the US! It has become such a part of Teenage life to say that you went to a nightclub at 16. In all respects it is wrong, but I suppose it is part of doing those stupid things on your way to adulthood. Unless the entire attitude of Trinbago changes, I really cant see the end of minors in clubs…But ID checks NEED to be strictly enforced!!!!!
Furthermore, What miss D did was to show the world that Trinis wine best. Isnt that what our country prides itself about? Bajans can wuk up, Jamaicans can flex….but nothing beats a Trini wine???!!! Miss D did nothing new, for we have seen worse during carnival…everyone carries on…adults, teens and yes even children who are prompted by their parents to ‘throw waist’. Machel himself has made a career out of wine-ing and wine-ing on women. So too has Denise Belfon and Destra. Trinis are being extremely hypocritical and foolish! What this incident has highlighted though is that a minor can wine and dance better than an adult!
In conclusion, all parties involved got their fair share of heat! Miss D, her parents, club Zen, and yes Mr. Akon! And mr. Akon has alot of fire to get, because he should have known better…furthermore the americans are going to have a field day on this story, because if Don Imus (a white man) can lose his job for a racist comment….why cant a black rapper, who continually disrespects black women and went too far with a brown skinned girl, lose his multimillion dollar contracts as well?!!!!!!
Is club Zen above the law?
I totally agree with this report, everyone thought that Danah was the victim but she certainly isn’t. Don’t blame the black man because if that young lady sorry that extremely hot little girl was at home where a 15yr old is supposed to be at that time of the night none of this would happen. Probably now her father would take the log out of his eye before he tries to help anyone else.
Dexter,
If you saw the original videoclips on You Tube with the original comments before they were taken off the site, you would have seen for yourself the nasty, racist comments about Senegalese born Hip/hop artiste in relation to the dance with Danah, who was portrayed as angelic and sexually attractive although some would say naughty because of her age and the fact that she is a pastor’s daughter.
These were the first responses by the local and international community that these websites (Trinidad and Tobago News and Trincenter) had responded to. It was not out of thin air that the commentaries on these websites had been given.
Furthermore, the demonization of Akon was propagated by local media like TV6 and the Trinidad Express newspaper who sensationalized the issue. It is not uncommon that they would lie and exaggerate stories for more readership/viewership and it was good that you reminded us of the bogus reports of the ‘terrorist lab’ in South Trinidad.
Also, if you think that Akon’s actions were inappropriate then that is your right. I disagree, however, and I think that people should examine their sexuality instead of dismissing public acts of sex and sexual simulation as dirty and wrong. But, if you think that ‘minors’ should not be exposed to it, then what about adults in adult settings? Trust me; Akon’s dance compared to other forms of dance entertainment in this country is miniscule. Apart from that, I doubt anyone should dictate to adults how they must express themselves sexually, especially in private, above-legal-age settings.
Another thing, many people say that Danah being ‘flung around’ on stage was disrespectful to her and to womankind. However, many females would disagree and may enjoy such dancing. Of course, many may not dance this way. Some who prefer these ‘wild flings’ may not do so in a very open setting or on the stony and dirty streets of P.O.S during Carnival time (although some do) for their own reasons, but this does not mean that they are opposed to the act. Just take a look at what happens in some street parties and other concerts and we would observe these types of dances. The conduct in clubs (which is usually considered a more adult and relatively private settings) is usually raunchy. Many similar acts have taken place in that same club.
Also, the statement that you made that there is a stricter ID check enforcement system in the US and UK is not always the case. Just as in Trinidad and Tobago, some younger ones do get admittance into these clubs because of their physique, their colour and because of the high-ranking positions of their parents in society. The Paris Hilton’s and Bush twins’ in American society got away with many things as a result of their status and despite of their age. So, even though some young ones may not get easy access to these adult areas because of their race, size or economic status, others would get through, like the young, slim, light-skinned, mixed race, Danah.
I am aware that many who tuned in later to the issue may not be aware of the more overt expressions of racism that were mostly posted on YouTube before the two video clips and all the comments were removed. Still, if people are aware of the social scene in Trinidad (and other places); are aware of the tendency to hype some stories over others; and aware of the many levels of racism that still persist, then they may be able to see through the issue for what it really is.
Again I have to talk about the double standard in our society.Children sit in their homes or their friends home and view pornography.It is readily available on many channels on the tele,homosexuality, etc.And people are killing these two people for a behaviour that is commonplace in caribbean culture and many other cultures around the world.Leave black men alone.It appears that there is a dangerous plan to kill our black men in this society.Black men calling black women bitches and hos.Did someone do a survey to come by this generalization.Snoop being banned from Australia because he did not pass a character test.I guess in Aussie everyone is good.Stop trying to dehumanise the blackman.Try attacking the pornography industry.Which is more dangerous ,Akon and miss D OR GROSS PORNOGRAPHY.WHICH ONE POSES A HEALTH TREAT.
Peace and blessings,
One of the things that we have to understand is that we are dealing with a system of racism / white supremacy. In the people activity of entertainment, we can clearly see that the the racists in corporate controlled media looks for opportunities to exploit, demean, and humiliate Black men and women. The stereotype of Black men and women as sexual superstuds and black venus’s is a constant theme that is rehearsed continuously.
In my opinion, watching Akon have simulated sex with a young girl on stage to me is not the type of entertainment that I would expect for a very a talented entertainer like Akon especially in that venue. I don’t see how anyone could say that was dancing.
I don’t know of any culture in the Carribean or in Africa for that matter that finds two people engaging in simulated sex on the floor at a concert as a commonplace and acceptable form of expression in a public forum.
The lesson learned for him and any Black entertainer and icon is that there is a double standard and their behavior will be under a microscope. This is is a given.
We as African people must monitor our behavior and attempt to engage in the highest self respect for one another. If we do this, then those people who practice exploitation in the media will not have such an easy time.
There is a lot of hypocrisy coming from Trinidad and why should black Africans apologise for being famous anyway? If you don’t like Akon’s music then don’t go to his concert or buy it. As an African I find ballet offensive but is seen as a classical dance in Europe and everywhere else.
Africans cannot and will never conform to caucasian standards and its high time the world dealt with Africans as they are and not some enemy that needs erasing or silencing. There have been so many genocidal campaigns to erase black Africans which many know and I won’t mention however we are still standing tall. Akon will come out of all this fiasco and be even more successful. Too bad for those who hate black Aficans and their descendants.
The problem with prejudice is that it skewers one’s ability and capacity to reason. Dexter’s post is a prime example of this. In a leap of remarkable inconsistency, he attempts to find a nexus between the incident with Akon and Danah, and Don Imus’ racist tirade against some young black female collegiate athletes. You know why? Because like most of those labouring under latent anti black prejudice, he has to find a way of legitimizing it, of rationalizing it. And if accomplishing that end entails making enormous leaps out of context in order to get a convenient connection, they will always do just that and hope no one notices. It is a form of deceitful expression that is ancillary to anti group prejudice, and particularly resident among those in between the continuum of white and black.
We have to know and understand that there will be people who will legitimately have a beef with Akon based on a variety of things, including a sense of propriety. And I have no problem with the manifestation of such distates. But like L Paul observes in his post above, the initial reaction from some was instinctive, and obviously influenced by naked and viral gutter infested racist antipathy for anything black. Those of us who are keen and intuitive enough to recognize the strain must always be prepared to call it for what it is whenever it rears its ugly face, and say to hell with those always trying to hide the ugliness of racial prejudice.
Racial prejudice is like a disease, a character malfunction in those for whom it represents the prism of their perceptions and deductions. The difference in reacting to this kind of disease, as compared with reacting to the usual strains that permeate our every day existence existence, is that there is no moral obligation to find sympathy or empathy with those whose minds are infected with racial prejudice. They are scum, and about the only regret one should have when contemplaing the issue is that it is not fatal.
Kudos to Ruel Daniels. I could not put this better myself. “labouring under latent anti black prejudice, he has to find a way of legitimizing it, of rationalizing it. And if accomplishing that end entails making enormous leaps out of context in order to get a convenient connection, they will always do just that and hope no one notices. It is a form of deceitful expression…”
Sister,if I met you I would shake your hand.
The best revenge against these racist ignoramuses is education. Let us all educate ourselves and our children. We, blacks were put here by God for a purpose and regardless of how much they hate us, we will be here until our purpose is fulfilled. I would love to see their miserable little faces on Judgement day.
blessings,
Onika
Why all the brouhaha and uproar? Why are you onlookers pretending to care about this issue this much?
I put it to you, the reader, that this issue is little more than a live soap opera. There are so many non-issues that are being henpecked it’s becoming a little annoying to see this incident parlayed almost daily since last month. I mean…racism? When did this get tacked on???
Trinidadians – get real, this is barely more shocking (if at all) than the activities we see at Carnival and ignore. Yes the kid is 15, but at the same time many of the outraged cries do not happen when children are revelling on the streets.
Get real; teenagers CLUB. If Zen blocks teenagers cold turkey because of this now (which is their legal right in any event), they’ll simply go elsewhere.
Get real; the majority of the blame lies at the feet of Ms. Alleyne and her family. Ms. Alleyne saw it fit to do as teenagers do and sneak out for a night of fun. In and of itself, the action was simply typical. THIS time she was caught, and as a growing young lady she must withstand the consequences. That should have been the end of it.
However, Pastor Alleyne and his cohorts in the form of his son plus Winston Cuffie et al have decided to form a witchhunt against Zen, Akon and pop culture in general for corrupting an “innocent daughter of christ”. Pastors, stuff it! Paster Alleyne your daughter is merely a normal teenaged individual with normal teen issues and normal teen desires. Yes she snuck out (and slipped into Zen), yes she went onstage for the glamour, and yes she DID clearly enjoy herself! As tacky as the display might have been on camera, it’s a perfectly normal, airheaded-but-fun youth experience!
Right now I see these Pastors as ancient-thinking humans, clingling to a deluded universe that is very quickly becoming meaningless to the rest of the world. The press conference and Manning’s statement were merely appeasing the thirst of the respective churches for ‘ritual sacrifice’ of who they see as their enemy.
Get over it! Maybe we can focus this newfound energy on the crime situation or the shaky state of the economy?
Hey Onika, I am a guy. But no offence taken my sister/daughter/niece/African Queen. Your surname is laden with history and thoughts of what could have been had he not been assasinated.
I endorse your comments about our purpose. We have been here since the begining of time, and we will be here if the end of time ever comes. The puny interference of the cognitively unwashed cannot alter the fate of the inevitable. And that is what pisses them off.
Seriously are we really giong to focus all our attention to this story when the real stories of people just walking up to people and shooting people in broad daylight, people getting assualted in their own homes everyday and police say we have under control thats tere answer for for everything(find another line, thats getting old), government spending unnecessay money on things that take 10years to begin. Children getting killed or injured going to school because their no proper police or traffic controls. There wont be any people to put on videos for dancing because they might all be dead or in jail because we are so focus on the wrong things. Yes “lewd dancing” is an issue but talk about when its Carnival season, when the same hypocrite people in the media and church are doing the same so called “lewd dance” they so eloquently show and write about over and over again.
I am using this space to comment on a tangential issue. Those who do not like tangential issues, move on. Those who do should go to http://www.independent.co.uk, of May 13, 2007 and check an article “Extradited to Equitorial Africa, so where is Mark Thatcher?” Three white crooks, two Brits and a South African are caught red-handed smuggling arms into Zimbabwe, destined, apparently for a planned coup in Equitorial Africa. The Thatcher is the son of Britain’s former Prime minister. He is a “Sir Mark” either based on his mother being a baroness or maybe the Queen knighted him (for gun running?). The article reveals all the western contempt for African governments, their prison system, and laments the torture used on the former military guy.That Britain’s BIG ally used torture and is still perhaps using it through third parties, in the Middle East situation, causes pause for thought. Some lives are worth more than others?
When you read it, we who are NOT white, or European, would realize just how badly stacked against us the world’s cards are. The paper sounds as if the man going to prison is to be pitied, not a thought for the cost to the Government of Zimbabwe which gave him a fair trial, not a thought for the African lives that could have been lost if these criminal arms merchants were able to get their hand on the oil resources of “an impoverished African country” The paper almost sounds as if overthrowing a “bad” government could be a good thing, especially when the government is “An African Country”
readers need to inform themselves, so that we could keep an eye on those who come to do business in Trinidad and Tobago. They might mistake us for “an impoverished” African/Caribbean Country with cordial relations towards both Hugh Chavez and Fidel.
Linda Edwards
I am using this space to comment on a tangential issue. Those who do not like tangential issues, move on. Those who do should go to http://www.independent.co.uk, of May 13, 2007 and check an article “Extradited to Equitorial Africa, so where is Mark Thatcher?” Three white crooks, two Brits and a South African are caught red-handed smuggling arms into Zimbabwe, destined, apparently for a planned coup in Equitorial Africa. The Thatcher is the son of Britain’s former Prime minister. He is a “Sir Mark” either based on his mother being a baroness or maybe the Queen knighted him (for gun running?). The article reveals all the western contempt for African governments, their prison system, and laments the torture used on the former military guy.That Britain’s BIG ally used torture and is still perhaps using it through third parties, in the Middle East situation, causes pause for thought. Some lives are worth more than others?
When you read it, we who are NOT white, or European, would realize just how badly stacked against us the world’s cards are. The paper sounds as if the man going to prison is to be pitied, not a thought for the cost to the Government of Zimbabwe which gave him a fair trial, not a thought for the African lives that could have been lost if these criminal arms merchants were able to get their hand on the oil resources of “an impoverished African country” The paper almost sounds as if overthrowing a “bad” government could be a good thing, especially when the government is “An African Country”
readers need to inform themselves, so that we could keep an eye on those who come to do business in Trinidad and Tobago. They might mistake us for “an impoverished” African/Caribbean Country with cordial relations towards both Hugh Chavez and Fidel.
There is a pernicous strain that permeates the presentation of the land distribution issue in Zimbabwe and the fate of those damn scoundrels caught in the act of trying to overthrow an African Regime. And for me I say to those who believe that the thieves who took the land from their initial owners are deserving of land, then take them to the countries of your origin and give land to them. For the years they were killing, maiming, gassing and electrocuting Africans you kept your damn stinking mouths shut. Now because Africans are attempting to repatriate ownership of the land where it belongs, you open your pie holes and allow your bigotry towards Africans to inform your views on the issue.
Afrikan leaders should come together and decide to, since the people in general are not benefitting from the God given resources which this damn world cannot do without, lock every thing done. Stop all foreign exploitation of African resources regardless of whether the companies are from Europe or Asia. Come up with a generalized standard for the granting of licences to extract the resources of Africa, and make sure those standards favour substantial benefits to the people in the states from where such resources are extracted.
And they can do this simply. Use the standard every other country does that benefits its citizens. The standard India uses for Indians, Germany uses for Germans etc, etc, etc. If they disagree with it, then they are racist and Africans should not want them in their states anyway.
It’s a shame, but not totally surprising that ignorance overshadows common logic even in the most intellectual people. I guess we are gonna’ begin next by trashing Artists for the retailer who sells materials MARKED Explicit Advisory to under-aged customers……. OOPs I forgot, We already have! How about we boycott Budweiser on behalf of all the “Cool Moms”. Learn to be decent people and respect the Beast that you Invite into your Homes for dinner or else you may Be Dinner. -KoZ
“He also would not have been aware of how unaddressed racism and colorism would have initially fueled responses to the infamous videoclip.”
And, WHY NOT?! He is BORN and RAISED in the U.S. He SHOULD know. While I understand the point you are trying to make, that does NOT excuse one from personal responsibilty. You can wine it down some without having to be lewd to a woman of ANY AGE. Sex is private, between two consenting adults who love each other.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Akon throws a kid into the audience. Would it have been all FUN and FROLICKY had that kid snapped his neck? No.
While demonization of Blacks is a real thing, it is not our EXCUSE to do whatever the heck we like in public like that.
‘Aramiss’ thank you so much for presenting the most intelligent argument on this thread thus far. Akon had a personal responsibility. This issue has nothing to do with how dark his skin is! Racism my foot, Ruel and Onika you all need to leave the bubble that you all live in and observe for yourself the damaging reality that is hip hop! That is exactly what Don Imus observed when he was trying to save himself. Why is it that he is being lynched, when other rap and hip hop stars continue to call each other n*igg*s, h*es and other derogatory names. This is what I could never understand with my own people, they will always find a way to defend someone who is clearly in the wrong! Stop bawling race and observe the situation, wrong is wrong!
Um, Arasmis, and all the other unthougful people here, have you ever thought about the fact that the “lewd” act Akon was doing is now endorsed in almost all highschools as part of a “Dance.” Have you ever thought that maybe the girl wasn’t very innocent when she was practically wearing a bra rather than a shirt. I find it funny that everyone likes to exploit those in the spotlight and make them look bad so the reality doesn’t come out. What’s the reality? Our culture endorses sex, sexual dancing, etc. and the church and all other “moral” groups only speak out when they have to to not look stupid. Our society is in shambles, stop making big deals out of some dumb shit like this. Maybe try something like thinking for a change, as in “Maybe it doesn’t matter that Akon did with a teen girl what she had done with other guys before and all teens are doin, oh that makes sense. Maybe I should be putting my attention to things that matter, like why our education system endorses sex?” There you go. I gave you a head start. Now do some real thinking instead of being part of the ADD culture going from one headline to another.
Dexter – Aramiss’ thank you so much for presenting the most intelligent argument on this thread thus far. Akon had a personal responsibility. This issue has nothing to do with how dark his skin is! Racism my foot, Ruel and Onika you all need to leave the bubble that you all live in and observe for yourself the damaging reality that is hip hop! That is exactly what Don Imus observed when he was trying to save himself. Why is it that he is being lynched, when other rap and hip hop stars continue to call each other n*igg*s, h*es and other derogatory names. This is what I could never understand with my own people, they will always find a way to defend someone who is clearly in the wrong! Stop bawling race and observe the situation, wrong is wrong!
“He also would not have been aware of how unaddressed racism and colorism would have initially fueled responses to the infamous videoclip.”
ARAMISs – And, WHY NOT?! He is BORN and RAISED in the U.S. He SHOULD know. While I understand the point you are trying to make, that does NOT excuse one from personal responsibilty. You can wine it down some without having to be lewd to a woman of ANY AGE. Sex is private, between two consenting adults who love each other.
Dexter you need to do some remedial reading. Aramiss statement says that Akon, being born in the US should have known that his excesses would generate the reaction it did.
And don’t be daft man. pointing out the racist breaction does not absolve Akon from responsibility for his actions. Your problem is that you are unable to take in the multi-facted nuances in the reaction and presume that everyone else is similarily affected. I find your response to be very triumphalistcally adoloscent. but maybe you are an adoloscent.
Imus is being lynched. Indians call each other Coolie but react acerbically when outsiders use the term. Jews jokingly use stereotypical slurs with each other but react angrily if outsiders do. You are a so divorced from sensibility it is a wonder you do not swallow your damn tongue. I hope you stand in front of some black man and use the “N” word one day and he kicks your narrow ass to kingdom come.