Prince's New Video Sparks Racism Debate
Fri Oct 15, 9:15 AM ET
MINNEAPOLIS - Prince is once again stirring up some controversy. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is generating debate with a new music video depicting an Arab-American teenage girl imagining herself as a **** bomber.
The "Cinnamon Girl" video — created mostly in the Twin Cities and released to music television channels this week — has been criticized on Fox News and CNN.
"Prince intended for it to spark some dialogue," said the video's director, Phil Harder, of Minneapolis-based Harder-Fuller Films.
The clip features Keisha Castle-Hughes, 14, the Oscar-nominated actress from the movie "Whale Rider." She plays a schoolgirl who witnesses a ****attack and then experiences racism from classmates and others. The racism pushes her to dream about carrying a **** into an airport.
"Cinnamon Girl of mixed heritage, never knew the meaning of color lines," Prince sings. "9/11 turned that all around, when she got accused of this crime."
Prince will not comment on the clip because he prefers that people make up their own mind, his publicist said.
Representatives for MTV, VH1 and BET channels said their programmers were aware of the clip's content. MTV plans to begin airing it next week on MTVU, its universities-only channel, to gauge the reaction of viewers. VH1 and BET are undecided.
Rana Abbas, deputy director of the Midwest chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in Dearborn, Mich., voiced her support after seeing the video Thursday.
"It was shocking, but in a good way," Abbas said. "Prince is the first major recording artist to address the prejudice and issues that (Arab-Americans) are facing after 9/11, and I think he has done it in a very powerful way."
The New York Post said it "might be the most tasteless video ever." Fox News commentator John Gibson suggested that Prince is "causing trouble," and CNN anchor Kyra Phillips said it is "shaking and rumbling the entertainment industry."
Rolling Stone magazine music editor Joe Levy said the video should be put in context, and the song says that Arab-Americans were victims of hate after Sept. 11, 2001.
Harder said the lyrics show Prince is "sincere in wanting to speak to the times." He also emphasized that the video "resolves itself peacefully."
( http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=4&u=/ap/20041015/ap_en_mu/prince_video )
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has anyone seen this video yet??? i haven't...about to go check it out on Yahoo! Launch tho...
sounds interesting...sounds good...sounds like he's right...i don't blame him...this is something that needed to be addressed...and what better than a music icon that everyone'll pay attention 2?? a Black one, no less (automatic extra controversy)????
but anywayz...bout 2 go check it out...just thought i'd share that with ya'll....
I dunno.... I dont really have a comment on this. Im not sure if Prince was trying to purposely spark controvery or if he was just making a video with some validity in it....regardless, he knew either way there wold be tons of controversy surrounding it....I mean CLEARLY if BET and VH1 havent decided if they wanna air it, and MTV is only showing it on their universities channel...We get that channel at FAMUs campus in ONE building..and thats the Orange Room ( our lil cafe ) ...so if you ask me...MTV is just as bad as VH1 and BET at this point cause they arent willing to show the video on their actual mainstream channel, cause hardly no one gets the MTV U channel.... :roll: But you know...people need to pick and choose their battles wisely, and I personally dont think this was a battle Prince shoulda involved himself in....cause it really is a no win situation...ESPECIALLY when it concerns **** and the United States...REGARDLESS of how it is being shown.... :arrow:
I dunno.... I dont really have a comment on this. Im not sure if Prince was trying to purposely spark controvery or if he was just making a video with some validity in it....regardless, he knew either way there wold be tons of controversy surrounding it....I mean CLEARLY if BET and VH1 havent decided if they wanna air it, and MTV is only showing it on their universities channel...We get that channel at FAMUs campus in ONE building..and thats the Orange Room ( our lil cafe ) ...so if you ask me...MTV is just as bad as VH1 and BET at this point cause they arent willing to show the video on their actual mainstream channel, cause hardly no one gets the MTV U channel.... :roll: But you know...people need to pick and choose their battles wisely, and I personally dont think this was a battle Prince shoulda involved himself in....cause it really is a no win situation...ESPECIALLY when it concerns **** and the United States...REGARDLESS of how it is being shown.... :arrow:
i feel what u're saying....
especially what u said about MTV being no better...i do agree....
but it's like....BET NEVER chooses the right side....
like, when Bush 1st announced we'd be going to war against Iraq...for MONTHS, MTV was ALLLLLLLLLL over informing us about the war, America's history with Iraq, Bush, Saddam Hussein, 9/11, EVERYthing...the good AND the bad of BOTH...
hmmmmmm what was BET doing, i wonder? t & a here...t & a there....t & a EVERYwhere....& oh yeah, laughs (comedy) galore!
it's riDICulous...
the LEAST the network could do is at least TRY to be discrete about promoting bamboozlement :roll:...yeah, that'd still make it no better, but Viacom is OBVIOUS in their beliefs that all Black people WANT to know about or DESERVE to know about is the latest dance moves, the funniest jokes, and the hottest songs...
& as for Prince choosing this controversy...i'm with him...because he's right along side of Jadakiss & anyone else making a stand and plea against this administration, against the ways of society, and questioning the standards, morals, and general way of life and way of thinking of PARTICULARLY this COUNTRY...
he was due in for a controversy, lol...and since no one has really addressed this particular issue (racism against Arab-Americans when like 99% of them here are NOT GUILTY of WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THEM...just as we...BLACKS...get blamed & discriminated against for damn near everything that just ONE or TWO of a BILLION out of us have done :roll, i say it is good that he finally did...
but anywayz...
, i say it is good that he finally did...
but anywayz...
