Keisha's Controversial Music VideoAPRA spokesman Mike Chunn talks to Newstalk ZB's John Dunne about Keisha Castle-Hughes' decision to appear as a suicide bomber in a controversial Prince music video.

http://xtramsn.co.nz/musi...25,00.html

Prince Video Controversy discussed on WDIV Newsbeat Ch. 4 iN ANewPowerDetroit!!!

Earlier today during the 5 O' Clock News, Reporter Paula Tutman...reviewed Prince's Latest Video from Musicology "Cinnamon Girl" and took it to the streets of Dearborn, (The Countries Largest Arab-American Community) and had a round table discussion on how they viewed Prince's Latest Video and how it may or may not depict Arabs in America!

Interesting to see how one Arab- American felt Prince was trying to depict arabs as natural born terrorist(s) and that he feels offended by it.
Also calling out PRINCE as a has been and that he did it only to boost his career!

Another Arab- American, stated that the song and video shows how americans and the world has viewed Arabs since the 911 attacks in NYC, but...it clearly states at the end, it never happened and it wasn't a negative view of arabs in america or the world abroad, it was a statement to make ppl understand how arabs are viewed and that not every arab is a terrorist!

The News bit lasted for nearly 5 minutes, and showed clips of the video.
No word yet as to whether or not MTV or VH1 will add this video to their playlist!

*All I have to say is ....PRINCE; YOU GO BOY!!!
The Media is on it and whether or not this video will be shown on television...your gonna get some more sells for the album and possibly a #1 single, and not to mention the video being included!

www.newpowerdetroit.com
Every 1st Friday; Its PRINCE MUSIC NIGHT iN ANewPowerDetroit!
Join Us!

NPD313 said:

I am really impressed by the negativity. How can we analyze such reaction? Is it due to the person predisposition to be offended (maybe provoked by the current atmosphere in the U.S. of A.)? Or is it plain stupidity?

David.
--

My opinion - the song sucks. Cheesy, awful. Prince's attempts to tackle such serious issues lyrically are invariably embarrassingly slight, and never do the subject matter justice. But hey, Prince is just a pop-star and I suppose we shouldn't expect too much of him.

That said, Prince isn't an idiot, and he's capable of being articulate when he wants to be. I just don't think Cinnamon Girl does him or the subject matter of the song any favours. He can do a lot better. Personally, I really can't stomach the song for more than a few seconds.

NPD313 said:

I contacted the reporter about this story and if u want to see it online, u will have to request it.

Paula T says: Contact clickondetroit.com and ask our web folks… that would be the only way, and I don’t even know if that’s possible. Good luck.

I actually like the video...it sends a message that not ALL arabs are terrorists - which seems to be the policy of a certain president!

Prince is just saying in his own way that the world is shit and has been since 9/11 and we all need to open our eyes.

Hope it goes to #1 though! Its a cool track to drive along too with the roof down! LOL

You go Prince!

jseven said:

This is what I received from inside the WDIV NBC Channel 4 (Local 4) television station in Detroit.

I am sorry but we did not do this story online. We are a small staff of
three writers who produce all of the stories you see on the site.

That was one we did not post.

Also, our news policy is that we cannot release videotape due to copyright
issues.

I am sorry I cannot help your further.

Good luck.

Michelle Solomon
Managing Editor
www.clickondetroit.com
Local 4

ps ... NPD313 ... WDIV is "Local 4" not "Newsbeat Ch. 4" as you call it. You should know this since we both live in Metro Detroit.

oh well... thanx fur tryin.

demob said:

I asked myself the same thing. Maybe I'm biased, but I can't see how the video would be offensive. That is unless the part where the girl blows the airport up, is all you seen. I think this man may have been on edge a little, as a result of all the abuse he's taken the past few years.

It's sad really...Racism fuels this country like oil fuels the Bush's bank accounts.
[Edited 10/8/04 9:48am]

ian said:

The Song does not suck. It's the best song on musicology as far as im concerned. It aint cheesy, what the hell is with this Bullsh*t view. Such a serious matter is tackled well, because it isnt being to overbearing, or preachy, as say prince may have been in the past.

People say this song is chessy and embarassing, and too happy. But if it was on Sign O The Times lots of people would call it classic, just like they call "Play in the sunshine" wich is more happy, more chessy and more embarassing.

Alhough I'm not Arab, my husband is. I've travelled through Israel and Egypt a couple of times and was part of a peace project there. I have two degrees in media and cinema, and have studied Arab representation in the media in particular, as well as Palestinian/Israeli politics. I'm also a filmmaker.

When I saw the Cinnamon Girl video, I was pissed and offended. The only person on this site who was, it seems.

Though I believe that Prince's intentions were in essence well-meaning, his message is quite naive and ultimately offensive. Representing an Arab American teenage girl as a suicide bomber collapses into a stereotype that Arabs are preoccupied with terrorism, whether they commit it or not, whether "it's all a dream" or not, as if it's an inimitable part of their psyche. It's ridiculous if you look at it from an Arab perspective.

Rather than identify and feel themselves in the shoes of the terrorists, I imagine that most Arab Americans psychologically distance themselves from those that commit heinous acts. How many of us white people go around imagining ourselves in the shoes of Timothy McVie or any other crazed killer, for that matter?

Basically an Arab American teenage girl is probably working out conflicts similar to all teenagers: friends, sexuality, school, future, parents. Arab Americans, in general, are working hard to belong to American society and understand it. The ones I know don't have much interest in investigating the lives of suicide bombers. What would they have to gain by it, living as they do in the land of opportunity and trying to make the most of it?

This is not Palestine, where kids are really suffering and have no feeling of recognition or importance or sense of future, which unfortunately the fantasy of martyrdom offers a few of them amidst unrelenting messages of defeat.

I think the message in this song is being passed over. Cinnamon Girl is NOT about Arabian terrorist. But about people and how people are quick to condemn others for the actions of a few. The son plainly states that the "cinnamon girl" was naive and color blind until the events of Sept 11th. After that day, her, as well as all those whose "color" was the same as those accused of the attack were "guilty" of the attack also. The video shows clearly that people harbored ill-will towards her. She is only a representation of the whole. Becasue many Arabs were confronted, vandalized and profiled as if the wer guilty of terrorism.

Her reaching her limit is the scene in the airport. The imagery paints the picture that all of our children are being killed in the name of "Holy War". The war in Iraq, the fighting in the Middle East, the bloodshed in Afghanastan and so on and so on. Cinnamon Girl only thought about how she could end her own frustration. Prince, in the video, revealed her thoughts NOT her actions. So many people, in America atleast, have taken their frustrations out in incidents such as the Oklahoma City Bombings, the Columbine High School incidents and so on and so on. Kids are killing kids because of how they are being mistreated and bagered. Prince simply heightened the topic by discussing the war on terrorism is a war on people who are not all guilty. Just thought to be because of their skin color.

Furthermore, this song is simply that a song. Thought provoking, obviously. Controversal? Not really. The controversy is all an illusion, just like the video. Just like the song.

caveat said:

I agree. The song and video aren't so much about representing anyone's identity but basically a commentary on how ignorance of cultural/ethnic differences can so easily breed hate/scapegoating.

lezama said:

I have to agree completely!!

um A2grafix

whether its newsbeat ch. 4 or local 4, I still posted the story they ran on television...to let ppl know 'PRINCE' got some news coverage locally in detroit city.
I do work, so I don't sit at home watching news channels and tv stations enough to know the call letters and themes to each show.

And if you watch the beginning of local 4, you'll see they call it the newsbeat also!
LOL
Geesh

OH FREEDOM OF SPEECH, ITS A WONDERFUL THING. FUNNY THING IS THAT SOMEONES ALWAYS GOT TO BE OFFENDED BY ONE THING OR ANOTHER. I BET EVERYONE OF US SAYS ONE THING OR ANOTHER ON A DAILY BASIS THAT WOULD OFFEND SOME ONE OUT THERE! WOO HOO TO PRINCE AND HIS BEAUTIFUL VOICE! EVRYONE JUST RELAX AND LISTEN TO THE MAN

jimsta said:

Being able to express one's feelings (offended or not) is part of that freedom of speech hello. That's the whole point. We don't all agree. I never said we should ban the video, but I am expressing an opinion and point of view.

Hey yall can somebody get me a link to the video...I aint seen it yet, but I know its good...

Hey this is perfect timing for the vid..."slammin!"...no what's more embarrasing is the script to Graffitti Bridge...although I dig...the message...

heartbeatocean said:

Thank you,

I haven't seen the clip, but a music video clip shouldn't reflect a "reality" in that way. Prince isn't John Lennon and he shouldn't go all political on us.
It's always been bad taste, in my opinion, to make art seem real...the two mustn't be confused, as is the trend these days, and Prince should be more careful about the messages he chooses to deliver through his work.
[Edited 10/14/04 17:28pm]

heartbeatocean said:

I also found that aspect of it problematic - that, not only was it very simplistic, it reinforces the perception of a link between Arabs (in the West) and the impulse to commit terrorist acts.

That said, I discussing the video does give people a forum in which to make those points, and that's a good thing.

On the wider subject you raised, it reminds me of a debate that's been going on here in the UK, about police powers to stop and search young Arab men, for no specific reason, just as a matter of course. One side of the debate says, 'Yes, keep an eye on them, because they might be involved in terrorism.' The other side says, 'No, you have to be sensitive to these communities, or you'll encourage them to turn to terrorism.' Both sides essentially reinforcing the idea of a seemingly inevitable link between young Arabs and terrorism!!

It's all messed up.....

heartbeatocean said:

Your words are very enlightening.
Thank you.

(I wonder if PRince removed that conclusion and substituted another resolution would the video cease to be offensive? Or are there other offensive parts?)

caveat said:

But why when she reaches her limit, do her thoughts turn as if instinctively to suicide bombing/terrorism. Why didn't she consider some other release of her anger and emotion. The video suggests that terrorism is an innate desire for Arabs who suppress it until they can no longer resist.

I confess, I thought the video was great before as well. I thought that it was to send a powerful message about prejudice. But like Prince, I was being simplistic, as Heartbeatocean said. It wasn't until I read someone's comment yesterday and then Heartbeat's message today that I fully understood that Prince did not think this through enough and was being a bit irresponsible.

I don't think he had an evil or racist intent. But PRince is big on pseudo-intellectualism, shallow thoughts that seem deep. For him to suggest that people who suspect and profile certain people as terrorists thereby create terrorists by driving them to fulfill expectations is rather silly reasoning. And is doesn't give Arabs credit for being above degenerate thinking.

deebee said:

I totally agree. In the Kerry/Bush debate two nights ago, when asked about immigration policies, Kerry offhandedly stated "There are
Middle Easterners coming across the border!" Such sweeping statements like that play on and manipulate the overblown fear and prejudice of Americans who can't see outside the Arab/terrorism link.

SynthiaRose said:

I think it could have been more complex if he took out the suicide bomber part. It's possible, but putting together 9/11 references and muslims in one package is pretty loaded territory in this culture. It's an interesting question though and pretty brave for Prince to take it on at all.

SynthiaRose said:

Exactly!!!!

kikiriki said:

http://www.npgmusicclub.c.../start.php

You may have to pay to be a member to get access.

I really can't understand how people are offended or see this video as racist or anti-Arab. I have seen it only once and from what I saw, the scene of the girl blowing up the airport was her envisioning her perception of how some others saw her. Not that she wanted to end anything, not her imagining she was actually a terrorist. As far as Prince 'getting all politcal on us', everyone's fine and dandy with stuff like SOTT, but on this one he should just be quiet?

priceless said:

If you have not seen the Video, then you shouldn't comment on it, first see it, then comment, thats the problem with the world today, everyone wants to add their views even though they have not seen anything to view, so please see it first then comment.

SynthiaRose said:

I thought prince fans were strong willed, I mean to endure prince threw the years show a strong will. First you enjoyed it, then read other things and changed your mind, (so your new veiws are not really your views, they are someone elses.) The video could have had a lot of things different, it could have shown her class mates protecting her from the haters, but it didn't, it could have shown her parents getting on a plane and moving back to the middle east, but it didn't, it could have shown her wishing she was white, but it didn't, it is what it is, and none of us have a right to discredit it, it is art, and art should not be touched, The truth is we live in a cruel world, some attack the innocent, others wish they could do something about it, etc. some carry it out, others just vent by their own thoughts, thoughts are better than carrying it out any day, and do say or suggest that you and everyone who is reading this has never had thoughts of violence, wether slapping your mom, getting even with that bully, or wishing death on OJ Simpson, it's all the same thing. That is life, We are talking about a video and people are dying by the hundreds in Iraq while we debate this video, Leave the Art to the Artist.