Finally, a journalist who did the homework! From Minneapolis of all places!


http://www.startribune.co...33767.html

Last update: October 14, 2004 at 11:11 PM
Prince video colored by effects of racism
Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
October 15, 2004 PRINCE1015

A comeback year for Prince would not be complete without a little controversy.

Minneapolis' Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is stirring up debate with a new music video showing an Arab-American teenage girl who imagines herself as a suicide bomber.

The "Cinnamon Girl" video -- created mostly in the Twin Cities and released to MTV and other music channels this week -- already 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. "We're getting a lot of calls on it," added his partner, Rick Fuller.

The innovative, watercolor-styled clip features Keisha Castle-Hughes, 14, the Oscar-nominated actress from the movie "Whale Rider."

She plays a schoolgirl who witnesses a 9/11-like attack and then experiences racism from classmates and others, which pushes her to dream about carrying a bomb into an airport.

Keisha Castle-Hughes“Cinnamon Girl” video
"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."

His publicist said Prince will not comment on the clip because he prefers that people make up their own mind about it.

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, which regularly aired Prince's "Musicology" video earlier this year, have not yet decided on this one.

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."

Reaction by news commentators has been mixed, however. A short blurb in the New York Post said it "might be the most tasteless video ever." Fox News commentator John Gibson suggested that Prince is "causing trouble" with the clip, and CNN anchor Kyra Phillips said it is "shaking and rumbling the entertainment industry."

Talking on NBC's "Today" this week, Rolling Stone magazine music editor Joe Levy said, "Let's put this one into context. This video is illustrating what the song is talking about, and what the song says is after 9/11 Arab-Americans were targeted as victims of hate."

Harder, who also has shot music videos for the Foo Fighters and Incubus, said that the lyrics show that Prince is "sincere in wanting to speak to the times." He also emphasized that the video "resolves itself peacefully."

Whatever the fallout, the director believes it will add to Prince's reputation as a risk-taker and music-industry outsider.

"It's telling that the video was made in Minneapolis and not Los Angeles or New York," Harder said. "In those cities, there probably would have been a record-company executive breathing down our necks saying, 'No way.' "
[Edited 10/15/04 2:02am]

Chris tends to do a good job when reporting on our Princey. this is a good summary of the current controversy.

endorphin74 said:

Do you have any idea which CD has the song irresitible bitch?

hemakesmecream said:

the hits/the b-sides.

Thanks BET.
For feeding me a steady diet of a$$ gigglin and drug references
but thinking twice about airing a video that addresses
the cruelty of rasism head on

Im glad to see you're in the business of enlightening minorities

thekidsgirl said:

f'real.

hey Anji. guess i wasn't 'projecting' after all, hey

if only the rest of the media coulda wrapped their heads around this from the jump...

jseven said:

No shit, FoxNews and CNN don't support any expression that goes against the Bush agenda. Who would have thought...

Pretty harsh words coming from Fox and CNN,guess they do not care for the real expression.I have not seen the video myself,but have heard alot about it,sounds like a good video, with a very important message.Prince you always have impressed me.

hemakesmecream said:

or just get it the right way. On vinyl as the b-side to Let's Pretend We're Married

endorphin74 said:

i shoulda said that, darin!

thekidsgirl said:

...and the church said amen...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

yeah, i was surprised you didn't since you are the queen of vinyl!

"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."


Reaction by news commentators has been mixed, however. A short blurb in the New York Post said it "might be the most tasteless video ever." Fox News commentator John Gibson suggested that Prince is "causing trouble" with the clip, and CNN anchor Kyra Phillips said it is "shaking and rumbling the entertainment industry."


Talking on NBC's "Today" this week, Rolling Stone magazine music editor Joe Levy said, "Let's put this one into context. This video is illustrating what the song is talking about, and what the song says is after 9/11 Arab-Americans were targeted as victims of hate."

There goes the Grammy then!!!. Bout time he caused a ruck.

please use this thread if you want to discuss the racial undertones of the video:

http://www.prince.org/msg/105/118621

thekidsgirl said:

No kidding. Rap songs (and videos) that glorify gratuitous violence and sex are all over the airwaves...but we can't see a video where the protagonist recoils from the harm her violent act would do.

Am I incorrect in saying that some people have accused Prince of being racist towards Arabs by creating this video? If so they couldn't be any more wrong. Prince is one of the few mainstream artists to use Arab influences in his music and even style of dress. Hell, the entire Symbol Album and TGRES seemed to be heavily influenced by Arabic music. I knew it was only a matter of time Prince was going to make a statement about the 9/11 situation. and by the looks of him if we didnt know his ethnic background, it'll be "Prince and the Tally Band" instead of "Prince and the band" LOL


BTW i'm surprised a rock group hasnt used that as a band name a take on Taliban= Tally Band lol


-Dolphinking23

BRILLIANT. Well said thekidsgirl. BET should be ashamed--again!

Peace,

Eric

thekidsgirl said:

I was just thinking the last couple of days of how this would have never seen the light of day had he been locked into some major label. You GO P!!

BET could have been the greatest tool of empowerment for African Americans since the Underground Railroad instead it morphed into a tool for mind control operations and psychological warfare on African Americans.

The founder and creator of BET Johnson made millions on this concept.In 2000 & 2001 when Tavis Smiley was single handedly drawing attention to the voter fraud that happened in Florida he fired Smiley .Smiley was at that time one of the most powerful Black people in the USA that was not "controled" (i.e. Oprah, Colin Powell)

I call upon the African American people in particular and the rest of the American people in general to start a 100 day boycott of BET starting October 16,2004.

Well, I'm not black, but can I participate in this boycott too? I can't get with a station that features a show that has a band called "Who Pooted?"

I'm black and I stopped watching BET a loooong time ago.. Seems like ever since Video Soul went off the air and they added shows like 106 and Park and Comic View it just started becoming offensive and cheap.. and isn't it ironic its starting going downhill when Viacom(MTV etc.) bought them ??
-Dolphinking23
[Edited 10/16/04 1:01am]

NadiaAdare said:

Yes all people are requested.

The African American people in particular are called upon because this twisted "ghetto" view of America is forced upon them by a network that is supposed to empower.

BET fell long before Viacom bought them but your point is valid that it became more "ghetto" after Viacom .

muleFunk said:

In the words of Homer Simpson, WHOO-HOO!!!!!

SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THE VIDEO I HAVENT EVEN SEEN IT YET BUT I KNOW ITS GOOD NOW.

THEY ALWAYS GOT SUMTHIN 4 HIS PURPLE BADNESS

HE DONT FUNK AROUND AND HE AINT LEAVIN TIL HE YO DAUGHTER IN YO TOWN

I know people like Prince's stance with the new video for Cinnomon Girl -and how it's questioning people's ideas about terrorism---What Prince is doing is great but There is a project I heard about by Warbux Records is putting together called "Five Pillars, Five Elements" whose purpose is to dispell the misconception of Islam by using Hip Hop. Check out www.warbuxrecords.com and in regards to this project. What Prince is doing a start and I think even Prince would appreciate Warbux Record's efforts with the "Five Pillars/Five Elements" CD.....as it's a noble cause it today's political/social environment. Support this project and check out www.warbuxrecords.com.

Goes to show Prince will ALWAYS be Prince.