NEW PRINCE VIDEO IGNITES CONTROVERSY
By Patrick Condon
The Associated Press

Minneapolis- The musician Prince is drawing fire for a new video that portrays an Arab-American girl envisioning herself blowing up an airport.
The video for the song "Cinnamon Girl" shows the girl,played by Oscar nominee Keisha Castle - Hughes of the movie " Whale Rider", facing harrassment from school mates and witnessing racism in the wake of an attack that mirrors 9/11.

Steve Silberfarb, president of the Jewish Community Relations of Minnesota, said he applauds the anti-harrassment message, but found a dream sequence in which the girl detonates a bomb at an airport disturbing.

"Even allowing for the right of an artist to express himself, I think it's misguided and offensive," Silverfarb said. " Her frustration is undertstandable. The violence is not."

Prince turned down an interview request through his Los Angeles- based publicist, Ronnie Lippin. She said his goal was to provoke a discussion about the issues raised in the video. "If people are reacting with concern, I think the conversation is starting," she said.

The recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee rose to fame in the 1980's with a series of sexually provocative songs and videos and his starring role in the autobiographical "Purple Rain."

His career has seen a revival this year with the release of the album "Musicology" and a successful nationwide tour.

"What it is is a washed-up pop star's crass exploitation of post-9/11 race-card-playing by Arab-American apologists for terror," conservative columnist Michelle Malkin wrote in her Weblog.

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[b][/Ok people....I think this Michelle person needs to reevaluate her sources....Prince may have not been "out there" for many years...but he is by far in my personal opinion as a "washed -up" pop star. How can she even say he is a washed up pop star if he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame???? Does that mean Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones are "washed up " pop stars as well????? This woman is uptight I think.....geez lady...she probably couldn't tell you one Prince song if you asked her..... what do you all think????? Oh my ears are burning!!!!! Lol!

Anybody who calls Prince washed-up is clearly too ignorant to be worth listening to.

I think it's not worth getting my panties in a wad over a few silly and inconsequential remark(s) made by some columnist whose opinion doesn't matter anyway.

SnowQueen said:

betcha the columnist is saying the same thing about those people obsessed enought to object to his review here