Re: Reggae Artist Beenie Man Spurs Gay Protest
Scotius
<edonlineSPAMOUT!@comcast.net> wrote:
>http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=6094656
>
>Reggae Artist Beenie Man Spurs Gay Protest
>Sat Aug 28, 2004 01:23 PM ET
>
>By Paul Sexton
>
>LONDON (Billboard) - A prominent gay rights group in Britain is
>stepping up its campaign against what it views as homophobic lyrics by
>a number of reggae acts.
>
>The OutRage organization has attracted widespread media coverage in
>the United Kingdom in recent days, first by calling on EMI Records
>U.K. to cancel its contract with controversial Virgin Records reggae
>artist Beenie Man, even though he is signed to its U.S. company.
>
>EMI Music U.K. declined comment. But Virgin said in a statement, "The
>Beenie Man lyrics in question are from songs released on independent
>labels not affiliated with Virgin Records. We do not condone
>violence."
>
>In the United States, MTV has taken action against Beenie Man. On Aug.
>24, the channel yanked him from an Aug. 28 concert it is presenting in
>Miami the night before the Video Music Awards after gay groups
>announced plans to protest his inclusion, according to MTV.
>
>After its complaints to EMI, OutRage accused the Music of Black Origin
>Awards of condoning homophobia by its alleged refusal to refrain from
>nominating artists who express anti-gay sentiments in their music.
>
>An open letter from OutRage head Peter Tatchell to MOBO chief
>executive Kanya King asked that this year's award nominations, which
>were announced Aug. 24, exclude "any singer or group who incites or
>glorifies -- either in the past or the present -- the murder of
>lesbians and gay men (or anyone else)."
>
>The letter cited Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man,
>Vybz Kartel, Capleton, TOK and Sizzla. This year's MOBO nominees
>include Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel in the best reggae artist
>category. The awards take place Sept. 30 at London's Royal Albert
>Hall.
>
>MOBO responded to OutRage's allegations with a statement that said the
>organization "strongly emphasized to voters ... that the MOBOs don't
>support music that clearly incites violence toward gay people."
>
>The statement continued, "People obviously did keep this in mind when
>voting, because the controversial Beenie Man ... has not been
>nominated."
>
>Nominations for the MOBO Awards are determined by 2,000 members of the
>British record industry.
>
>In reference to Elephant Man, the MOBO statement conceded that he "had
>previously recorded material that could be deemed homophobic ...
>nearly four years ago. Elephant Man that his current material is a
>positive celebration of Jamaican culture and has no references to the
>issue in question."
>
>The new action is just the latest protest from OutRage. In September
>2003, the group complained to police about lyrics on records by Beenie
>Man, Elephant Man and Bounty Killer and delivered a dossier on the
>subject to Scotland Yard's Race and Violent Crime Taskforce.
>
>The U.K. Crown Prosecution Service is investigating whether charges
>should be brought against the three artists.
>
>In early August, Beenie Man said in a statement that "certain lyrics
>and recordings I have made in the past may have caused distress and
>outrage among people whose identities and lifestyles are different
>from my own ... I offer my sincerest apologies to those who might have
>been offended, threatened or hurt by my songs."
>
>Reuters/Billboard
They can malign and say what they want about anyone, but when
someone excercises "freedom of speech" or "freedom of expression" in a
way they feel is critical of them, they come out with both barrels
firing. Typical.
Dennis B
Once again, I want to point out that MTV pulled Beenie Man from that
concert because his lyrics could possibly incite violence but then
gave Lizzy Grubman her own show AFTER SHE HAD ATTEMPTED MURDER AND
DONE PRISON TIME FOR IT.