[Brenda]

Those lyrics make you wonder why the hell most his fans are teenage girls. Why would a parent allow those lyrics in a house full of teenagers?

About the sponsors? Well, they are adults, they make their own decisions. They will go where the money is.

[camerontech]

let's all be honest here, if she wasn't 15 no one would say anything.

[Brenda]

camerontech camerontech:

let's all be honest here, if she wasn't 15 no one would say anything.

If she wasn't underage, there would not have been a problem. You cannot dry-f*ck a teenager on stage and act like nothing happened. This is a huge line that was crossed. BECAUSE she was underage.

But then again, where were the parents?

[camerontech]

Brenda Brenda:

camerontech camerontech:

let's all be honest here, if she wasn't 15 no one would say anything.

If she wasn't underage, there would not have been a problem. You cannot dry-f*ck a teenager on stage and act like nothing happened. This is a huge line that was crossed. BECAUSE she was underage.

But then again, where were the parents?

well I assumed this was an all age show, according to the clip this was a 18+ bar.

can you really blame akon for doing this to an underage girl? after all, he thought she was of age

I'll say this once again though....I hate akon, his music blows the big one

[canucker]

He has a "clean" version of that song that is played on the radio/ MTV etc.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fZF9UsS8LY[/youtube]

Still, alot of rap music uses lyrics that are very questionable, even if it is so called "clean". The videos are bad enough...

[canucker]

Concerned sponsor pulls out of Stefani tour

Verizon Wireless has abruptly pulled out as the presenting sponsor on Gwen Stefani's current tour due to an incident involving the trek's opening act, Akon.

Last month, during a concert in Trinidad, the R&B singer danced provocatively with a 15-year-old fan. When footage of the onstage dance found its way online, Verizon got cold feet. (Akon's show in Trinidad was unrelated to and not part of Stefani's Sweet Escape tour, which began April 21 in Phoenix.)

In addition to ending its affiliation with the trek, Verizon has also removed Akon ringtones and music from its stores and handsets. The Verizon Wireless V Cast TV spots featuring Akon are also history.

Industry sources put the cash value of a tour sponsorship package like the one between Stefani and Verizon in the $1.5-$2 million range in cash, which artists typically use to finance production, startup costs and other tour expenses.

But marketing value can be worth as much as $1 million or more. Stefani manager Jim Guerinot, of Rebel Waltz, declined to discuss the financial terms, but told Billboard.com that "we're just in the beginning stages of evaluating" the impact of Verizon's move. Regarding the presenting sponsorship, Guerinot says, "We're surprised and shocked they've backed out of it."

As for Akon, Guerinot said, "Akon has been a perfect gentleman on this tour. His show has at best been a PG show. Children of all ages have been attending. We have had no complaints -- nothing but satisfied people. And I would say that we're shocked that Verizon would drop Gwen Stefani as part of this whole debate."

Industry observers say it will be difficult for Stefani and her team to pull another sponsor into the Sweet Escape tour, which has North American dates on the books through June 30 in Las Vegas. To this point, no dates have been cancelled and Akon remains on the tour.

Akon and Verizon spokespeople were unavailable for comment.

Link.

[xerxes]

Akon got his promotions cancelled because he git called on it. Most companies will look the other way until someone raises a stink.

[camerontech]

it wasn't simulated rape....come on. you don't think this girl liked getting grinded by her favorite artist, I mean, she did sneak into a bar underage to go see him. rape is a very serious word, don't throw it around unless you know for sure what happened

[Scrappy]

lily lily:

camerontech camerontech:

let's all be honest here, if she wasn't 15 no one would say anything.

Why? Is it somehow not so bad if a simulatd rape is performed on an older woman?

Spot on Lily, this man is a pig. A vile pig, his music sucks he can't sing and frankly he makes my skin crawl. I'd tazer him at ten feet without an ounce of regret. She was 15, not exactly an adult. It's the year 2007 and simulating rape on any women is fucking repulsive period. Degrading women has gone on long enough in the name of porn. Just because some females think it's cool doesn't mean the other 99% percent want to be treated like meat in the seat. When will the males of this planet grow the fuck up? HELLO it's 2007, we aren't all alike and fellas you do have TWO hands if you are lonely!

[camerontech]

Like WDHIII says, this happens....way more than we would like to admit. go to a club, go to a rap show and you'll see girls jump on stage and grind with the performers, in fact I saw this happen at a rock concert no more than a couple weekends ago. A girl jumped on stage and did some "dirty dancing" with the lead singer.
this girl knew what she was doing when she went up there. Akon obviously went way way too far, but she never went up there expecting to dance solo.

[camerontech]

I know you're standing up for women's rights and all....but I just don't think this is the right incident to pick on. what akon did was indecent, it wasn't "dry rape"

[camerontech]

lily lily:

Women's rights vs semantics.

Ok.

as a girl you should be know the severity of a "rape" accusation. rapist are no better than murderers to me. people who dry rape unwilling girls are no better than people who physically assault people. This wasn't a big deal, just a case of a rapper getting too into his performance and acting like an idiot

[LightStarr]

I read that it was an all ages show.

[canucker]

She didn't fight back in the video, but IMO she didn't really have much of a chance to do it being flopped around with him leaning over you in front of a whole crowd of people. Not very many 15 year olds, let alone women, would "fight back" in that sort of situation whether they liked it or not. I'm not saying it's their fault either, but in such cases it can be a natural response not to respond much at all and cause trouble. Akon is in the wrong for putting anyone in that situation in the first place. Tara Reed grinded with him on stage once, but she was a very willing participant and it was nothing like the way he acted in this video.

Secondly, I agree that many corporations wouldn't have done shit if it didn't hit the media and stirred up a controversy. They would of still supported Akon, business as usual.

[kitty]

lily lily:

Blaming the victim is SO 1970s.


If it hadn't been that girl, it would have been another gorl. Her age isn't the entire issue.

Her age is not the issue.
For me the issue is ... is she really a victim? Was she a willing participant? Would any woman who knows the music and the artist not have expected what happened when they got on stage with him? Her age is not the issue, her age just makes this sad.