Gwen Stefani in No Doubt's now deleted new video
HOT
Beyond a Reasonable No Doubt
Is dressing up in Native American costumes to promote your new album insensitive? No doubt, say some fans of Pop band No Doubt. After posting the video for its new single “Looking Hot,” the Internet got angry and filled with complaints that the clip promoted stereotypes (tee-pees and smoke signals were also featured) and was offensive to Native Americans. In what might be the quickest cave-in ever, No Doubt responded immediately, removing the video the next day from its official sites and posting an apology saying the “multi-racial band” was built on the ideal of “respect, unity and inclusiveness.” The owners of the Cleveland Indians concurred, pointing out that their “Chief Wahoo” mascot has never been portrayed binge drinking or smoking peace pipes. Those offended sent the group a stockpile of smallpox-infected blankets as a thank you. Certainly they have their sites set on bringing down certain culture-jocking hipsters next, right?
WARM
Mega-Epiphany?
It’s taken about 30 years, but Dave Mustaine, leader of
Metal legends Megadeth, says he’s finally learned that saying outrageous
and offensive things in public when you are a public figure might upset
people, especially in our time of instant communication and sharing.
The singer/guitarist told Rolling Stone that while reflecting on
things he had said in interviews and onstage recently — Rick Santorum
was a “JFK kind of guy”; Barrack Obama is Kenyan and orchestrated
the Colorado movie theater and Wisconsin Sikh temple shootings so he
could outlaw guns — he realized he was being inappropriate. After mostly
blaming the media, Mustaine said the ordeal has made him more careful
and he now realizes that he has a choice between being “a really good
example for people — which I really desire to do — or not.” Sounds like a
politician all of the sudden. The “Santorum/Mustaine 2016” bumper
stickers are probably being printed as you read this. (Photo via farcethemusic.com)
COLD
Losing Their Grips
“Rebels” The Clash and Rage Against the Machine raged against the status quo as employees of massive corporation Sony (Epic Records’ overlords) and made a lot of cash. Maybe that factored in to crass, punky Hip Hop trio Death Grips’ decision to sign with the same label earlier this year after a bidding war for their services. But DG’s relationship with the label hasn’t gone quite as smoothly. In fact, the buzzing cult faves’ contract with Epic officially ended on Nov. 1, eight months after it was signed. The group was intent on releasing two albums in 2012; the first came out April 24, but Death Grips was told the intended follow-up, No Love Deep Web, would not be issued before the year ended. So, on Oct. 1, the notoriously bratty musicians put the album out themselves as a free download with an album cover emblazoned with a photo of an erect penis (redacted in the full album YouTube clip below). One month later, Epic told them they were dropped from the label.
