After being dropped by Verizon, Akon (Aliaune Thiam) issued a public apology for the incident at the Zen nightclub in Trinidad where he simulated sex with an underage girl:
“First, and most important to me, I want to sincerely apologize for the e…

I am truly sorry your family went through this: “I grew up with a Mother horrified she would be killed any day. She had to runaway across state lines. We had no idea if we would be killed.” But I strongly believe your experience has poisoned your mind to men. You seem to think the worst of men. Please seek out help because I can’t help but think your experience has lead to a great deal of self loathing.

Dude. This line of “dirty dancing” bs is one step from excusing rape because “she was asking for it”.

Jaibones on May 6, 2007 at 1:19 AM

Since I am the one who used the phrase dirty dancing I will answer this. There was no rape! There was simulated sex and I believe that the girl who participated in it was not hurt and was happy about being on stage and performing. The pictures clearly show she was smiling and actively humping Akon. She was extending her rear for him to spank.

Please stop using rape, molestation, and assault to describe what happened. It clearly was not the case.

There is no excuse ever for a man to behave like this. I don’t care what you think the girl was doing or her motives.

At some point men like you have to take responsibility for the lack of character of other men, and not ALWAYS blame the woman.

You aren’t all innocent Duke LaCrosse players.
If conservative men don’t do this .. who will?

Noelie on May 5, 2007 at 11:42 PM

This really bothers me. I have two friends who were falsely accused of rape and they had to suffer the self-righteous indignation of conservatives who said that it served them right for bring a woman they were not married to into their beds and having sex with them. Sorry, I think women bear responsibility for their actions. They do not get a right to change their minds when they become unhappy with a man and accuse him of a crime. I am sick of conservative women who side with radical feminists over the idea that all men are potential rapists and who always take the woman’s word as to the circumstances of a sexual encounter.

But I am really tired of seeing women get slaps on the wrist for molesting their students and murdering their husbands at the same time men are getting out of prison after decades for a rape the DNA evidence says they did not commit. Noelie, you need to help your sisters clean up their acts before you attempt to appeal to my sense of chivalry.

RightWinged,

Akon is supposed to be a professional recording artist, yes? Thus acting the way he did is unbecoming of a professional recording artist, regardless of who or what or why this girl was all about. She’s obviously not some little angel that didn’t want this to happen – she probably just feels ashamed afterwards because she’s the daughter of a preacher or whatever.

Yet still, Akon should not act that way in the public sphere. He can do whatever the hell he wants in his bedroom, but this is just unbecoming of a professional to do at a public concert. Period.

Seixon on May 6, 2007 at 8:01 AM

I’ve never said for one second that his behavior was right… my point has been that this jihad against him that started over this poor innocent girl is stupid. There are plenty of reasons to bash this guy without making this girl out to be his victim.

As for what he does on stage, it’s not up to me to decide what’s okay and what’s not. It’s not okay for me, but I’d never go to his concert. Obviously it’s okay with his label. What about the crap Manson or Ozzy do on stage? What about all the thug life glamorizing done at most hip hop shows and on their cds? How about Trace Adkins? He got in to the act with Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=epdmJwH-IdU

Akon is supposed to be a professional recording artist, yes? Thus acting the way he did is unbecoming of a professional recording artist, regardless of who or what or why this girl was all about. She’s obviously not some little angel that didn’t want this to happen – she probably just feels ashamed afterwards because she’s the daughter of a preacher or whatever.

Yet still, Akon should not act that way in the public sphere. He can do whatever the hell he wants in his bedroom, but this is just unbecoming of a professional to do at a public concert. Period.

Dude. This line of “dirty dancing” bs is one step from excusing rape because “she was asking for it”.

Jaibones on May 6, 2007 at 1:19 AM

Who said “dirty dancing”?

That wasn’t the video I saw Rightwinged. Wrong is just wrong, and Akon was just wrong.

There is no excuse ever for a man to behave like this. I don’t care what you think the girl was doing or her motives.

At some point men like you have to take responsibility for the lack of character of other men, and not ALWAYS blame the woman.

You aren’t all innocent Duke LaCrosse players.
If conservative men don’t do this .. who will?

Noelie on May 5, 2007 at 11:42 PM

What wasn’t the video you saw? Oh, you mean you’re just going to take the one clip you’ve seen and not be curious about what happened before and after, despite the fact I’ve REPEATEDLY LINKED YOU ALL TO THE PHOTOS!!! It’s not blaming the girl, but Akon did nothing that the girl herself didn’t also do.

How many times do I have to tell you, Akon is scum, but this event isn’t what makes him scum.

There is no excuse ever for a man to behave like this. I don’t care what you think the girl was doing or her motives.

At some point men like you have to take responsibility for the lack of character of other men, and not ALWAYS blame the woman.

You aren’t all innocent Duke LaCrosse players.
If conservative men don’t do this .. who will?

RightWinged on May 5, 2007 at 10:51 PM

My biggest fear is that another video comes out showing this girl smiling and having a good old time and then everybody has to defend Akon because he was put through the same disasterous process as the Duke players. Assumption of guilt based on flimsy evidence.

Jaibones on May 5, 2007 at 10:55 PM

A mitigating factor in our legal system is prior knowledge. Did he know or was it reasonable to expect him to know that she was 15? I say it wasn’t. If you can produce evidence to that effect, I am all ears.

At this point all we know is that he dirty danced with a girl who he thought was at least 18. That does not bother me in the least. G_d, when is AP coming back?

CrimsonFisted on May 5, 2007 at 12:04 AM

Yes it was. But I am a man and men think differently than women. We are more directed and respect directness.

Just today my wife and i were watching the boobtube and a commercial came on in which a mother tells her son that she doesn’t know how to tell her father that she wants him to get something for her. The boy thinks for a moment and yells out, “Hey Dad, Mom wants…” I ROFLMAO. My wife didn’t get it.

An 18 year old guy can have consentual sex with a 15 year old girl, but it’s still statutory rape. Same concept.

Bill C on May 5, 2007 at 10:14 PM

No problem Bill, I’m just glad I’m not the only one who sees it this way.

I can’t say it enough, Akon is scum… but I don’t think this incident is any sort of nail in the coffin and this girls isn’t what she’s being made out to be by our conservative friends.

The Machine on May 5, 2007 at 5:41 AM

Please take a look at the photos and then look at the video again. This is not violent unless you think swing dancing is violent.

And for the last time, this concert took place at a club in which you had to be 18 to enter. He had no way to know how old she was.

Rightwinged, thanks for posting the myspace page.

For the record I really liked the old school rap that was about having fun. LL Cool J, Young MC, Tone Loc, etc. The gangster rap is mostly crap.

I’m sure 50 Cent has done a whole lot of crazy stuff behind the scenes and at the after-parties when he has concerts, but that’s different than dry-humping a 15-year old girl in public, on stage.

I think it’s a bit stupid to go after Akon for his type of music and his past as a convict. The thing that should be the focus is what he did to that girl

Seixon on May 5, 2007 at 10:43 AM

You couldn’t be more wrong, read my post here:

RightWinged on May 5, 2007 at 6:36 AM

He didn’t “do” anything to the girl that she didn’t do to him.. It’s just that they don’t show you that in the video because there needs to be a little girl victim.

I agree that Akon is scum and should lose corporate sponsors, etc. (as should virtually all hip hop artists), and while his behavior here may be “shocking” and another reason to not like him, let’s stop kidding ourselves about this girl being some helpless victim. Look over all those photos, especially the first one that I link to, look at her myspace, etc.

There’s plenty of reason to hate this guy, but dry humping a groupy that looks and acts like a stripper ain’t one of ‘em.

He should not behave that way in a public venue.

Is Akon actually guilty of ‘mainstreaming’ the filth or just guilty of capitalizing off of it?

I thought the main complaint about Akon (as opposed to the other rappers) was what happened on the stage in Trinidad with him and the 15 year-old girl.

JadeNYU on May 4, 2007 at 8:45 PM

Makes little difference the incentive to perform this filth, the end result is that each in their own perpetuate it by their participation.

Is Akon actually guilty of ‘mainstreaming’ the filth or just guilty of capitalizing off of it?

Jade, you are right.

But, sadly looking at the hollywoodgrind pictures that girl started out degrading herself. My gosh, I’m wondering if hookers dress that badly. I know these kids are sexualized, but why not put a sign on yourself? Nice touch with the cross necklace to top it off. Vomitrocious!

But willing or not Akon is absolutely disgusting, women are objects to use and abuse whenever a man wants to, that’s the message. When a woman starts flopping around like a rag doll and obviously couldn’t stop it, it’s assault.

I showed Michelle’s vent to my 12 year old son, to show him what this rapper (he wanted his music at one point) really was. My son was shocked and disgusted, and maybe understands why I won’t let him have that music.