…just typically lame? See this (unfortunately typo-laden) report.
I’ll spare you the Buddhism/Booty-ism jokes. Besides, the Buddha only appears in a flash or two in this video. Is it insulting to Buddhism? Maybe. But that’s probably the least of its problems.
“Trying to find the words… without being disrespectful.” I think it’s safe to say you’d better try again, Akon. Just as I’m trying to find the words to describe the way you portray women without being disrespectful. And failing.
I like hip-hop. I like R&B. I like sex. And I’d like to think I have a sense of humor. But this is just vapid, tired, mimbo, bullshit. Buddha or not.
03/22/2010 UPDATE: Akon says he doesn’t mean to dis. Well, not Buddhism, at least.
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March 18th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Isulting to buddha?
Who cares?
If you’re so sensitive that it upsets you that a buddhist statue appears in the background to a music video, you’ve got issues.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:12 am
well, that’s probably true, too!
March 19th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Many of the asians care… and what the heck you know about Buddhism… Do you even Know the meaning of Buddhism. huh?. You bloody people are born insane to this world…. Do you even know the meaning of that song. You sucks……..
March 19th, 2010 at 6:33 am
I consider one of the primary meanings of Buddhism to do no harm. This song may do “harm” to the Buddha, but it seems much more certain that it continues a line of objectification of women that REALLY should have run its course by now.
March 21st, 2010 at 6:48 am
ok
u will come srilanka..
we waiting,,,
fuck off akon..
i like fuck u
March 21st, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Don’t you care Jim? You obviously cared enough to come this blog, read it, and then take the time to leave a comment. It sure seems like people care.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:46 am
This is insane. What if he does video like this around your beloved Christ. What ya gonna say for that. You damn bastards.
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:53 am
Nobody can “harm” the Buddha.
We can certainly harm one another by perpetuating stereotypes, and gender inequality.
The video basically asserts that women are superficial in mind and consumable in body and that men have no need to be responsible for their relationships with them.
Its childish, generic, and archaic.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
That’s all I really meant to say, Joe. Thanks for being far more concise!
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Hey all guys as budhist we have lot of other things to worry about than guy singing song in front of budhist statute. Budha nerver asked to make statuts or worship statues. Budhisome is all about philosophy of the mind. So stop being stupid you will end up worse tah akon if you bring these stupid arguaments.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:01 pm
can u remember once the Christians protested against Lindsay Lohan s photo on purple fashion magazine.
Jesus wasn’t even anywhere close in that photo. she was just posing with her arks stretched out..
if u care so much bout ur religion learn to respect others too..
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2010/02/lindsay-lohan-makes-like-jesus-christ/
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:08 am
as a music fan, I’m offended by this awful noise!
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:36 am
In a world where cartoonists have to go into hiding for drawing mohammed, yes I care.
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
stupid idiots its a music video and u have no ryts to say dat ppl r born insane to dis world…. answer wen u c christ on a video do go bla bla bla……… simple u care bout ur shit onl so v dnt care ur shit too…..
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:36 pm
we ave de rights to say dat u pple r born insane turd face………
am pretty sure dat it wasnt his place to take a video and dat he didnt know about it…..his not the who designs de video shots but some other jack fuck…….and also wat brainss do dose domb blondes ave??????????
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Akon.. stop being an asshole…
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Hey Jim T… whoever you are…
you maybe a careless fool. But there are caring people in the world too!
True, it will not affect Buddha in anyway.
It only shows disrespect… and in this video disrespect for how women are being portrayed too!
March 24th, 2010 at 2:11 am
Can we really expect anything worldly “to run its course?” This seems like a serious question. Song is ok, kinda cliche. Fine. As far as Worst Horse: A worser type horse. Maybe worsier.
March 24th, 2010 at 8:46 am
Jim T you may not care because akon tells his lame girls to show there ass at LORD BUDDHA..BUT WHEN YOU SAY YOU DONT CARE ABOUT LORD BUDDHA GETTING INSULTED THTS WHEN I GET MAD.ill tell you one thing you can shut that big fuking mouth of yours or i ll shut it for you… you slut faced cum sucking FAGOT go.. you said who cares rty well i have to say all the BUDDIST care do you know there are lot of buddist all over the country..I CAN MAKE ONE THING SURE BEFORE LLONG I AM GONNA TAKE THAT BIG CHAIN AKON IS WEARING AND SHOVE IT UP HIS ASS (hope he has a ass) akon bugger is like soo gay he thinks he is soo cool
March 24th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Why is David Guetta getting a pass in this discussion? It is David Guetta featuring Akon. And while we are at it, let us also pass the blame on the director. He helped create this mess. Pass the blame to all parties, not just the visible or more famous one.
March 26th, 2010 at 4:44 am
People who insult LORD BUDDAHA opens the path to suffer
March 30th, 2010 at 6:10 am
This article is balance and informative writrn by a monk:
Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Monk’s Response
by Bhikkhu K. Tanchangya, The Buddhist Channel, Mac 28, 2010
Kandy, Sri Lanka — An article titled “Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka” under a pseudo name should not have been published in the Buddhistchannel, to say the least. Not only that the write-up is not coherent at all with the actual reasons why the Sri Lankan government was forced to deny a visa to someone called “Akon” but also the title itself is very outrageous.
The writer from Colombo who didn’t even have the guts to publish the write-up under his real name gave a pretty long discourse on “Buddhist Philosophy” in support of Akon and deplored the action of the SL government and the people of Sri Lanka as if Akon possesses all the virtues mentioned in his “Buddhist Philosophy” while the peoples who opposed don’t!
Yes, Lord Buddha did open the door of his sasana for everyone including “murderers, thieves (Akon is a convicted car thief!), prostitutes and the lower castes” but He also did not condone any such virtues as disrespect and indifference towards the sasana, a fact which the writer even does not know. Devadatta with his group of disciples and the group of seven monks who often showed disrespect and total disregard towards the sasana were deplored by the Buddha himself even to the extent that they were called “ignorant bugs and trouble makers destined for hell”.
Trying to justify someone’s disrespect and utter disregard for the sasana on the basis of twisted “Buddhist Philosophy” is nothing but lame. The importance of Buddhist Tolerance and Equanimity (upekkha) lies not in passive mode as such but in how one reacts to situations with Wisdom and Understanding (pañña). When some anti-Buddhist quarters manufacture biscuits in Lord Buddha’s figure and bikinis with Buddha’s images, when ignorant movie makers show the Lord Buddha’s statue under the most disrespectful and provocative places like bars, resorts and hotel rooms — how someone like Tis-a-small-world, who might not be a Buddhist him/herself, would advise the Buddhists to react and protest such activities???!!!
As responsible and practicing Buddhists, we cannot keep quiet in the name of Tolerance and Equanimity. Let us not show our stupidity to the world by asking – what is there in an image or statue?! If you can understand why Muslims and Christians protest at the slightest depiction of their religious leaders and scriptures in an unbecoming way, why can’t you understand why Sri Lankan Buddhists did what they did?!
The denial of visa to Akon was not merely on the basis of “a music video of the singer, containing a clip of scantily clad models dancing against the back drop of a Buddhist statue” as the writer has sweepingly stated. The Sri Lankan media has widely reported two facebook groups, one of which attracted more than 15,000 members within few days, opposing the proposed concert by Akon.
The members of these groups have distributed and widely publicize some information together with graphic photos and videos about Akon which do not fit into the Sri Lankan cultural setup. First of all, Akon is a convicted car thief. He has also generated a heated controversy in America and elsewhere for simulating a sex scene with and violently humping a 14 year-old girl on an open stage (Akon later downplayed the public outcry by saying he didn’t know that the girl was underage!). The singer has also come under fire for violently throwing a teenage boy off the stage into the crowd injuring some fans.
And secondly, his songs contain vulgar and culturally unpleasant lyrics as typical to all such R&B music. The objections therefore seem more of a cultural and moral nature that religious. Thirdly, the music video of the singer which generated protest from the Buddhist quarter was coinciding with his subsequent tour to Sri Lanka underlying the subtle message that the singer is above religion.
Now Akon’s denial that he was not aware about the statue being on his set when he shot the video was an outright lie, for he must have been blind for not seeing such a huge Buddha statue under which he shot his video with his scantily clad female dancers. Photo shots of the singer with the Buddha statue behind him, perhaps discussing the details of the scene, surrounded by the producers and dancers of the music video have emerged over the internet.
By consciously lying his ignorance about the Buddha statue being on his set, Akon was not only showing his further utter disregard for Buddhist feelings without apologizing but he was also systematically misrepresenting the religion to which he belongs when he said that he himself was a spiritual man. Akon can be worshipped by the sexualized West as a star but not in the East, at least not in Sri Lanka. Indeed, Akon further should feel himself lucky for being able to get away lightly from the rage of the Buddhists by his lie.
The organizers of the proposed concert at first tried to calm down the public protest by saying that they had prior support and permission from the Ministry of Tourism, a report which has later been rejected by the Ministry itself as a lie. In the midst of the crisis, some insensitive quarters even went onto air by saying that the music video in question was nothing at all because in the West Buddha statues are treated as mere decorations and ornaments!
Perhaps the peoples of the Buddhist world have been too tolerant and too compassionate for keeping silence over such display of the Lord Buddha as an object of mere decorations and beautifications of households and commercialized businesses!
The government of Sri Lanka certainly has other options to promote tourism in the country other than bringing down someone who has obviously insulted the country’s major religion and who obviously has no affinity to local culture and tradition. Those who have been debating for the concert as a major chance of promoting tourism in the country are utter nonsense. The task of promoting tourism in the country belongs to the ministry of tourism, not to some business minded people who are more worried about losing such a major opportunity of filling up their pockets than losing a tourism opportunity for the country.
The organizers of the concert have not given up their hope yet, so are the people who oppose it but the government should not take any step that would hurt the feelings of so many people who are deeply involved in the religion for which Akon has no feelings
June 25th, 2010 at 6:04 am
don’t we have better things to worry about?
August 9th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Heee Heee Heee Akon You know why you are so lonely. Because You are just a stupid sucker.