Smack That!

So everybody's been talking about the Akon incident in Trinidad... and I feel left out :)

If you don't know the story, it's simple- As a part of his performance on stage at the Zen Night Club in Trinidad, Akon had some women come up on stage. He ended up dancing with, twirling around, and dry humping this scantily clad young lady on the stage. It so turns out that this 'young lady' is only 14 years old!

Adding to the madness is the fact that poor Danah is also a preacher's daughter. The situation has caused obvious embarrassment to her family. According to her parents, Danah lied when she left the house that night, saying she was going to a relative, and she also covered up the revealing clothing she wore at the club.

Her father went on television detesting Akon's actions, and claiming that their daughter was molested. Now I've had a good chance to read the articles and peruse the photos and videos plastered all over the internet. I can safely say, that girl was not molested. In fact, blame for the incident can be shared among many...

1. The parents- though I wouldn't fault them for not knowing where she went, from the looks of things they're quite blind to the type of lifestyle their daughter has been living.
2. The club- for allowing the girl in. Unless she gave them a great fake ID, their security is obviously not tight enough. She had no place in there.
3. Danah- in fact, I think most of the blame falls on her shoulders. She willingly went up on stage, and did not at any point seem particularly uncomfortable with her situation. I'm sure this unfortunate experience will go a far way in sobering her up.
4. Akon- I do however think he deserves very little to no blame. All the people who went to that club knew what it was all about. They'd seen it before, it's nothing new. While I personally see no need for Akon to behave in such a crass manner in a public setting, no woman is forced to go on stage to join him. But they do. And the crowd loved it.

There were points in the video where the girl was obviously manhandled by Akon, and I found some of it a bit scary, especially as he dragged her around on the ground. I find no joy or excitement in that sort of behaviour, and I do have a problem with it. But that's me. The club wasn't packed with protesters. Should an argument be made for what should or should not be allowed in public places? Perhaps. Richard Gere kissed a woman in India and they want to send him to prison for it. But that's not the reality of Caribbean life. And people must bear that in mind as Akon is put in the way of public scrutiny. He's not the first and won't be the last, whether native or foreigner. That being the case, I think it's fair to assume he didn't believe the Danah was a minor, and I'm pretty sure we shouldn't expect him to ask for ID... Maybe he will from now on.

You know what they say about hindsight.