CBS apologizes for Grammy act
CBS has apologized to American Indians angered over a Grammy Awards performance by OutKast that featured frenetic dancing, feathers and war paint -- which some called racist and degrading.
“We are very sorry if anyone was offended,” said Nancy Carr, a CBS spokeswoman in Los Angeles.
As the final act of the Grammy telecast Feb. 8, OutKast’s Andre “3000” Benjamin and several members of a dance troupe swirled wildly around a green tepee as he sang his “Hey Ya!”
Indians across the country were angered by the performance, which they say was disrespectful to their culture and a perpetuation of tomahawk-and-tepee stereotypes.
The San Francisco-based Native American Cultural Center called for a boycott of CBS, the Recording Academy and OutKast.
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