Dallas officials - Erykah Badu broke law by getting naked on video filmed downtown
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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/032910dnmetbaduvidbadu.1f6c89461.html
Dallas officials: Erykah Badu broke law by getting naked on video filmed downtown
By BRUCE TOMASO / The Dallas Morning News
btomaso@dallasnews.com
A City of Dallas spokesman said Erykah Badu broke the law by filming a music video in downtown Dallas in which she strips and feigns being shot in Dealey Plaza.
City officials had no immediate comment on the content of the video – either the nudity or the clear references to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Also Online
Link: Watch the video
Link: Erykah Badu on Twitter
But whatever she chose to put in her new video, Badu – a Dallas native and renowned graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – should have gotten a permit before filming it, said City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio.
"All commercial film/video or photo shoot projects must be permitted through the City of Dallas Office of Special Events/Film Coordinators," Librio said in a written statement. "The production company that produced this video never contacted the city to seek the proper permits. This is known as 'guerrilla filming' where production companies circumvent the proper permitting procedures and usually shoot these scenes in one take, knowing that if they are discovered they would face arrest and/or penalties."
The video, released Saturday, was for Badu's song, "Window Seat."
According to CNN, she said the project was "shot guerrilla style" with no crew and in one take on March 17.
It shows her getting out of a 1960s Lincoln Continental near Dealey Plaza, then walking toward the Texas School Book Depository, peeling off clothes as she walks.
As she gets nude, near the spot where Kennedy was shot, a gunshot rings out, and she falls to the pavement. A blue liquid seeps from her head, as if it were blood.
The R&B singer said in Twitter feeds that she was making a statement against "groupthink," the "unwritten rule" that "i will not express my true opinion if it opposes those i love and fear."
She added: "i was petrified while shooting this video ... but liberation began to set in. i conquered many fears in that few moments." She said she was "too busy lookin for cops" to be embarrassed by her nudity. "i been naked all along in my words actions and deeds. thats the real vulnerable place," she tweeted.
She said she knew there were children nearby as she was stripping, and added, "i prayed they wouldnt b traumatized."
She also said that adults nearby were yelling at her, "THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE : YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED : PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON : DAMN GIRL! etc."
Lindalyn Adams, a longtime civic volunteer, is credited with leading a drive in the 1980s to rescue the JFK assassination site from neglect and exploitation.
"This is a tragic site," Adams said. "I’m just horrified that anyone would think of using if for something like that. I could just weep.”
She noted that Dallas has long been sensitive to its association with the assassination and has tried to confront the often sensationalized event with dignity.
“I don’t understand how someone who lives here, who is a resident of this city, could do such a thing,” she said of Badu.
Badu's latest album is New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. The song in the video, "Window Seat," is No. 28 on Billboard 's R&B/hip-hop chart.
I live in Dallas and I know we got laws against public nudity and when I saw her new video I was wondering how she was able to pull that off. At first I was thinking it was was filmed in front of a green screen. I didnt even hear any word of her filming a video downtown.
Dallas officials: Erykah Badu broke law by getting naked on video filmed downtown
By BRUCE TOMASO / The Dallas Morning News
btomaso@dallasnews.com
A City of Dallas spokesman said Erykah Badu broke the law by filming a music video in downtown Dallas in which she strips and feigns being shot in Dealey Plaza.
City officials had no immediate comment on the content of the video – either the nudity or the clear references to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Also Online
Link: Watch the video
Link: Erykah Badu on Twitter
But whatever she chose to put in her new video, Badu – a Dallas native and renowned graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – should have gotten a permit before filming it, said City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio.
"All commercial film/video or photo shoot projects must be permitted through the City of Dallas Office of Special Events/Film Coordinators," Librio said in a written statement. "The production company that produced this video never contacted the city to seek the proper permits. This is known as 'guerrilla filming' where production companies circumvent the proper permitting procedures and usually shoot these scenes in one take, knowing that if they are discovered they would face arrest and/or penalties."
The video, released Saturday, was for Badu's song, "Window Seat."
According to CNN, she said the project was "shot guerrilla style" with no crew and in one take on March 17.
It shows her getting out of a 1960s Lincoln Continental near Dealey Plaza, then walking toward the Texas School Book Depository, peeling off clothes as she walks.
As she gets nude, near the spot where Kennedy was shot, a gunshot rings out, and she falls to the pavement. A blue liquid seeps from her head, as if it were blood.
The R&B singer said in Twitter feeds that she was making a statement against "groupthink," the "unwritten rule" that "i will not express my true opinion if it opposes those i love and fear."
She added: "i was petrified while shooting this video ... but liberation began to set in. i conquered many fears in that few moments." She said she was "too busy lookin for cops" to be embarrassed by her nudity. "i been naked all along in my words actions and deeds. thats the real vulnerable place," she tweeted.
She said she knew there were children nearby as she was stripping, and added, "i prayed they wouldnt b traumatized."
She also said that adults nearby were yelling at her, "THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE : YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED : PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON : DAMN GIRL! etc."
Lindalyn Adams, a longtime civic volunteer, is credited with leading a drive in the 1980s to rescue the JFK assassination site from neglect and exploitation.
"This is a tragic site," Adams said. "I’m just horrified that anyone would think of using if for something like that. I could just weep.”
She noted that Dallas has long been sensitive to its association with the assassination and has tried to confront the often sensationalized event with dignity.
“I don’t understand how someone who lives here, who is a resident of this city, could do such a thing,” she said of Badu.
Badu's latest album is New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. The song in the video, "Window Seat," is No. 28 on Billboard 's R&B/hip-hop chart.
I live in Dallas and I know we got laws against public nudity and when I saw her new video I was wondering how she was able to pull that off. At first I was thinking it was was filmed in front of a green screen. I didnt even hear any word of her filming a video downtown.
Comments
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I was wondering how she shot it as well and also came to the same conclusion about green screening. Guess we were wrong.
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so what's the penalty? a fine? jail time (doubt that tho)
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I respect her even more now.That's crazy
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they will probably slap her with a fine
its interesting to see someone so devoted to their work, it doesnt happen that much any more, at least not in music -
knowing now that it was shot guerrilla style i get why she looked so paranoid with the running then walking and running again.
probably thought she saw cop cars lol -
Badu keeps it real.Outstanding.
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marie addams wrote: »knowing now that it was shot guerrilla style i get why she looked so paranoid with the running then walking and running again.
probably thought she saw cop cars lol
Yep, makes more sense now. She also zips her jacket all the way up before she eventually unzips and take it off, which I always thought was kinda interesting. -
That ? was nice, but I’ve seen the thickness way back in the Baduizm days. Some of my brothers are slow to catch on.
