No Doubt Apologizes for Offending Native Americans With 'Looking Hot' Video

(DailyMotion)Gwen Stefani may sing "Go ahead look at me, 'cause that's what I want" in the opening line of No Doubt's new single "Looking Hot," but it turns out there's some attention she'd rather avoid. On Sunday, the band pulled the song's brand new music video from YouTube and issued a formal apology through their website following complaints of racism towards Native Americans.

Though pretty, the video was terribly ill-conceived and ill-advised, presenting Gwen Stefani as a peroxide-loving Native (clothed in a variety of sexy, ab-baring outfits, naturally) who fights to escape her wicked cowboy captors when she's not sending sexy smoke signals or staring blank-faced into the camera. It didn't take long for viewers to respond to the glut of problematic images. Within hours, a number of threads decrying the video's racial implications popped up in the band's official online forum.

The band removed the video within the span of a day, posting an apology on the official website:

As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration fo! r other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history. Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realize now that we have offended people. This is of great concern to us and we are removing the video immediately. The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness. We sincerely apologize to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are.
- No Doubt

Yeah, No Doubt pulled the "we have a Native American friend who says it's cool" card. Still, cheers to them for responding to the controversy so quickly.

Though she's generally one of the least controversial figures in modern rock, Gwen Stefani has spent much of her career dabbling with cultural appropriation. There were the bindis she sported in the Tragic Kingdom days, the "chola" makeup and clothing of the Rock Steady years, and the personality-void "Harajuku" dancers who silently followed the singer around during her time as a solo artist. While Stefani likely believes she's paying homage to other cultures, the fact remains that she's reducing people down to cartoonish and sexualized fashion statements.

There are, of course, plenty of No Doubt fans who think otherwise. "Geez you can breath without offending people anymore (sic)," griped one fan on the band's Facebook page. Another spewed, "people are too damn overly sensitive these days! get over it and grow some!!"

The video's director, Melina Matso! ukas, has! yet to comment on the controversy. This isn't her first time battling negative press: In 2011, photographer David LaChapelle sued her for using eight of his images in her video for Rihanna's "S&M." The lawsuit was eventually settled.

See more Gwen Stefani photos:

Related Articles: