No Doubt removed its latest video from the internet, following accusations of racism. The band admitted it had "offended people" with its stereotypical depiction of Native Americans in the video for "Looking Hot."
On Friday, No Doubt seemed thrilled with the video for "Looking Hot," the second single from their new album. The video features Gwen Stefani and the rest of the band dressed as cowboys and Indians. It is colourful, cartoonish and politically incorrect.
But by the end of the day, "Looking Hot" had been removed from YouTube, Vevo and other video sites. While many No Doubt fans loved the video, others were critical of its tactlessness. On Saturday, the band issued an apology:
"Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialise Native American people, their culture or their history," No Doubt wrote on their website. "Although we consulted with Native American friends and Native American studies experts at the University of California, we realise now that we have offended people … We sincerely apologise to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are."
Melina Matsoukas, who directed the video, has yet to comment on the controversy. Her previous work includes Rihanna's "You Found Love" and Lily Allen's "Not Fair." However, she was also responsible for the 2011 Rihanna video "S&M," which resulted in a lawsuit from photographer David LaChapelle, who accused Rihanna and Matsoukas of appropriating his work without permission. The suit was ultimately settled out of court.
No Doubt's sixth studio album, Push and Shove, was released in September. It reached No 16 in the UK.
This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk
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No Doubt - Looking Hotby jimihubabua
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