Yea, somehow I get the feeling Ricky's gonna regret this:
On his first visit to the Middle East, Ricky Martin declared he will try to change negative perceptions of Arab youth in the West.Uh oh. Ironic that Ricky would take that position, 'cause I always assumed that he was part of "why they hate us."''I have been a victim of stereotypes. I come from Latin America and to some countries, we are considered `losers,' drug traffickers, and that is not fair because that is generalizing,'' said Martin, who was born in Puerto Rico...
He said he planned to do a concert tour of the Mideast and North Africa, including Jordan and the Palestinian territories, tentatively scheduled for May 2006.
Martin, whose hits include ''She Bangs,'' ''Shake Your Bon-Bon'' and ''Livin' La Vida Loca,'' posed for photos with fans, at one point draping over his shoulders a traditional Arab kaffiyeh headscarf with the slogan ''Jerusalem Is Ours'' written in Arabic on it.
And as for being "a victim of stereotypes," I'd say Ricky has- but I'd associate that more with the ever-present gay rumors than anything racial.
Posted by Stephen Silver at July 26, 2005 12:45 AMI'm stunned that any journalists are actually paying attention to what Ambassador Martin is saying.
Posted by: Bill McCabe at July 26, 2005 06:57 AM