Toby Keith Targeted for 'Racist' Gesture

[DearAbby]

An Asian American group says Toby Keith "embarrassed himself and his country" this week at a Nobel Peace Prize party in Norway when he stretched his eyes back while Will Smith rapped the word "yellow."

Besides embarrassing all sorts of people, a rep for the Asian American Justice Center tells TMZ that Keith "denigrated the Nobel Peace Prize and offended Asians and Asian Americans by using a crude, racist hand gesture."

Piling on is the Media Action Network for Asians, who believes Keith "is telling his Asian fans 'you don't matter, you're not on my radar.'"

The incident occured while Smith was rocking a rendition of 'Rapper's Delight,' and Keith began pantomiming along with the lyrics. His rep told TMZ on Tuesday that "No one at the concert thought Toby was out of line."

This wasn't the only bit of controversy surrounding Keith in Norway. Members of the Norwegian Parliament publicly criticized the country star over his uber-patriotic, let's-wallop-the-bad-guys song, 'Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).'

One lawmaker said that "If Keith really means what he says in his lyrics," then it probably wasn't a good decision to have him perform.

Video at link with article:

http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/16/toby-keith-racist-gesture-controversy/?icid=main|

[ElboRuum]

1. As if his shitty music wasn't enough of a reason to be annoyed by him. n/t

[Romulox]

2. So...the Norwegians are offended by Keith's song, but not by Obama's policies?

:crazy:

[LuvNewcastle]

3. What was that asshole doing there anyway?

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. I could have told them to

leave him out before anything was decided. It boggles my mind that he was there. The Dixie Chicks should have gone.