"Dressing up Gwen Stefani as a sexy Native American and having her bound at gunpoint — who could be offended?" snorts Neal Colgrass at Newser. That scene — among many other offensive images — is featured in a music video for the new song "Looking Hot," which Stefani and her ska-pop band No Doubt have since yanked after being accused of racism and insensitivity. (Watch the video below.) In the video, which is largely set against a backdrop of teepees, brush, vaguely historic Western towns, and campfires, Stefani, wearing tribal attire and a feathered headdress, rides horseback, sends smoke signals, and is ultimately captured and held at gunpoint. "Seriously, this is offensive to me and other Native Americans," says one Vimeo commenter. It's straight-up "mockery of our culture." In a message on No Doubt's website, the band apologized: "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." Judge for yourself:
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