Erykah Badu's JFK video: Should she be punished?

Dallas police have (belatedly) charged Badu for loosely reenacting a presidential assassination without permits — or clothes. Justified?

Was Badu's controversial video illegal?
(Image credit: Screenshot)

Erykah Badu may be regretting her decision to allude to John F. Kennedy's assassination — while disrobing — for her "Window Seat" music video. Days after the clip's release, Dallas police have charged the singer with disorderly conduct and fined her $500 for failing to secure permits before she filmed the "guerrilla-style" video in Dealey Plaza, site of the JFK tragedy. This somewhat sluggish response was reportedly triggered by a witness who says she found Badu's public disrobing "offensive." Is Badu's punishment justified?

The punishment is totally valid: Had Badu gotten "permission from the city of Dallas" to shoot "such a video," says blogger Outsanity in Chicago Now, she'd have reason to complain. As it stands, pulling this stunt was "no brighter" than the decision "stupid criminals" make to post YouTube videos that help police catch them.

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