I have never been a big Erykah Badu fan, but I just watched her video for her new single and I have to honestly say that she is ridiculous. I am so tired of female artists showing their butts allegedly for art. Can any woman be successful without stripping like some….well….stripper? Erykah Badu walked down a public street, in front of children, at a national monument and stripped off all of her clothes. Her reason was to express herself (and sell records). Can’t you express yourself without stripping off your clothes? Must women always denigrate themselves to the lowest level of sexual voyeurism to succeed? When does true talent start counting for something? Celine Dion expresses herself - yet she doesn’t run around stripping in front of children. Barbara Streisand expresses herself - yet she doesn’t run around stripping in front of children. When will women learn that they don’t have to strip to make a point, they don’t have to shake their butts to be seen and they don’t have to be vulgar to show their art. Erykah sold herself out and sold herself short by doing this. She should feel strong enough to rely on her talent instead of her ass to make a statement. Stripping in front of children is just unacceptable. It is low brow and totally unnecessary. Although Erykah will be charged with something, her fine is going to be nominal. It should be much greater. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig. You can strip and claim you are doing it for art, but what you are really doing it for is publicity - not art. When you cheapen your artistic spirit, you drown yourself in a sea of vulgarity. I’m sure that Erykah’s album will do very well among her faithful followers. I am not one of them.

I for one think her strip tease is very stupid and her rationale for her strip tease is even worse.