By Madhuri Dey
Dec. 17, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Country singer Toby Keith is being targeted for an apparently racist gesture he had made during the after party of the Nobel Prize function, and for not apologizing yet. He had flown to Oslo in Norway to watch the American President, Barrack Obama, receive the Nobel Peace Prize. After the conferring of the award, he came up on stage during the after party that was thrown. He was accompanied to the stage by actor Will Smith and Wyclef Jean. He was seen performing the iconic song “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang.

While performing the song, Toby Keith slanted his eyes at some part of the song that had the word “yellow” in it. The gesture was considered rude and offensive, and Toby Keith immediately became the butt of many a comment that emphasized the fact. Various Asian and South Asian organizations have since attacked the singer on his apparent lack of tact and disregard of the sentiments of the South Asian people.

The singer, as well as his representative did not comment on the matter immediately, but later on his representative said that there was no one in the party who had found the gesture anything worth condemning. On the other hand, however, a spokesperson for the Asian American Justice Center commented that the gesture was extremely inappropriate, and denigrated not only that particular community, but also showed acute contempt for the gravity of an occasion like the Nobel Prize ceremony. Moreover, it has also been deciphered to be the singer’s apparent lack of interest in the sentiments of his South Asian fans.