Obama to see controversial 'Gangnam Style' singer


The Oval
David Jackson, USA TODAY



12:54PM EST December 9. 2012 - President Obama goes "Gangnam Style" on Sunday night, even as the creator of the dance craze takes flak for participating in an anti-American protest several years ago.

Obama and his family will attend the taping of the annual Christmas in Washington television special, which includes a performance by Korean rapper Psy.

As his song-and-dance Gangnam Style quickly became the most-watched YouTube video of all time, Psy's past performances began to draw critical scrutiny.

In 2004, he protested the U.S.-led war in Iraq with a rap song calling for the killing of "Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives." The lyrics included: "Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers. Kill them all slowly and painfully."

In his apology Friday, the 34-year-old singer said that performance reflected a "deeply emotional reaction" to the Iraq War.

"I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words," he said, adding: "While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted."

Psy is one of several performers scheduled for the "Christmas in Washington" concert, now in its 31st year; others include Diana Ross, Demi Lovato and Scotty McCreery.

Comedian and talk show host Conan O'Brien hosts the special at the National Building Museum, which will be taped Sunday night and aired Dec. 21 on TNT.



http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2012/12/09/obama-psy-gangnam-style-christmas-in-washington/1756667/

Barry really has no sense!
He's living in Gaga-Land!

isnt forgiveness divine,,,,

others on the roster are:

diana ross
demi lovato
scott mccreery
chris mann
and megan hilty


,, I honestly wouldnt pay to see anyone on the list except maybe diana ross,,,,

but a tradition is a tradition,,,,and its for a good cause

the national childrens medical center,,,


from the tnt website...

Celebrating its 31st anniversary this year, Christmas in Washington is a holiday tradition benefiting the Children’s National Medical Center. The concert is attended each year by the President and First Lady, as well as many other Washington VIPs. This will mark TNT’s 14th year presenting Christmas in Washington.

Just add one more to the list of American haters Barry has over for a beer and some hoops.

Maybe he'll invite Hanoi Jane over to discuss the valor's of Communism.

Obama: No shout-out for Psy at 'Christmas in Washington' concert

8:05 AM, December 10, 2012 |
By David Jackson
USA Today


President Obama thanked several performers by name after Sunday night's "Christmas in Washington" concert -- with one notable exception.


The president gave shout-outs to Conan O'Brien ("the tallest elf I've ever seen"), singer Diana Ross, gift-giver Santa Claus, and "all the other talented folks on this stage" -- but no specific mention of the suddenly controversial Korean rapper Psy.

No surprise there. Psy, whose song-and-dance hit "Gangnam Style" has become the most-watched You Tube video of all time, performed in Washington just days after apologizing for anti-American statements he made during Iraq war protests in 2002 and 2004.

At the 2004 event, Psy sang a rap song calling for the killing of "Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives." The lyrics included: "Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers. Kill them all slowly and painfully."

On Sunday, everyone stuck to the spirit of the season during the Christmas in Washington concert that will be broadcast Dec. 21 on TNT.

As USA TODAY's Cindy Clark reported: "Sporting a red-sequined top and red pants, Internet sensation Psy began his portion of the performance singing the classic 'The Christmas Song' -- but that didn't last long. After stopping to question why he was there, he launched into his bass-thumping 'Gangnam Style,' which turned into 'Christmas Style.'"

After the concert, Obama did shake hands with Psy and other performers.

Here are Obama's comments in full:

"Good evening, everybody, and let's give it up for our host -- the tallest elf I've ever seen -- Conan O'Brien. We're also grateful to all the outstanding performers, the choirs, the glee clubs who are sharing their tremendous talents with us.

"Tonight is a chance to get in the Christmas spirit; to spread some joy and sing along with artists who have much better voices than we do. But it's also a chance to make a real difference in the lives of some very brave young people being treated at Children's National Medical Center.

"Many of these kids and their parents are going through tough times right now, and your support helps give them a reason to hope -- not just during the holidays, but all year round.

"And that's really what Christmas is all about. Each of us is incredibly blessed in so many ways. But those blessings aren't just meant to be enjoyed -- they're meant to be used and shared with those who have less.

"The Christian faith teaches us that on this day a child was born so that we might have eternal life. And at the heart of many of the world's great religions is the idea that we're all better off when we treat our brothers and sisters with the same love and compassion that we want for ourselves.

"So yes, tonight is about Conan and Diana Ross and Santa and all the other talented folks on this stage. But it's also about the Americans who are spending this holiday in a hospital bed, or a shelter, or protecting our freedom on a battlefield far from home. Let's keep them in our prayers, and follow Christ's calling to love one another as He has loved all of us.

"Merry Christmas, everybody. God bless you, and God bless these United States of America."

............................................

Glad to see him acknowledge the "Christian faith", "prayer", "Merry Christmas", "God's blessings" to us
AND "these United States of America".

Funny, we all claim to love free speech, until someone uses it in protest.

Just another example of right wing hypocrisy. The conservative "free speech for all, as long as they agree with us" attitude.

Our founding fathers would applaud his protesting. The voice of dissent is the most important part of a free society.

These same people want to use their freedom of speech to say anything they want against things they don't like. They also feel that they can confess their sins and be forgiven, but it seems that those they disagree with can't be forgiven.

At the 2004 event, Psy sang a rap song calling for the killing of "Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives." The lyrics included: "Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers. Kill them all slowly and painfully."


In his apology Friday, the 34-year-old singer said that performance reflected a "deeply emotional reaction" to the Iraq War.

"I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words," he said, adding: "While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted."


An apology given 3 days before the concert...?
How sweet.

And I'm sure our bombs dropped on Iraq killed a few "daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers." So really he was just stating facts that you don't want to acknowledge. Probably because in your heart you know that the war was sold to us with false information, meaning we invaded a sovereign nation as an aggressor, which makes us the bad guys.

Sure, we can talk about how Sadam was an "evil man" and did horrible atrocities to his people, but the truth is, it is not our job to liberate the world. It is the responsibility of the peoples of those nations to throw off the shackles of oppression themselves. That's the same reason why Afghanistan is a quagmire, you cannot force freedom on others, they must take it for themselves.

I want to kill you. I want to kill your family. Your sons and daughters. Is that free speech? Seriously? Then you should have no problems with the KKK, Black Panthers, or any other hate group when they call for murder. You appear to be one of the angry left monkeys, no different from the angry right. Not sure which has succeeded in making themselves look stupider at this point. Try this on for size: Leave politics out of it. The guy has apparently matured a bit and has apologized for the STUPID things he said in the past.

the KKK is an organized GROUP who actually has hunted and killed people

the black panthers are an organized Group who has encouraged killing

this is one person who said stupid things in an UNDERSTANDABLY emotional state (noone was dropping bombs on those klansmens communities)

I dont know if he has matured or not, nor do I speak enough korean to know the context of the WHOLE song

but he is a current trend so he was added (not by the President btw) to perform at an ANNUAL FUNDRAISING event and accepted


sometimes people read far too much into entertainment,,,,

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. It tastes like a VW bus with friggin' posies painted on it. How many of our people died for his freedom to have the right to speak freely? Do you think North Koreans can speak freely? Perhaps he should speak about his country being torn apart by some psycho communists that kill their citizens indiscriminately, treating them like dogs, starving with no electricity or few of the conveniences that Psy enjoys because of what we have done for him? The left. How can people really be that f***ing STUPID?

Amen to that.

That's what I am saying. He might have felt bad for the lyrics for some time but just now publicly stated it. Who knows? Please don't suggest that the Black Panthers have not been involved in murder. They are on the same plane of existence as the KKK in my eyes.

my thoughts exactly

how can people who gripe about a muslim center being erected at ground zero because the men involved were muslim possibly be so STUPID as to believe someone who is having their country DESTOYED by another country might not possibly feel pretty passionately and negatively towards that country too,,,,,,


get over it, it was understandable in the time and context he was speaking from


lets move on and stop trying to nitpick apart a freakin CHARITY concert,,,

the black panthers have not been involved in any murders that I know of,,,its not a suggestion,

the KKK have, the nature of their wearing hoods made it a bit easier to do so with anonymity

black men dont get away with murder quite so easily , historically,,,

I doubt very much that our founding fathers would applaude what he suggested.

His freedom of speech is not the issue in this post.

His audacity to be an icon in the eyes of American people in spite of his verbalisms.
Those same "daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers"
horse-dancing around with him.

Forgiveness is one thing, but idolizing him is over the top.

When did they forgive him, before or after his apology?
Most are not aware of his former declarations, I'm sure.

maybe when he agreed to participate in a FUNDRAISER for american kids,,,,,,,

there is more to any person than one sentence from their mouth or one moment from their life,,,,


some things are understandable ANGER AND HATRED At a time when neighbors and families and common communities are being destroyed are a couple of those things

the time has passed, those events have passed, its not so controversial or hard to believe those feelings have passed as well,,,