Akon Dropped from Verizon, Issues Statement

I usually don't talk about Akon on this blog cause I got sick and tired of his omnipresence a long time ago. Case in point: somehow my clock radio alarm got switched from buzz to radio mode this past week, so I hear this dude's voice almost three times before I even get out of bed in the morning. But I digress...

Still, I must speak up for the dude because he's getting a bum deal. If you didn't know, Akon was spotted dry humping a 14 year old girl on stage in Trinidad. After the video surfaced on the Internet, Verizon Wireless pulled their sponsorship of Akon's tour with Gwen Stefani and removed his top-selling ringtones from their service. After this money got pulled, Akon issued the following statement:

“I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I’ve caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert,” Akon said.

“It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience,” he said. “Somehow, that standard was not met.”

So first off, boo to Verizon for dropping their sponsorship. How in the hell are you gonna endorse somebody who has a song called "I Wanna F**k You" and then back away like you didn't know what the hell this dude was about? But that's corporate America for you. As for the girl, her parents are to blame for this one. If your scantly clad 14 year old girl is getting into clubs and dancing on stage with older men then you have your own problems to deal with.

So Akon, keep your head up. Just don't wake me up with your whiny voice at 6 in the morning.