T.I.'s New Video Showing a Stripper-Melania Trump Lookalike Is Lazy and Regressive

Matt Miller
Updated
Photo credit: Twitter
Photo credit: Twitter

From Esquire

The rapper T.I. has made it clear he does not agree with Kanye West's politics. After West's ridiculous visit to the White House last week, T.I. publicly criticized Ye, writing on Instagram, "At one time it was a pleasure to work alongside you... now, I’m ashamed to have ever been associated with you."

Days later, T.I. shared a video teaser for his new album, which showed the rapper sitting in the Oval Office as a Melania Trump lookalike (wearing the First Lady's "I Don't Care" jacket) removed her clothing. T.I.'s tweet said, "Dear 45, I Ain't Kanye."

In response, Melania's spokesperson called for a boycott of T.I.

T.I. isn't wrong to critique a First Lady who has defended her husband after his repeated public misogyny and many allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity. She said he was egged into "boy talk" after his disgusting Access Hollywood video leaked. She has spoken highly of his time in office. Even when she did eventually address the Stormy Daniels allegations, Melania said, “It is not a concern and focus of mine. I’m a mother and a first lady, and I have much more important things to think about and to do.”

And certainly, past First Ladies have endured far worse than Melania. While President Barack Obama was in office Michelle Obama endured an onslaught of racist and sexist attacks.

This isn't the first controversial Trump administration protest from a celebrity. Last year, Kathy Griffin was crucified for a video that featured a severed Donald Trump head. Snoop Dogg also released a video in which he pulls a gun filled with confetti on a Trump lookalike in clown makeup. The President even responded to this video, falsely suggesting that Snoop would have been put in jail if he'd done this to Obama.

While T.I.'s video doesn't depict violence against the First Family, this critique of Melania as a slut is certainly a regressive and lazy way of protesting Trump politics and the First Lady's complacency. There are far more beneficial ways of using art to challenge the Trump Administration's policy beyond shock value.

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