Jennifer Lopez Sings for Human-Rights Violator

It’s a good thing Jennifer Lopez donates a lot of money to Amnesty International, a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights, because they’re probably pretty pissed about her recent performance.

Lopez sang “Happy Birthday” to Turkmenistan’s President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who has been a well-known human rights violator for almost the past decade.  Censorship is common practice in Turkmenistan, and all press is controlled by the State.  Many people are imprisoned for political transgressions, and the elections are laughably difficult to compete in, hence Berdimuhamedov’s easy re-election in 2012.  In addition, any opposition to the government is immediately considered treason and is punishable by up to life in prison.  If you’ve ever wondered what the book 1984 looks like, take a trip to Turkmenistan.

Lopez was asked during her performance to come out and sing for the President, to which she obliged.  She is now at the center of a witch-hunt by human rights activists who feel she should have done her homework before A) playing a show in a human rights violating country and B) singing “Happy Birthday” to the dude who is allowing it.

Lopez has apologized since the performance, explaining that she didn’t know about the events that have transpired in that country or that he was at the center of it.  Lopez’ staff vetted the performance, and apparently dropped the ball hard by not asking, what would appear to be, one simple question about the current conditions of the country.

We here at SOTD understand that it is not a celebrity’s job to find out it in every single country they travel to or perform in whether or not they’re imprisoning political activists or censoring the press.  But, when one of the only two countries in the world with more censorship than you is North Korea, you have taken the wrong fork in the road, and as a celebrity who promotes equality and human rights for all, you probably shouldn’t play there.

J-Lo can breathe easy this time.  People are still talking about and creating memes about Paula Deen.

Photo courtesy of US Magazine.