Is writing a song about a, "Redbone Girl" the same as writing a song about, "Brown Skin" or "Chocolate Legs" for that matter? Hmmmmm

Well critics and some fans aren't feeling Eric's ode to light skin women. Ironically the first words of the song are, "I love all women".

Eric Benet is feeling the heat from fans and some new enemies after dropping controversial song, “Redbone Girl,” playing on the classically Southern phrase describing light skinned women.

Outraged critics claim that he’s promoting the mainstream, racist standards of beauty.

“I think it’s its own form of racism,” he told CBS Local of the controversy. “I did a song called “Chocolate Legs’ about my experience with a dark skin lady. There was no anger or uproar of ‘How dare you.’ So ‘Redbone Girl’ is one song about one experience about a girl who happens to be light complected but there was quite an uproar.”

Despite him attempting to justify his position, online critics are relentless, saying the light skin beauty concept is linked to privilege and superior beauty.

“There’s a clear premium on light skin and on straight hair, whether it grows out of your head or not,” said Akiba Solomon gender blogger for Colorlines.com. “I’m not a big fan of songs that fetishize dark skin either. But you could argue that [the ‘dark-skin’ devoted songs] offer some sort of resistance to the prevailing beauty standards. He’s attempting to be provocative. He’s pretending that he’s never heard about light skin preferences. Let’s not pretend that it doesn’t exist.”

SOURCE to continue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81iqQ_qw9uY