The Talking Heads frontman said it was "a major mistake in judgement"
Talking Heads' live concert film 'Stop Making Sense' is one of the most acclaimed concert films ever, and is still (or at least was) regularly screened in cinemas.
However, you may not have seen a promotional video for Jonathan Demme's film that has drawn criticism - especially in the light of the recent surge of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Frontman David Byrne appears in the promo, dressed as different characters as he interviews himself - and some of them were people of colour, which saw the musician in black- and brownface.
Now, he has taken to Twitter to apologise for the skit.
"I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding," he wrote. "It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else—you’re not, or were not, the person you thought you were.”
See his full apology below:
Recently a journalist pointed out something I did in a promo video skit in 1984 for the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. In the piece I appear as a number of different characters interviewing myself, and some of the characters portrayed are people of color.
— David Byrne (@DBtodomundo) September 1, 2020
I’d just about forgotten about this skit and I’m grateful that it has been brought to my attention.
— DavidByrne.com (@DBtodomundo) September 1, 2020
We have huge blind spots about ourselves- well, I certainly do. I’d like to think I am beyond making mistakes like this, but clearly at the time I was not. Like I say at the end of our Broadway show American Utopia "I need to change too"..and I believe I have changed since then.
— David Byrne (@DBtodomundo) September 1, 2020
One hopes that folks have the grace and understanding to allow that someone like me, anyone really, can grow and change, and that the past can be examined with honesty and accountability.
— DavidByrne.com (@DBtodomundo) September 1, 2020
You can see the promo below: