*THE SYNDICATE DOES NOT EXIST*
Scrubs actor Zach Braff has apologized after a tweet he sent on Sunday night comparing Pharrell’s bellboy outfit at the Grammys to the flying monkey in The Wizard of Oz got him into trouble.
For the performance of his award-winning song Happy, singer/producer Pharrell wore a bellboy-type hat and jacket that provoked much online debate.
While many viewers tweeted about Pharrell’s likeness to the bellhop in the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, others wondered if – given his political-charged performance – the outfit was a reference to black bellhops.
Braff joined the online debate when he jokingly shared a side-by-side picture of Pharrell and the flying monkey from the 2013 The Wizard of Oz-remake – Oz The Great and Powerful.
'Grammys are time-delayed in LA (?!) but someone just sent me this: #IWoreItBetter,’ he tweeted.
His post sparked much intense debate online and he was called out for not realizing that comparing African Americans to monkeys could be construed as an offensive racial slur.
On Monday Braff posted an apology, claiming that his reference was inspired by his voiceover role as a monkey in Oz.
'I love Pharrell. I thought the outfit he wore was similar to that of my bell hop in Oz. I apologize,’ he tweeted.
Braff's post sparked much intense debate online and he was called out for not realizing that comparing African Americans to monkeys could be construed as an offensive racial slur
Pharrell took home two Grammys - Best Solo Performance and Best Video - for his song Happy on the night.
His performance during the award show also provoked a reaction as it included dancers in black hoodies who struck a 'hands up, don't shoot' pose - a reference to the slogan used by protesters after the Michael Brown shooting.
The gesture is the same that has recently been used by demonstrators protesting the death of other unarmed black men at the hands of police - including Eric Garner in New York City.
The use of hoods was a reference to the death of Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in 2012.
Symbolic: This is the moment Pharrell Williams and his hooded backing dancers made a 'hands up' gesture in the middle of their Grammy performance.
However the 'hands up'' refers to Michael Brown, who was gunned down by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, last year.
Some accounts of the deadly incident claimed the unarmed black teenager had his hands up when the cop shot him.
A movement which followed adopted the slogan 'Black Lives Matter' and has been used by various celebrities during high profile events and awards ceremonies.
Prince was one of the stars who used the phrase during the ceremony.
Before presenting the award for best album, he said: 'Albums... remember those? Albums still matter. Like books and black lives, albums still matter.'
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