{"id":50979,"date":"2017-03-31T11:51:18","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T11:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=50979"},"modified":"2017-03-31T11:51:18","modified_gmt":"2017-03-31T11:51:18","slug":"reeling-from-backlash-involving-pressures-accent-vialet-says-he-was-misunderstood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=50979","title":{"rendered":"Reeling From Backlash Involving Pressure’s Accent, Vialet Says He Was ‘Misunderstood’"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. CROIX — In a Facebook post published late Thursday, Senator Kurt Vialet — reeling from a firestorm that erupted following his comments about V.I. superstar Pressure Busspipe’s accent<\/a><\/span>, contending that Pressure should speak like a St. Thomian and not like a Jamaican — said he was misunderstood.<\/p>\n

Mr. Vialet, who said he had read all the comments relating to his remarks made on Tuesday during a Senate Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture hearing, reiterated in his post on Thursday night that he sees Pressure as a great artist, however, his remarks were made in relation to the Department of Tourism’s advertising campaign, in which D.O.T. pays Pressure to be the voice of the Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n

“Reggae is always affiliated with the island of Jamaica and the intent of the commercial is to lure visitors to our shores. It would be naive to believe that mainstream America knows everything about the Virgin Islands and hence, our commercial should clearly differentiate our distinctive qualities,” Mr. Vialet said in his post, seen here<\/a><\/span>. “My concern was whether or not the potential tourist would be able to clearly determine that this is a V.I. commercial or whether or not it is one that represents our competitor, Jamaica. I have heard the back and forth but I reflect on the following artists Rihanna, Montano, Dextra, Onyan, Oliver, Mark Anthony etc… do you have to think twice to know which island they represent?”<\/p>\n

The second-term Democrat stressed that the issue was not what the territory knows about Pressure, but rather the advertising campaign which he says was created to lure tourists from around the world to the territory — many of whom know nothing about the U.S. Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n

“I have always supported anyone from this diverse, cultural melting pot, we call home! I will never apologize for being a proud Virgin Islander! The Virgin Islands Nice!” he concluded.<\/p>\n