Epilepsy group is not happy although a warning is placed in the video because people 'do not know they have it [photosensitive epilepsy] until something triggers their first seizure.'
- Feb 11, 2012
AceShowbiz - Jay-Z and Kanye West land in hot water due to their newly-premiered video for single "Ni**as in Paris". The two rappers are slammed by a U.K. epilepsy group for filling the clip with frantic-changing kaleidoscopic performance scenes, which could potentially trigger seizures. A warning included in it is deemed not sufficient enough by the group.
The group's campaigns manager Stacey Rennard additionally denied claim in the warning note that mentioned the video has been identified by Epilepsy Action. "Epilepsy Action was not consulted about this video, although we now know that watching it does pose a risk to people with photosensitive epilepsy," so Stacey said.
"We are pleased to see that a warning has been put in place to make people with photosensitive epilepsy aware that the video may be harmful. However, the warning does not go far enough and the video is still potentially dangerous. Many people with photosensitive epilepsy, especially young people, do not know they have it until something triggers their first seizure."
Stacey then scolded Kanye for continuing to make potentially-harmful video after he got similar complaint last year due to his "All of the Lights" clip. "We would like to see the music industry show much more responsibility by not commissioning videos that contain potentially dangerous imagery," she stated.
A spokeswoman for Epilepsy Action Louise Cousins additionally explained to MTV News, "Photosensitive epilepsy is most prevalent in those aged 7 to 19. Everybody has a 'seizure threshold,' but somebody may have a tendency to have seizures but not come into contact with anything that has so far triggered it in them [until they view the video]."
