Music

Akon might have crowd surfed in a plastic bubble in Africa to avoid ebola

by Mark Teo

The Ebola virus is undeniably terrifying. Indeed, the 2014 outbreak—which has mostly effected the West African countries of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, leading to more than 3,000 deaths—has reminded us of its gruesome, and often fatal, symptoms. The disease has sparked mass paranoia, especially after an Ebola-diagnosed man was found in Dallas, Tex.; meanwhile, a patient with possible symptoms is being examined in Toronto. Still, the disease is controllable: As Ebola is spread via direct contact with bodily fluids, quarantining carriers is effective.

One person accused of being overly paranoid of the virus? Akon. At a recent show in the Congo—a nation that’s seen roughly 40 Ebola deaths during the outbreak—for the UN’s International Day of Peace, the R&B singer clambered into a giant plastic bubble, before crowdsurfing over a 60,000-person audience in the city of Goma. According to the Source, the “Smack That” singer used the protective bubble to shield him from the virus.

Terrifying as Ebola is, this seems pretty extreme—the virus, after all, is spread only through direct contact with bodily fluids. (That, and it’s pretty disrespectful to shield yourself from your audience, especially on a day devoted to peace.) Before we crucify Akon, as the Independent notes, it’s very possible that his actions were misconstrued: Akon has previously used crowdsurfing bubbles in Australia and Dubai, and famously, the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne uses one in his performances.

In all likelihood, Akon was using the bubble for fun. Judge for yourself—check video of the incident below.