Alaska News

Rapper Pitbull faces exile on Alaska island, if Facebook fans have their way

According to the International Business Times, Kodiak, Alaska, is another planet. The Times tells the story of rapper PitBull, his agreement with Wal-Mart, and the malicious voice of the Internet.

Confused? You're not alone. Read on.

PitBull -- "more of a hype-man than an actual hiphop artist, according to the International Business Times -- "agreed to be part of a promotion held by Wal-Mart and Sheets-brand Energy Strips," which intend to send the celebrity to whichever local Wal-Mart receives the most "likes" on Facebook.

Sounds harmless, right? Well, if it does, perhaps you trust the Internet much more than you should.

After the promotion went live, it wasn't long before Internet surfers began "rallying to send him to a remote part of Alaska."

Oh, and by remote, they mean somewhere with a Wal-Mart. That somewhere, it turns out, is Kodiak Island, Alaska's "big island."

The International Business Times describes Kodiak like this:

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If you search 'Walmart Kodiak Alaska' on Google Maps, it takes 11 clicks to zoom out far enough to see Canada and 13 to see California. Pitbull is probably thrilled the possibility exists for him to do a promotion at a store that sells "bear repellent, snow shoes, (and) hunting gear (via Reddit).

Pitbull detractors may be trying to "exile" him, but we call this place home, right? Further, we suspect that some Alaskans might actually welcome Pitbull to the Last Frontier.

It's not like we get many big celebrities visiting us much. As for claims that Pitbull will sell himself out for anything, that might not bother some Alaskans. We're kind of used to it now given our former governor and her family traded politics for the celebrity limelight a few years ago.

So Alaskans (or those who hate Pitbull), if you want to help the rapper visit Kodiak, vote on Wal-Mart's Facebook page. And to read more about the ongoing PitBull drama, click here.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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