WE'RE NOT RACIST, WE'RE SATIRISTS, SAY MTV

MTV's birthday celebrations have turned a little sour as critics have launched an attack on a cartoon which depicted Snoop Dogg walking women on a leash.

MTV's defence is that it was being satirical:

MTV said the "Woofie Loves Snoop" episode, which first aired on July 1, was "in fact a parody of an actual appearance Snoop Dogg made where he was accompanied by two women wearing neck collars and chains."

"We certainly do not condone Snoop's actions and the goal was to take aim at that incident for its insensitivity and outrageousness," the statement said.

Was it, indeed?

a look-alike of rap star Snoop Dogg strolls into a pet shop with two bikini-clad black women on leashes. They hunch over on all fours and scratch themselves as he orders one of them to "hand me my latte." At the end of the segment, the Snoopathon Dogg Esquire character dons a rubber glove to clean up excrement left on the floor by one of the women.

We're not entirely sure where the "aim" at insensivity comes there - drawing a cartoon of boorish bullying doesn't actually satirise the bullying, but maybe that's just us.

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