Terrible news for sanitation workers! Boy George, who was supposed to play a special show for Sanitation Department workers August 17 — in order to repay them for their kindness to him during his court-mandated community service duty a couple years ago — has apparently been denied a visa by U.S. Customs, and thus can't get into the country to do the show. He told Paper:

I'm pretty devastated because I am so excited about this forthcoming tour, and having my visa application denied seems unfair after I swept the streets of New York spotless…I committed a crime and I happily paid the consequences, and I should be allowed to move on and get on with what I do best, and that is performing and making people dance and cry!

This seems unfair not only to George but to the sanitation workers — to paraphrase another songstress of George's era, what has anyone done for them lately? And though it's true that Boy George is a criminal and also weird (his most recent arrest, lest we forget, was for chaining a Norwegian man to the wall in his apartment), it still seems excessive. What's the worst he can do in such a short amount of time? Bring electric-blue eyeliner back?

Exclusive: Boy George Is Denied Visa + Pens Obama Song [Paper]
Earlier: Boy George Answers Prayers of Sanitation Workers