Turning Lemons Into An Educational Opportunity
Ye might be an asshole, but his fans are turning their disappointment into a teachable moment
Full disclosure: I don’t give a damn about Kanye West. I’ve never been a fan of his music. I detest his self-absorbed, self-congratulatory, “MeMeMe!!” attitude. There’s little about the man I find palatable. That said, I think there’s a profoundly severe mental health issue in play here, and I sincerely hope he gets the help he needs. That’s not meant to excuse his behavior and hurtful words, merely to offer something that might be a reason for them.
Of course, there’s also the distinct possibility that is, and always has been, a flaming asshole, knowhutimean?
I hope that when all is said and done he’ll fade into the enforced obscurity he so richly deserves. He’s long over-estimated his self-professed artistic and creative brilliance, and his 15 minutes should’ve long since expired.
Now that he’s in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, much of his fan base is finally seeing him for what he is- an emotionally fragile, egotistical racist and anti-Semite. Oh, and let’s not forget Nazi [insert “I did Nazi that coming” joke here].
The gratifying thing about West's public mental and emotional meltdown is the manner in which many of his fans have reacted.
There has been a considerable outpouring of love for the Jewish community as well as an recognition of the Holocaust. That the subreddit r/Kanye transformed itself into a Holocaust awareness forum has helped to restore my faith in humanity…at least for the moment.
Because when the bastards set up shop and try to say it never happened, there will be those like the denizens of r/Kanye to set the record straight.
There’s a time for compassion as well as a time for condemnation, and I believe both can run concurrently. So, for example, one may condemn Ye’s words and sentiments while simultaneously caring for the person and understanding that he may need professional help posthaste.
Of course, it’s also possible the West is purely an arse and a raging anti-Semite with the maturity of a seven-year-old. It may be that he’s not comfortable with being out of the public eye, so to ensure that he’s in the spotlight, he needs to say and/or do something outrageous, controversial, and intensely offensive.
Mission accomplished, eh?
The amazing thing about this scenario is that when Alex Jones tries to throw you a lifeline and you reject it, you’re in deep s**t, Kimosabe. Even as West sat with his head covered and rambled on set for THREE HOURS, and even as Jones determinedly attempted to rescue him from himself, Ye seemed determined to drown in a cesspool of his own hateful words.
It never seemed to occur to Ye that what he was saying might be deemed offensive not just to Jews but to virtually anyone with a sense of decency and/or humanity.
Later on, the r/Kanye subreddit turned into a Taylor Swift subreddit- and why not, given the bad takes the two of them have shared?
It seems as if most of the publicity Ye has generated over the past few years has come from his being an asshole, which is where Taylor Swift comes into the picture. As an unfortunate victim of Ye’s self-absorbed nuttery, Swift will forever be connected with him, something I’m sure thrills her not in the slightest.
I’m no fan of Kim Kardashian, but even I have to wonder what she saw in the self-absorbed jackass? And they have a child together? That’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for Ms. Kardashian.
Almost.
Perhaps Ye understood that he created banal, ludicrous, self-absorbed music and designed bland, farcical, self-absorbed shoes and clothing, so the only way to attract attention to himself was to be outrageous and offensive. He’s certainly not the first person to use that strategy (see McGregor, Conor), but he’s probably the first to do it while combining being an asshole with being a raging anti-Semite.
Not a good look.
The “good” news to emgerge from this fiasco is that increasing numbers of people recognize that Ye is a human train wreck. But, unfortunately, there’s little salvageable to be found in that wreckage, given how far he’s fallen and the speed with which he jumped the rails.
And, while it’s true that America is a country that revels in second chances, Ye has blown past his second chance. That ship sailed long ago. Many may have been willing to give him additional opportunities to redeem himself because they enjoyed his music, shoes, or clothing. They may have found his talent and brash, self-professed brilliance to be bracing and inspiring. He was a Black man showing he could grab America by the balls and drag it wherever he wished.
Some found that inspiring, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
That’s all gone now. Ye has become a circus clown. Only he and those close to him can know whether that’s a deliberate act or the result of a mental illness. From where I sit, it looks like he’s getting off from the excitement of being a flaming asshole and a raging anti-Semite.
Neither one of those qualities are a good look. Together, they’re almost certainly career killers.
Not so very long ago, Ye was worth billions. If he continues down this path, he may find himself working at a car wash in his native Chicago.
I hope there are people in his life who care enough to intervene and impress upon him the need to seek professional help. At this point, it can’t be about money or fame. It has to be about saving what’s left of Kanye West, the person. He’s only 45 and, hopefully, still has much of his life in front of him. There has to be someone who can get to him and help him recognize that he needs help to be happy and emotionally healthy.
I’m not using a possible mental illness to excuse or validate Ye’s behavior. He’s responsible for his words and behavior, especially when he’s been provided multiple opportunities to recant and apologize. Three hours on set with Alex Jones would seem sufficient opportunity, and yet Ye continued to insist that he liked Hitler. That’s on him.
But the man needs help. I’m not sure there should be any dispute about that. Because right now, he looks like a man on a downward spiral…with crashing and burning as the inevitable destination.
It doesn’t have to end that way.
