Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Train of Thought Lounge: Can't Tell Me Nothing

Thanks to Rumproast for reminding me that Kanye West himself is responsible for one of the greatest videos of all time:



I gotta say, I also share their confusion about how this grew beyond the yearly post-VMA media firestorm. Yes, Kanye is an egotistical jackass. This is not new information. He also shouldn't have gone on stage and interrupted that teenager's acceptance speech. These are facts.

On the other hand, he didn't do this at the White House, or even the Grammys. He did this at an awards show that fosters craziness. Dozens of fistfights, people calling each other out, a high as shit Whitney Houston jumping around like an idiot, insane bassists from awesome bands literally climbing on the scaffolding to protest Limp Biskit winning an award... this is why you watch the VMAs. Yeah, he's a dick and he shouldn't have done that, but don't pretend that anyone was watching to see who won the 18th "best video" category. No one gives a shit. People watch the VMAs to see crazy things happen, and they got what they wanted.

People got entertained, MTV made tons of money and got more press than they could of dreamed of, and Taylor Swift got to and reach that next level of stardom with people (like myself) who didn't know who she was until yesterday. Even Jay Leno wins by bumping his ratings after tastelessly asking Kanye what his recently deceased mother would have thought of his actions. You know you've done something truly shitty if you can generate empathy for Kanye in this media climate.

Also, like atrios said, it's possible that Barack brought this up on his own or it was just meaningless banter, but it also brought back memories from the primaries when it became a common practice to get Barack to comment on anything that any black person did or has ever done throughout the course of history.

And even without the racial element, why is it news that Obama called Kanye a Jackass? Who the fuck cares? Let me know when he calls Max Baucus a jackass, that would be news and infinitely more deserving in the grand scheme of things.

Please, make it stop.

End of Rant.

3 comments:

  1. hahah will oldham is awesome, glad he kept the outrageous beard for this video.

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  2. i agree with everything you said. the media is so funny with what causes firestorms now. it really could be anything. it's also kind of a sad indictment on our society that these things blow up to such proportions. but the basic sentiment is: Kanye-- talented, but also an enormous jackass.

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