I recently posted a link on Facebook with a interview with Kanye West :
kanyespeaksthetruthpart1www.youtube.com. I posted it with the comment of "You have to respect him". I got feedback from a couple of people that didn't quite agree, statements like:
"Kanye behaves like a child. Creatively, he's one of the best around, but his antics/personality are cliche. How much longer is he going to play the role of the misunderstood genius?" N.T
"I say all that to say I listen to his music, though I don't own all his CD's but I think the money, the adulation and praise he has received throughout his career has given him an amazing sense of himself, that can only be seen thru Kanye colored glasses. " R.E
I can admit that his comparison to his situation to Emmett Till was a complete stretch BUT I do respect his ability to say whatever he feels. He can act like a child but children are honest, they are free in that sense.
Kanye plays a important role in our society. He goes against the norm, I would guess he despises it. It's so easy to dismiss someone , to say they're acting like a child when they do or say something that is so against what we perceive as proper conduct. And though it's unfortunate that people do get caught in the line of fire during these rebel's outbursts (Taylor Swift), it gives us another way to see- if we really allow ourselves to open up and listen to these outliers - it forces us to look at things a different way, possibly as we did as children.
Of course we grow up and become responsible, but we also lose a lot of what made us creative- possibly our true selves. The shoulds and shouldnts get in the way- which becomes fear in going against the status quo, fear of hurting others, fear of being perceived as a bad person. On this point I want to refer to an excerpt from an article that a friend recently sent me by Adrian Tan (Author of "The Teenage Handbook"), this was his speech to a graduating class of 2008 :
" I now say this to you: be hated. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you know anyone who hates you? Yet every great figure who has contributed to the human race has been hated, not just by one person, but often by a great many. That hatred is so strong it has caused those great figures to be shunned, abused, murdered and in one famous instance, nailed to a cross. One does not have to be evil to be hated. In fact, it’s often the case that one is hated precisely because one is trying to do right by one’s own convictions. It is far too easy to be liked, one merely has to be accommodating and hold no strong convictions. Then one will gravitate towards the centre and settle into the average. That cannot be your role. There are a great many bad people in the world, and if you are not offending them, you must be bad yourself. Popularity is a sure sign that you are doing something wrong."
full article: http://www.hs.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=435703785332&id=838833 331
So here's a toast to one of the hated... Maybe he is an A**hole. A child. But he gets us to think.
"Just when I thought I was out...they pull me back in." - The Godfather
ReplyDeleteSo you are baiting me with this response, I see. You know I can't leave well enough alone...So you go and blog about this. Well, here's my response, and before you get all bent out of shape...remember, you started it.
First, I don't have a problem with people who go against the norm. In fact, I respect individuals who give meaning to the word "individuality." Emily Dickinson wrote a poem that deals with this very topic. In it, she says, "Much madness is divinest sense. To a discerning eye; Much sense the starkest madness." It means that the world scorns its counterparts for nonconformity. This is nothing new...those who go against the majority have been chastised since the beginning of time. Kanye is no exception.
Except...what is he really rebelling against???
No one is restricting Kanye's creativity. The last time I checked he had full creative control over his projects. Who is he fighting??? He's sold millions of records by producing "mainstream" music. He talks about gold digging, aspiring to achieve one's dreams, stunting, clothes, women, fashion, etc. The last time I checked these were not avant-garde subject matter. No, Kanye gets upset because he's not as celebrated as he thinks he should be. Because he's not rewarded 5 star album reviews. Or Grammys. So, as opposed to dealing with the criticism like a grown man, he chooses to pout, act like an entitled little brat, and accuse the public/media of ignorance. Somehow, we are incapable of understanding his vision…his message. Get the fu@k out of here with that B.S. Kanye is an artist. What makes his art beyond reproach? Beyond criticism? If Mozart, Monet, Michelangelo, Picasso, etc. are all subject to critique then why isn't he? Seriously, he behaves as a child. You wrote, "It's so easy to dismiss someone, to say they're acting like a child when they do or say something that is so against what we perceive as proper conduct." That's gibberish. This man ran out on stage and interrupted someone's acceptance speech. That behavior is IMPROPER and is UNACCEPTABLE. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." It's easy to behave as a child, it's more difficult to act as a man who exhibits the virtues of prudence, justice, restraint, and courage; Kanye's antics, quite often, are in conflict with all of these.
So, before you go defending a spoiled brat, ask yourself…"What am I actually defending?" In Kanye's case, I think you'll find the answer to be surface and not nearly worthy of your support. So, that's that. By the way…don’t take this response personally. I still love you like a sister-in-law. Deuces.
-Nick
Nick-
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the comment back and of course, always love. You make many good points though I see you still don't understand mine. Am I saying that his behavior is "proper" or "acceptable"- no. Am I saying he could be telling the truth, maybe. He has the passion and courage that many people lack. I'm toasting to his efforts in saying exactly how he feels and challenging people to think. Maybe he's not even right, but it makes us stop and think verses just accepting what the majority of society says is "great". He is in a position that reaches millions and his antics spread through the media- it becomes conversation in varying circles. Anybody can express their disgust in a quiet and "proper" way. But in many cases it's the one that goes balls out that get the masses attention and possibly stir change.