There’s one thing Kanye West does better than create Grammy award-winning music: make himself look like a fool.
The hip-hop star was at it again last week when he got angry with Matt Lauer during an interview on the Today show.
He sat down with the host to discuss the “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” comment he made in 2005 (it’s back in the news because of George Bush’s memoir) and almost as soon as it started, the interview into another one of West’s awkward TV moments.
He was upset because the Today team played a clip of Bush talking about how West’s comment was the lowest point of his presidency.
“I didn’t need you guys to show me the tape to prompt my emotions,” says a clearly uncomfortable West. Then he told the crew to be quiet, and later got angry when the show played a clip of him interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV Music Awards.
It was classic West, turn a straight-forward situation into a cringe-inducing, headline-making moment.
Every time the artist does something newsworthy, whether it’s talking about how great he is or pouting over not winning an award, it stirs up a lot of comments on websites across the country. Not many people have an equal amount of vitriol and admiration sent their way — some can’t stand his ego, others praise him for it.
I’m in the latter category. Celebrities’ lives have never been as micro-managed as they are now, so it’s refreshing to hear someone say how he truly feels. Sure, his ego is massive, but so what?
He’s said some mighty ridiculous things in his life — “If I don’t win, the award show loses credibility” is just one over-the-top comment —but at least he believes everything he says, instead of making stuff up for the camera like so many other artists do.
Whether or not you agree with his Katrina comment, it did echo what a lot of people felt at that time. Bush probably isn’t a racist, but West’s frustration with the government’s lack of action at that moment was shared by millions of Americans.
West was also angry with Lauer for asking leading questions — it’s clear the host wanted him to apologize for what he said — and he has a point. He may not have voiced his displeasure in the right way, but at least he didn’t sit silently and say sorry either.
Kanye may be a jerk, but I’d rather have him speak out than not say anything at all.
