We have to speak about Kanye West.
Not the multi-platinum promoting artist, Grammy award winner, clothes designer and one-time Presidential candidate, however the abusive behaviour of the person behind the façade.
I’m loath to say his successes, however I accomplish that as a result of I imagine they're the rationale as to why Kanye West shouldn't be going through the criticism and condemnation on the stage he deserves.
Over the previous few months, West has behaved in a plethora of disturbing methods as he seemingly refuses to just accept that his relationship with Kim Kardashian is over, and that she is shifting on along with her life with a brand new accomplice.
His actions have develop into more and more regarding, however as a result of it’s Kanye – one of many richest and highly effective males on the planet and an ‘artist’ not hostile to controversy and drama – the general public appear to just accept his actions as leisure, fairly than the manipulative and controlling behaviour they really are.
Final week, Kanye’s six-year marriage to Kim Kardashian lastly got here to an finish when Kim was declared legally single. Their divorce proceedings have performed out publicly, even though Kim – whose life is much from discreet – have wished for them to be a non-public matter.
West made no bones about the truth that divorce was not what he needed and he has since made many public declarations of his want to be again along with her.
He altered lyrics in stay performances of his songs, together with the road ‘I would like you to run proper again, child, extra particularly, Kimberly’, and whereas some may need seen such an act as a romantic gesture – I suspected on the time that this was a purple flag.
Such love-bombing could possibly be innocent, but when he’s knowingly partaking in public shows of affection with an individual who wishes separation, then he’s not doing it for her – he’s doing it for for sympathy, and himself.
At a Thanksgiving occasion in Los Angeles, Kanye gave an impromptu speech to the group, stating, ‘If the enemy can separate Kimye [a portmanteau used to describe the former couple] there’s going to be thousands and thousands of households that really feel that separation is OK. However when God… brings KimYe collectively, there’s going to be thousands and thousands of households which can be going to be influenced to see that they'll overcome the work of separation’.
West is true in regards to the affect his behaviour can have on folks all over the world, however he’s unsuitable to assume that his affect is a wholesome one. The message he portrays right here is that separation is unhealthy – nevertheless it isn’t.
Separation frees folks from poisonous relationships, from abusive marriages and controlling companions, and by disregarding Kim’s boundaries and denying the truth of their marriage breakdown, he reveals himself because the problematic occasion. His delusions go far past these of grandeur.
After time had handed, he moved on to the following predictable stage in his marketing campaign to win her again – he purchased the home reverse her residence. Initially, I noticed it as a sensible step to co-parenting the 4 youngsters they share collectively, however behind my thoughts, I frightened that this was an influence transfer.
Quickly after, he launched a tune with the lyric – ‘I purchased the home subsequent door, what you assume the purpose of actually being wealthy for?’. Make of that what you'll, however my instincts say that it is a man who thinks cash should buy him management and proximity to his former accomplice – not essentially for the advantage of his youngsters, however for his ego.
When Kim moved on with a brand new accomplice – as Kanye himself had achieved – West started a marketing campaign of hate in opposition to her boyfriend, Pete Davidson.
He launched two music movies which embrace animated characters depicting Pete, the primary of which included a scene the place Davidson is kidnapped and buried in a mattress of soil. West’s character then vegetation a bush of roses round Pete’s head, earlier than pulling out a pair of gardening shears to trim the roses. The scene then cuts to a close-up, with Davidson’s eyes immediately going white.
The video additionally features a clip of Kanye holding a severed head.
He then launched a second model of the video, by which a skinless monkey beats up an avatar of Pete Davidson.
West shouldn't be behaving like a person who desires to honour and shield the wellbeing of his youngsters and their mom, however a person who desires to maximise his private publicity with a view to promote an album. An album that prices £200 to purchase.
We should ask ourselves if this was taking place to our sister, our pal, would we be involved for her security? Would we be involved for the security of her new accomplice? Would we be frightened in regards to the affect this was having on her youngsters?
After all we'd, however as a result of that is taking place to Kim Kardashian – the butt of the world’s jokes – she hasn’t garnered the identical stage of sympathy or concern.
Sure, she’s a billionaire. She’s a robust lady in her personal proper, and she or he’s not immune from criticism herself, however that doesn’t make her resistant to emotional misery and manipulative, poisonous and threatening behaviour from a former accomplice.
Kanye’s behaviour is tantamount to stalking and harassment, however as a result of he’s a worldwide celebrity – as is his sufferer – he continues to get away with it unscathed, all whereas selling his album.
He even has his personal docuseries at present airing on Netflix referred to as Jeen-Yuhs, a play on the phrase genius. A person who has made depictions of harming his ex-wife’s accomplice, who has made repeated verbal assaults in opposition to a girl whose solely crime was desirous to divorce him, is allowed to be labelled a genius on the largest streaming service on the earth.
The message that sends is harmful. The shortage of condemnation of his actions is harmful.
It means that we as a society are blissful to show a blind eye if the abuser is an ‘artist’, and if the girl doesn’t match our preconceived thought of a sufferer. If Kim hadn’t gained notoriety for her physique and her confidence to point out it – I ponder if she would have garnered extra public sympathy. If Kanye hadn’t been the rapper so many used to idolise, I ponder if he would proceed to get away with it.
We stay in a tradition the place likeability appears to supersede accountability, and with regards to coercive and controlling behaviour, abusers capitalise on that.
West is capitalising on it fairly actually – as he continues to efficiently promote his new album with violent imagery about his ex-wife’s accomplice. He claims that it's his ‘artwork’, however I see nothing however the artwork of coercive management.
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