by Blake Mancini
The statement “I like Hitler'' was splashed across social media and in publications across the country. These words were not spoken by the Proud Boys, a self proclaimed white supremacist group, or known NeoNazi organizations, but by renowned and much beloved Ye West, formally known as Kanye. West, who has enjoyed a firm position at the top of the charts since the release of his album “Graduation” in 2007, now finds himself being dropped by all partnerships, kicked off of social media, and shunned from society and his fans. West, who is notorious for flaunting his oddities and being prone to outbursts, seems to have crossed over into a realm in which he finds himself utterly hated. For fans, the question that remains is, will West’s most recent fall from superstardom cement his image as a racist pariah?
In October, Mr. West was seen on multiple occasions, spouting anti semitic comments, conspiracies, and justifications of those statements publicly within interviews. According to Marisa Dellatto, and Carlie Porterfield, writers for Forbes Magazine, a timeline of Ye West’s outlandish outbursts published on Twitter, reveals West’s claims that he is going to go “death con 3 on Jewish people,”’(Dellatto). Despite the backlash, West did not apologize for his outburst and continued to defend his comments, going as far as to state, “black people are actually Jew also”. Following these statements, his account was reasonably suspended and later revoked by Twitter’s new CEO, Elon Musk, in support of his new policies upon free speech. West's comments have sparked a heated debate about the role of celebrities in promoting hate speech and the limits of free speech. Some have argued that West has a right to express his opinions, no matter how offensive they may be. Others have pointed out that his words have real consequences and can cause harm to the Jewish community and other marginalized groups. West’s Twitter account was later suspended for further hateful and misdirected tweets.
West's anti-Semitic outburst was met with immediate backlash from the public and from members of the Jewish community. Many people were shocked and offended by his comments, and some called for a boycott of his music. The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization that fights against anti-Semitism, released a statement condemning West's outburst. The statement read, "Kanye West's rant was unacceptable. It is sad and disappointing that he would use his platform to blame the Jewish community for his problems." (Oshin.) Many have pointed out that his words are not only offensive and hurtful, but also historically inaccurate and deeply misguided. AJC CEO Ted Deutch spoke out about West’s comments, adding “Although some have tried, there is no rationale, no explaining away Kanye West’s rants on social media for anything else than what they are: vicious antisemitic statements that pose a clear and present danger to every Jewish person.”(“5 Of Kanye”) Many have contacted other large organizations that have not removed Mr. West as a partner, such as Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Spotify. WJC President Ronald Lauder wrote that while both companies continue to offer West’s music on their platforms, they are “profiting off of Jewish hate.” In a letter to companies, Lauder added, “Though I am relieved companies like Adidas have ended their partnerships with Mr. West, their (Apple Music and Spotify) delay in making what should have been a clear-cut decision to rid their halls of such a dangerous voice is unacceptable,” (Oshin). Anti-Semitism, or hatred of Jewish people, has been a pervasive and destructive force throughout history, and West's comments only serve to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and prejudices.
West's outburst was seen by many as a sign of his growing mental instability. At the time, he was struggling with personal issues, including the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of his mother. Some speculated that his outburst was a result of these personal issues and his lack of self-control. Kanye has a history of making inflammatory and offensive statements on a variety of topics, and that his behavior is consistent with a pattern of attention-seeking and provocation. Allison Young, a psychiatrist who runs “A Therapist Speaks” for EverydayHealth, spoke about the matter, “Hateful words and behavior are hurtful and inappropriate whether they come from someone with or without a mental illness. But if someone is experiencing an acute episode of a mental illness, not recognizing how that person's condition is contributing to their behavior is problematic, too — and may fuel long-standing, harmful stigma about mental illness.” (Young) It is apparent, Mr. Ye West is not in any position to maintain his public image, without controversy. His battle with bi-polar disorder is not an excuse for these statements, but it may be a contributing factor to his troubled situation.
In the end, Kanye West's anti-Semitic outburst is not only hurtful and misguided, but also completely at odds with the values of acceptance and tolerance that he has previously claimed to hold. It is important for public figures like West to take responsibility for their words and to think carefully about the impact they can have on others. It is also important to acknowledge who, you as a community, provide a platform to, as someone of his mental stature, should not be given a platform of this size. These comments feed into the dangerous and unfounded stereotype that Jewish individuals bear the responsibility for the world’s problems, and they continue to normalize what in which should be condemned. His comments severely diminished his fanbase, and are a reminder of the need for continued education and awareness about the dangers of hate and discrimination, and the importance of speaking out against them whenever and wherever they occur.
WORK CITED “5 Of Kanye West's Antisemitic Remarks, Explained.” AJC, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.ajc.org/news/5-of-kanye-wests-antisemitic-remarks-explained.
Dellatto, Marisa. “Kanye West's Antisemitic, Troubling Behavior-Here's Everything He's Said in Recent Weeks.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 5 Dec. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/12/02/kanye-wests-anti-semitic-troubling-behavior-heres-everything-hes-said-in-recent-weeks/?sh=261d43256de3.
Oshin, Olafimihan. “World Jewish Congress Asks Apple, Spotify to Remove Kanye West's Music from Platforms over Artist's 'Appalling, Unrepentant Antisemitism'.” The Hill, The Hill, 8 Dec. 2022, https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3767113-world-jewish-congress-asks-apple-spotify-to-remove-kanye-wests-music-from-platforms-over-artists-appalling-unrepentant-antisemitism/. Young, Allison, et al. “The Ye (Kanye West) Drama and Mental Health Stigma.” EverydayHealth.com, EverydayHealth, https://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/a-therapist-speaks-what-the-kanye-west-drama-can-teach-us-about-mental-health-stigma/.
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