Monday, September 14, 2009

Jackass; or, the honesty of a president (Obama v. Kanye)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Honestly, I hope Obama did call Kanye West a "jackass," on the record or off. There is far worse, and far more appropriate, language to use to describe both Kanye, a veritable cultural abomination, and what he did to Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs Sunday night. Even if it was all just a staged stunt, it was still a jackass move. (It didn't look staged, though. Swift certainly didn't seem to be in on what was happening. If it was a publicity stunt, it was probably just Kanye being himself.)

Along with Serena Williams and Joe Wilson, Kanye is my Douchbag of the Week. (All three have apologized, but their actions/words should not be so easily put behind them, or us.)

Speaking of those three great luminaries, check out this piece by Judith Timson at The Globe and Mail. They're all part of the same "social disease," which she calls "entitlementia," feeling "entitled to express our point of view whenever and however we feel like it, no matter if it's the right time or place."

Serena, at least, was in the middle -- or, rather, at the dramatic end -- of a tense sporting event. Lashing out in the heat of the moment, her outburst was understandable, in a way, however reprehensible.

But what Wilson and Kanye did? Each in its own way, shamelessly egotistical -- and, yes, a sign of the times, a Sign, if you will, of the Apocalypse.

**********

UPDATE: TMZ has the Obama audio here.

No comments:

Post a Comment