Amanda Fights Everyone About Kanye

I was going to make some joke-y Facebook status update today about how I feel when people I otherwise like get into arguments with me about Kanye West. But then I reflected on how legitimately pissed off these arguments make me, and I decided to write a blog post instead. I'm going to go through all the arguments I hear about Kanye, and try to explain why they make me so unbelievably angry. Let's just start with the Grammys, because that's topical.

Argument 1: Kanye didn't respect Beck's artistry. Beck made a great album! He deserved the Grammy, and Kanye should have stayed out of it.

Counterargument: I don't think Kanye has any problem at all with Beck, Kanye has a problem with the Grammys. And Kanye is right to have a problem with the Grammys! I'm going to posit that the Album of the Year is not awarded to the person who, by some objective measure, made the best album of the year, because, to take that argument to its logical extreme, if Yo-Yo Ma had put out a really groundbreaking and artistically inspired cello album that was clearly better musically than every other album that came out that year, we still wouldn't anticipate that album winning Album of the Year. Until Beck won his Grammy, I didn't even know he made an album last year, but I'm sure it's a good (or even great!) record -- but even if it's better than Beyoncé's, that doesn't mean it should have won. So why did Beck win? Because the Grammys are out of touch, at best, and racist at worst. I don't think I need to remind anyone about Macklemore beating out Kendrick Lamar last year, but there was an even more clear-cut example of the Grammys being awarded, not only to the white artist, but to the artist who was more palatable to/popular with white listeners. It's racist! I don't think the folks who decide who gets which Grammy are throwing around the n-word and dressing up in blackface, but they're responsible for something more insidious by denying the most culturally significant artists one of our culture's most important stamps of approval. I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on in Kanye's mind, but if I were in his position, I think I would have been equally pissed off and said many of the same things as he did. I think a little anger is justified when you're single-handedly trying to take on a racist system. 

Argument 2: Kanye's not humble enough.

Counterargument: OH COME ON!!! Kanye West is a genius, he makes some of the most, if not the most, innovative and exciting (but also accessible!) music of any of today's musicians. He is (and I will fight you on this) the Mozart of our generation. Why should Kanye be humble? Why should Kanye hedge? When I argue with people about whether we should recycle or not, I don't hedge, because I know I'm right. If I were one of the greatest musicians and one of the most important cultural icons of my time, I wouldn't hedge on anything. This argument is just nonsensical to me. 

Argument 3: He's married to Kim Kardashian, gross. And they named their baby North???

Counterargument: JFC, people. First of all, I get that Kim Kardashian offends a lot of peoples' delicate sensibilities, I mean she made a sex tape and she has a big butt. Kim Kardashian figured out how to monetize her appearance and lifestyle in a uniquely successful way -- we celebrate in women amorphously what we demonize in Kim Kardashian specifically, and that's both hypocritical and sexist! And screw you guys, North is a fantastic name, and she's adorable, come on, look at this baby: 

I'm not going to try to refute any other arguments, because I'm too worked up at this point. I just want to say two more things. First of all, I have a Kanye quote hanging on the wall in my office. It says: "If you are a Kanye West fan, you're not a fan of me, you're a fan of yourself. You will believe in yourself. I'm just the espresso. I'm just the shot in the morning to get you going, to make you believe you can overcome the situation that you're dealing with all the time." It's not an exaggeration to say that that quote, and Kanye's music, have motivated me to work harder in many areas of my life, to believe that I'm capable and deserve success, and to stop listening to the internal and external voices that have bullshitted me into thinking that I'm "less than" anyone else. Second, and this is primarily a message for you white people, I have a proposition for you. How about, instead of being annoyed with Kanye, use all that righteous indignation to get upset about something more important. Say, for example, the systems of power that allow our black and brown men and women (and boys and girls!) to be assaulted and killed by police officers with impunity? Just a thought.