Kanye West

[KillerBob]

Anyone see the NBC fundraiser for hurricane victims earlier this evening?

Kanye West, with an obviously flustered Mike Myers standing beside him, took some shots mainly at the media and Bush.

"George Bush doesn't care about black people.." was the point where NBC cut to a surprised Chris Tucker, who tried to finish the segment.
Story here

Considering the slow response to what's happening in New Orleans, I think the allegations of racism are inevitable and worth exploring. But considering when and where he made his comments, I think it's a major case of wrong time and wrong place.

All I could think of was the sound of thousands of checkbooks being snapped shut at that moment as people suddenly focused on the comment instead of on the people who really need the help.

Does anyone think this was an appropriate soapbox?

 

[zenith-nadir]

Was Kanye West donating money to the black community of New Orleans before the hurricane? How about the other black communities in the Gulf coast.

Nope..... He was spending the money they paid for his CDs on Hummers, Rolexes and Cristal.


This is just another example - in the endless examples - of celebrity hypocrisy.

 

[KillerBob]

Was Kanye West donating money to the black community of New Orleans before the hurricane? How about the other black communities in the Gulf coast.

Nope..... He was spending the money they paid for his CDs on Hummers, Rolexes and Cristal.


This is just another example - in the endless examples - of celebrity hypocrisy.

Nice ad hominem.

Now, would you like to add anything that actually relates to the OP?

 

[Chris O.]

...Considering the slow response to what's happening in New Orleans, I think the allegations of racism are inevitable and worth exploring. ...
Does anyone think this was an appropriate soapbox?

Inevitable, sure. "Worth Exploring?", I really don't think so. They're doing what they can. The flooding was an unexpected twist that caught everyone by surprise.

I don't think it was an apporopriate soapbox. He was there to convince people to send money and support. And unfortunately, a lot of the big money out there is going to be offended by his remarks. They probably fit into his statements somewhere. The cheapshot on Bush certainly didn't help.
And it made him look really stupid, especially since he hadn't even bothered to gather his thoughts before opening his mouth. He couldn't even put sentences together. He made no sense whatsoever.

Mike Meyers did an outstanding job of keeping his cool, up until the "Bush" statement, when he shot him a glance.

 

[zenith-nadir]

Nice ad hominem.

Now, would you like to add anything that actually relates to the OP?

Yes.

"George Bush doesn't care about black people.."

And then my retort related to the irony that Kanye West is hardly the Mother Teresa of the Gulf coasts' black community. Hell his website has nary a mention about how you, KillerBob, can help the Gulf coast's black community...but if you wanna buy his merchandise...well that link is easy to find...

 

[RandFan]

Now, would you like to add anything that actually relates to the OP?

I'm not so sure the post is irrelevant. I don't usually listen to people who are hypocrites. Do as I say and not as I do seems to me hollow. I started a thread myself questioning the response to this disaster. I think the issue worthy of discussion. However I think folks in glass houses ought not to throw rocks.

 

[Number Six]

I only saw the first part of his statement when he was saying that the media was saying the white people stealing things were just doing it to get food while the black people stealing things were looters. His voice was trembling and he was obviously speaking with a lot of emotion. I kept flipping channels and went on to something else. I had no idea he'd end up saying something like "George Bush hates black people." It would be funny except that it may end up indirectly hurting people in LA and MS.

In an offbeat way it may help though. For whatever reason people value celebrities opinions even though there's no reason for their opinion to be more valid than anyone elses opinion. So even when they say stupid things people believe it. But now and then celebs say something so colossally stupid that people actually laugh at them and consequently it may make people a little less likely to put such a high value on celeb opinions in the first place. It doesn't happen often but now it's happened twice within a span of a couple months (Tom Cruise and now this guy). If it causes people to make up their own minds and rely less on celeb opinions then it's a good thing.

I would like to have seen the look on Mike Myers face when the other guy said that but you know what...I may already have. Remember the old SNL skit where Myers and Heather Locklear were doing an infomercial selling some kitchen appliance? The joke was that they'd be doing a normal selling job and then Locklear would suddenly say something totally inappropriate and Myers would get this horrified look on his face and then the infomercial would continue as normal and then Locklear would again say something totally inappropriate. It's ironic that Myers acted that role out and then years later actually played it in real life.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I couldn't care less what musicians have to say about politics, any more than I care what actors have to say about politics.

What disturbs me is that the network seemed to imply that had they known such a statement was going to occur, their "curse word" censor would have censored the remarks. Since when did censoring political speech become so acceptable? This is America! Our unofficial motto is "Let the idiot speak!" Else, how would we know he's an idiot?

 

[TragicMonkey]

I'm not so sure the post is irrelevant. I don't usually listen to people who are hypocrites. Do as I say and not as I do seems to me hollow. I started a thread myself questioning the response to this disaster. I think the issue worthy of discussion. However I think folks in glass houses ought not to throw rocks.

That's an interesting point. I had an English professor yell at me in college because he insisted that we only need discuss Karl Marx's writing, and the fact that he wrote socialism while living with his wealthy friend in luxury had no bearing. I maintain that both the ideas expressed and the person expressing them are worthy of consideration. Unless he'd like to read an essay on chastity written by Madonna, or a monograph on moderation by Courtney Love, or a weightloss scheme by Dr Phil.

 

[Freakshow]

I'm not so sure the post is irrelevant. I don't usually listen to people who are hypocrites. Do as I say and not as I do seems to me hollow. I started a thread myself questioning the response to this disaster. I think the issue worthy of discussion. However I think folks in glass houses ought not to throw rocks.

Exactly. I was reading recently about logical fallacies, and part of what I was reading is that not every attack on an individual is an ad hominem attack. When someone attacks the individual making the argument, you should still study the statement, to determine if it really should be called an ad hominem attack. Not all of them are.

 

[CFLarsen]

Since when did censoring political speech become so acceptable? This is America!

Yes, it is. Where censoring political speech becomes so acceptable.

 

[RandFan]

Exactly. I was reading recently about logical fallacies, and part of what I was reading is that not every attack on an individual is an ad hominem attack. When someone attacks the individual making the argument, you should still study the statement, to determine if it really should be called an ad hominem attack. Not all of them are.

Exactly. Tu Quoque is another one that is often miss labled for the same reason.

 

[Beerina]

I happened to be watching this live. I had flipped and saw Mike Meyers, so I started watching. Then the other guy pipes up, "George Bush doesn't care about black people.' then they immediately cut to Chris Tucker.

Back in reality, I doubt things would be one iota different if Clinton were still in office, except that it'd be Republican congressmen who were complaining about the horrific response of the president instead of the Democrats.

 

[Cain]

I saw a clip on the Intarweb. Good stuff.

Bush now needs to pull a Jerry Maguire? "He said I don't like Black people? I love Black people!"

There is a time and place. Even if true, such a comment is unwarranted (and unwise) in the context of a fundraising event.

 

[BPSCG]

"Let the idiot speak!" Else, how would we know he's an idiot?

Thank you for plagiarising my sig line.

 

[Freakshow]

Back in reality, I doubt things would be one iota different if Clinton were still in office, except that it'd be Republican congressmen who were complaining about the horrific response of the president instead of the Democrats.

I totally agree with this. As I've said many times on this board, I think one political side is no better than the other. They both are going to toss bombs at the other side, no matter what. You can take any situation, reverse the political parties involved, and the attacks would be the same.

If the American people could wake up are realize this, maybe we could get rid of all the power-hungry scumbags we have (in both political parties) and get some real leaders that actually care. But I don't expect this to happen.

 

[UserGoogol]

Here's a copy of the scene. It's amusing to just watch how Mike Myers reacts to all that.

 

[Orwell]

Kanye's wrong.


Dubya don't hate no black folks!


Dubya hates poor people!

 

[LostAngeles]

That's an interesting point. I had an English professor yell at me in college because he insisted that we only need discuss Karl Marx's writing, and the fact that he wrote socialism while living with his wealthy friend in luxury had no bearing. I maintain that both the ideas expressed and the person expressing them are worthy of consideration. Unless he'd like to read an essay on chastity written by Madonna, or a monograph on moderation by Courtney Love, or a weightloss scheme by Dr Phil.

Which is also interesting to me because my English teacher is telling us that we should examine the writer to understand the writer's motivations and credibility. It's the "Ethos" of the Rhetorical Pentagon according to my notes.

 

[RandFan]

I happened to be watching this live. I had flipped and saw Mike Meyers, so I started watching. Then the other guy pipes up, "George Bush doesn't care about black people.' then they immediately cut to Chris Tucker.

Back in reality, I doubt things would be one iota different if Clinton were still in office, except that it'd be Republican congressmen who were complaining about the horrific response of the president instead of the Democrats.

Yeah, I think this is probably true. Though this isn't to say that government couldn't do a better job.