Recent articles in the media surrounding Kanye West have highlighted the cynical and morbid penchant of the media []and public] to exploit virtually any situation, often without any regard for moral implications. The ostensible "public interest" angle was his apparent "stalking" of Kim Kardashian, who is getting a divorce from West. Certainly a split of a high profile celebrity couple is nothing "new" and not really newsworthy. But the Kardashian "brand" is built upon publicity rather than talent or substance. What that also means is that, although West's continued pursuit of a relationship beyond a connection to their children is inappropriate and a bit pathetic, there is likely no actual danger to Kardashian. She has had a virtual army of assistants and security personnel for many years.
The problem lies elsewhere, and it is with West. There is an obvious problem with his bipolar disorder and mental instability. On the positive side, he has demonstrated that he could be successful displaying his artistic talent while simultaneously suffering from a mental condition most might find debilitating. But it also appears that he has experienced various periods of stability, perhaps while on his medications, and other periods of serious instability. He was in such an unstable period when he was persuaded to do an interview with Donald Trump, which was not only cleverly exploitative by the Trump Camp but also portrayed West as a lunatic. That ploy was successful for Trump in suggesting to his "Base" that Black folk, even very successful ones, need not be taken seriously. The event was a media frenzy when there really was nothing substantively newsworthy. Yet it appealed to political theater and to morbid public curiosity. But where were the mental health professionals, and where were the supposedly responsible aides West should have had to advise him against such behavior, especially when obviously off his meds.
Fast forward to recent days. West buys a house almost across the street from the Kim Kardashian home. Yes, he has the money and an ostensible desire to be "closer" to the couple's children. Other celebrity couples have resolved similar issues with more civility and common sense. Tiger Woods has a home in the vicinity of where his ex-wife Ellen Nordegren and their children lived. But it was at a respectable distance and not deliberately intrusive. However, West's motive became much more apparent when he chose to make public threats of actual violence against men Kardashian has dated. And, of course, in the Hollywood arena such pairings and activity become media fodder, especially for one who parasitically thrives on media attention. This is not to say that a man who refuses to accept an end to marriage might not be jealous of attention paid to his former partner. That is not "irrational" or mentally ill. How one deals with such jealousy, within the bounds of the law and civility is another matter. The threats West has made against Davidson are beyond the bounds of law and decency. Moreover, the behavior again highlights the fact that West apparently has no staff or "assistants" willing or able to restrain his impulsive and mentally unstable behavior.
When media personalities of color, including Trevor Noah and D.L. Hughley tried to call out West's behavior, not to ridicule him but in a more fraternal vein to try to offer the advice he was obviously not getting from his staff, West publicly threatened them as well. This is a clear and obvious sign that West is both out of control and dangerous. Finally, some public media has taken action to suspend access to platforms he has used to make public threats of violence. But that is not enough, media should take the responsible step of a media embargo of West until it is evident that he has gotten some help from mental health professionals. The man is in serious need of help. No matter how "entertaining" it might appear to witness his meltdown, many would also feel sad if and when his uncontrolled behavior resulted in serious harm to Kardashian, Davidson, Noah, Hughley, or anyone else. And this would also be a dereliction and a tragedy with respect to West's children who will have to live with the consequences.
No comments:
Post a Comment