Photo: Kenny Sun from Boston, CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
We are only adding fuel to the fire.
By Megan Quinn — Written on Oct 18, 2022
Kanye West, Ye, billionaire, rapper, Yeezy founder — the 45-year-old artist is known by many names that are now joined by terms like "antisemite" after his hateful remarks over the last few weeks.
The media swarms in anticipation of his next scandal and use it as their headliner for the next week.
Once the attention dies down everyone starts to forget, he makes another offensive comment and the cycle begins again.
It’s time we stop talking about Kanye West and put a halt to his hateful rhetoric.
The billionaire rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is no stranger to controversy.
In the last two weeks, he has displayed a “White Lives Matter” shirt, counteracting the “Black Lives Matter” movement at his fashion show in Paris, claimed that his ex-mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, had sex with the rapper Drake, repeatedly insulted his ex-wife and mother of his four children, Kim Kardashian, falsely claimed that Geroge Floyd died as a result of fentanyl use, and reported that the media and other artists were under Jewish control.
West’s comments naturally turned heads and gained a massive amount of media attention.
He has been interviewed several times during the last few weeks by well-known reporters including Tucker Carlson from Fox News, Chris Cuomo from the NewsNation show, and even appeared on the podcast “Drink Champs.”
While many people eagerly tuned in to hear West himself address his recent outbursts, the massive amount of viewers may be an incentive for the artist to continue his dangerous speech.
The recent media attention has increased Kanye West's social media following.
On October 8, West posted an antisemitic tweet to his Twitter account, claiming he would go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” adding “you guys have toyed with me and tried to blackball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
Although the tweet was deleted shortly after and West was locked out of his Twitter account, he gained 180,925 new followers.
His Instagram page saw an increase of 67,698 followers.
Other big Hollywood stars spoke against West’s heinous tweet, including actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who claimed that it made her “burst into tears.”
People may think that publicly speaking out against West will put an end to his behavior when in actuality, it only adds fuel to the fire.
By keeping Kanye West relevant in the media and providing him with a platform to spew his ideas, we are only feeding into his divisive rhetoric.
His absurd false claims have not only inflicted damage in minority communities who feel threatened by his words, but those who suffer from mental illness as well.
West suffers from bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that can cause “extreme mood swings” and can “change judgment, behavior, and ability to think clearly.”
An estimated 4.4% of U.S. adults will experience symptoms of bipolar disorder once in their lifetime.
Some people have used Ye’s bipolar disorder to excuse his actions, but that might be just as dangerous as the words that pour from his mouth.
Claiming that his mental disability contributes to his bitter personality spreads the false narrative that those who suffer from the same condition may also have the capability of sharing the same beliefs West has and further stigmatizes mental health conditions.
In actuality, it is not West’s bipolar disorder that causes him to act the way he does — his words are how he truly feels.
After being barred from Twitter, it was announced that West has plans to purchase Parler, a social media platform that promotes itself as a space where users can engage in “free speech” and an alternative to Twitter.
Those who have been banned from Twitter, including right-wing conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, join Parler to continue their harmful antics.
The platform was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores.
Although West is likely to become a significant part of the rise of Parler and people are bound to have the urge to scroll through his latest claims, we should move on to other news.
Continuing to Google the latest drama involving West will only increase his relevance and encourage him to push his spiteful agenda.
Never want to hear another despicable remark from West? Simply stop talking about him.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.