It’s a little known fact that I follow pop culture. Closely. I keep up with what is happening in the entertainment world and with the people who inhabit it. In fact, at one point in my academic career I considered doing research on the cult of celebrity because it fascinates me so much.
I have my opinions on the goings-ons, stories, and rumours that surround celebrities. Rarely, do I share them – especially publicly. It’s none of my business. It’s about other people’s lives and I don’t generally feel it’s my place to weigh in. Until today. Today, I am contributing my 2 cents about none other than Kanye West.
I am a fan.
I have been a fan of Kanye West since he produced some of my favourite songs on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. He is one of the few artists whose music I have purchased on CD and that I still listen to regularly. He is talented and he has a message if you’re willing to listen.
When he said and did stupid things, I didn’t contribute to the Kanye-bashing. There are people out there doing far worse things than stunting and running their mouths. As far as I was concerned, it was irrelevant. He was throwing around his ego. Big deal. It didn’t affect me at all and it didn’t change how I felt about his music.
It affected him, though.
And this morning, he lay it all bare and told the world how. Over the course of over 70 tweets, Kanye released a stream of consciousness telling his side of the story. His truth. Uncensored. Unedited. Unfiltered by media, publicists, record labels, or managers.
The vulnerability of his tweets fascinated me and the power of his transparency struck me. It is quite possible that he has single-handedly changed the game by removing the filters. Twitter gave him the power to tell his story in his own words without being at the mercy of the editing process of media. He was able to get his words out without being interrupted or bound by anyone else’s agenda.
I think that the implications of this will be beneficial to Kanye and his forth-coming album. I applaud him. So few people, much less celebrities, are willing to be so raw and unedited – to bare themselves and publicly acknowledge their weaknesses and wrong-doings.
Was this a publicity stunt? Perhaps. But, I don’t think it matters. As I am sure Kanye well knows by now, the implication of one’s words and actions are more powerful than the intention behind them. Even if everyone else calls fraud, he has inspired me.
My writing is functionally detached. I know this. It is guarded and bound by fear of rejection. I will defend my actions and own them, but not my words. As a result, I approach deep topics and deeps issues as objectively as possible. Academically, even.
Maybe, just maybe, Kanye has inspired me to expose myself a little more – to lay myself out there and own my words as fiercely as I do my actions. To speak my truth.
My sentiments exactly.
What do you think of Kanye’s tweet stream? Do you think it’s genuine?
How willing are you to expose yourself, unedited?
What filters do your words go through?
Great post as usual. Not sure what Kanye said or did. And unfortunately his Tweets did not show up here for me to be able to read. So I am unable to answer to whether it is genuine or not.
Thanks, Lisa!
The images didn’t show up? That’s odd. If you click the image, it will take you to Kanye’s tweets. Also, the underlined words like to what he’s said and done and to his tweets.
Okay, so apparently, the images don’t work in IE. Annoying. Trying to fix it.
IE issue is fixed.
Pop culture is not my thing…I know so little about it. I love music, all music. I just listen to what I like but I don’t follow along in any Hollywood/celebrity drama. Never have, never will.
But I am an honest blogger – and I don’t mean that in the sense that I tell the truth (which I do), I mean it in the way that I lay myself as bare as I think is healthy on my blog. I’m not sure how it comes off to others, but it feels good to me to have a place to come to just be. No filters, just me. I struggle with it at times, I question why I do it, but in the end I come back and do it again. I’m hopefuly you will too!
I didn’t read much about it, but I always thought that Kanye was an egotistical jerk, although it didn’t turn me off from his music. Lots celebrities are jerks! I definitely think it was a publicity stunt, but most likely a good one. And I’m sure he was still being honest and himself. It must be very freeing as a celebrity to instantly publish your words instead of using the agent/media filters.
I’d love to read Sarahcasm: Unfiltered. You are a strong minded person who is very thoughtful and insightful. I am surprised to hear that you are afraid of rejection. Don’t you want readers who are there because of who you are, not who you think they want you to be? I am very interested in hearing your opinions on anything and everything! It doesn’t mean I will always agree with you, but I will still respect you. Go for it!
sarahcasm: unfiltered scares the crap out to me, to be honest. I am not afraid to voice my opinion or engage in debate in person. I have a lot of convictions and openly express them. My blog is different. It’s the medium. There is so much potential for misinterpretation and that interactions isn’t immediate sometimes makes it hard to be clear.
Everything I write on sarahcasm is me – it’s just not ALL of me. Some of the topics that mean the most to me, I avoid discussing on here. Things I talk about in person all the time and that I am passionate about never see light on my blog.
I should put myself out there more… bite the bullet, risk exposure and open myself up for disagreement. I guess I’m just afraid I’ll alienate people in the process…
This is fascinating. For a celebrity of his status level to be so vulnerable and open on Twitter is remarkable. I don’t think it was a publicity stunt. I believe he was actually just saying how he felt. Great post, Sarah!
I dont think this whole twitter thing is the first time Kanye has “openly aired” his opinions…he has no filter in my opinion, publicist or not! I think it is a publicity stunt to earn more in sales, i think he lost a lot of fans at the VMA’s (at least I think it was the VMA’s)!!! But no matter to me, I only ever liked one song by him, so I wont be rushing out to buy his new CD, but that’s just me.
On another note, I think you should put yourself out there! Of course, people could take it the wrong way…or hopefully they would question you, or confirm your meaning etc. I’m not sure that you would alienate people??? I guess that would be there choice! Do you mean alienate yourself??
I enjoy your blogs; I enjoy the thoughts they provoke, even if it is a touchy subject, and yes even if it’s about Kanye West!
I love Kanye’s music, but I think he’s a bit of an ass. I hope his apology is genuine because, even if he was just voicing his opinion, he was out of line at the music awards. Now, his comment about Bush was probably true, but again, not really the time or place to say something like that. Sometimes I think people’s celebrity status makes them think they have the right to say whatever they want without repercussions. We all have to own our words, especially when their impact is as far reaching as his.
I hit submit too soon…
I think as far as voicing my opinions go, I have a problem with a no filter situation. I used to say whatever I felt all the time, but have started realizing that even if I am being honest, my bluntness can hurt people’s feelings. I am a huge fan of people saying what they feel, but you need to be willing to own up if your words have a negative impact. My biggest problem with most people is that they will say hurtful things and talk behind others’ backs. I guess even if I am sometimes too honest, I try not to say something about someone that I wouldn’t say to their face.
Kanye was brilliant at the VMA’s
What do you mean that the words are more important than the intentions? Are you saying that as long as it comes out pretty it doesn’t matter what you were trying to say? I’m confused. Help me understand.
I don’t buy it.
I love pop and celebrity, but am getting very disillusioned. Everything is done with a result in mind. Everything is marketing. I’m doubting the sincerity of almost everything. Sadly, people get arrested, ‘lose’ a soon-to-be-leaked $ex tape, go to rehab, etc. all before a big movie. I put very little past the people who hog the spotlight.
He is no exception. I read that he and Taylor Swift were booked, well in advance, on the talk shows the week after the VMA’s last year. Just a big publicity stunt. If something really wanted to get real and be himself, he wouldn’t feel the need to broadcast it repeatedly.
But I do like his music
Sarah, I’ve seen you around on blogrolls and comment sections, and I’m glad I clicked over. I’m interested in and loyal to Kanye, who is very – almost exclusively – popular with my toddler.
I’ve always perceived Kanye as genuine and unfiltered, when he’s speaking for himself. Sometimes he speaks too soon or says too much, and it isn’t always pretty. But his voice, whether an outburst or an interview or an interjection or a Tweet, strikes me as authentic.