Saturday Night Live has been on air for 41 seasons now, in which numerous celebrities have appeared and performed on the show. Feb. 14 was supposedly no different in that Kanye West was the musical guest and sang two songs from his new album. However, unknown to the public until four days later was how rude West allegedly treated the staff of SNL in a leaked audio clip obtained by Page Six. He was recorded making comments such as, “Look at that s–t, they took my f–king stage off a ‘SNL’ without asking me” and “Now I’m bummed. That and Taylor Swift, fake a–.” Although it is no surprise that West thinks so highly of himself that he does not take into consideration what he says, actually hearing this footage is still shocking. There is nothing more unattractive than when celebrities treat staff, employees and others with disrespect. Thus, it is vital for people like West to remember that being a part of the public eye means that all actions have consequences, which in this case should include an apology.
If it were not for their staff and fans, celebrities would not have their status. Besides the fact that it is fundamental to treat all human beings with respect, it is those that are in the spotlight that should be serving as role models. This is not West’s first outburst in the media and it probably will not be his last. It is hard to tell if West acts this way to gain attention to promote himself and his music, or if it is simply his personality. Perhaps it is a combination of attention-seeking — whether it is good or bad — and his obsession with himself. Ever since the 2009 Video Music Awards when West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech, he has generally not been thought of highly in the eyes of Swift’s fans. There recently was a period in which the two had made up and seemed to be friends. This period of peace, however, has come to end when West’s negative remarks about Swift surfaced. In addition to the above comment, he also made the statement, “I made Taylor Swift famous.” To say that this angered Swift and her fans alike is an understatement. Trying to take credit for someone else’s hard work and dedication is wrong. Swift made this clear when delivering her acceptance speech at the 2016 Grammys for Album of the Year when she insinuated that she would not let West taking credit for her success distract her.
Will West apologize again for the things that he has been saying about Swift? Probably not. However, it has been discussed in the media that he does need to calm down. Rhymefest, a former collaborator of West’s, even tweeted, “My brother needs help, in the form of counseling. Spiritual & mental he should step away from the public & yesmen & heal,” which is something everyone can agree with. West himself tweeted, “My number one enemy has been my ego… there is only one throne and that’s God’s…” This tweet, although small, perhaps is the first step toward an attitude check from West. An indirect apology, however, is not enough for the things he has been saying. A formal apology to Swift should be made, but since West is the perpetrator at hand, I am not going to hold my breath.
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