By Joelle Saunders

Beyoncé had the right idea back in 2009 at the fateful MTV Video Music Awards when she exclaimed: “No, Kanye! No.” At that point in time, Kanye was known almost exclusively as a musical genius, repping the south side of Chicago and commanding the musical sphere.

Nowadays, it is fair to say that he has made himself a famous/infamous name amongst not only music fans but the entire nation. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know exactly what I’m talking about: Kanye loves Trump.

This is not me having a problem with artists sharing their political opinions. It goes without saying that musicians, actors, athletes, etc. are people too. They have as much of a right as anyone else to share or not share their politics. Kanye can love Trump and write it across the sky if he really wants to, and no one should strip him of that right.

The difference between celebrities and everyday people is that celebrities must wield their power to influence carefully. There is no better recent example of this power than Taylor Swift, who, reports suggest, might have contributed to an impressive surge in voter registration with a public statement telling her fans to vote.

The power that comes with celebrities’ social status makes them highly inflential figures. It is with this phenomena in mind that many people come down on Kanye and his most recent antics. He doesn’t seem to be concerned with the opinions of those he once influenced and who he might influence now.

The African-American community is very much at the center of this conflict. One look on Twitter shows how much the community is torn between explaining, excusing and reprimanding him. Many people have just dropped their allegiance altogether without hesitation.

As much as Kanye might appear to be interceding on behalf of the African American community in his speech-rant hybrids, he seems to be interested in getting whatever he needs to get off his chest off of it, without regards to, but enjoying the attention of, whoever may be listening to him.

As radio host presenter Charlemagne tha God was quoted saying: “Kanye West represents Kanye West.” If Kanye truly cared about the people he claims to care about, if he really wanted to represent and fight for their interests, he would prioritize their issues over his own.

Even if we ignore the actual content of Kanye’s recent and frequently bizarre moments, such as his off-camera, hostage-keeping SNL speech two weeks ago and his meeting with Trump this past Thursday, we cannot ignore how self-indulgent and self-serving him and his tirades continue to be.
We need to leave Kanye alone because he’s really not helping us. We’re being sucked into his process of working out personal issues just because they happen to be politically relevant. We have to stop giving his actions and words legitimacy.

Neither side should really bother with Kanye as any more than a side story. Trump’s supporters shouldn’t claim him as a hero or a spokesperson, especially if they care about the longevity and integrity of their cause. Trump’s opponents should address Kanye as little as possible keep him out of the news cycle and focus on real ways to progress their interests. Kanye isn’t special in this case; he is just another distraction for everyone.

Joelle Saunders, FCRH ’22, is an international studies major from Greenville, South Carolina.