We Need to Talk About Kanye

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Before I get too deep into this, I want to preface the entirety of this article by saying that this is being written just days after Kanye went on Alex Jones’ show and said with an entirely straight face, “I like Hitler.” Before we go any further…who does that? Other than the obvious culprits that you’d think of, such as white supremacists and Nazis of course.

If that statement alone wasn’t bad enough, he also denied the Holocaust and has been spending time with white supremacists and all other manner of terrible people. Who knows what has happened between the time I’m writing this and the time this article goes live? Kanye could have announced a new bedsheet line, just in time for a new wave of Yeezy-sponsored Klan rallies.

In all seriousness, If Kanye’s behavior prior to this wasn’t troubling enough, this turn from eccentric to full-blown antisemitic and unhinged is quite frankly disturbing. As someone who advocates for people struggling with mental health, I don’t want people to interpret this article as me adding to the growing mass of voices that are eager for Kanye’s downfall. Quite frankly, I don’t need to champion that, he’s doing a good enough job of destroying his legacy himself.

What concerns me is that no one in his life seems to care. Or, if they care, no one seems to be taking the necessary steps to try and close this proverbial Pandora’s box. Kanye West has a massive following, and whether the majority of people that follow him are sensible people or not (which I’d like to believe they are), his words are also reaching a smaller group of people who will be emboldened by things like, “I like Hitler”.

Kanye West has formally been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, and I want to make something very clear. Bipolar Disorder does not turn you into a Nazi. That’s not what happened here. I have no doubt that Kanye is struggling with his mental health, that much is obvious. However, there is a point where we need to separate ourselves from the narrative of “Kanye just needs help” and remind ourselves that “Kanye is doing active harm to himself, and other people by spouting this harmful rhetoric.”

If this had been a female musician of any form or fashion, she would have been locked up months ago and shoved so far into a conservatorship she wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom without asking permission first. Where is this energy for Kanye? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for a Britney Spears conservatorship situation here. She was exploited and abused for the entirety of it, and her father has a special booth in Hell reserved I’m sure.

The fact of the matter is that when you have someone who clearly cannot control themselves and could cause harm to himself or others, there’s a serious problem here. Additionally, Kanye is doing harm to his livelihood and the livelihoods of people that work with him and is putting a lot of folks at risk. Never mind the fact that Kanye has children, who are hopefully being spared from having to watch their father self-destruct in real time. This situation is a powderkeg just waiting for the right spark to blow everything sky high.

I generally don’t have an opinion about Kim Kardashian other than rolling my eyes when people in my life want me to care about the Kardashian family drama. However, I honestly hope that Kim is doing something to keep those children away from Kanye. Who knows what he could be capable of at this point, so far down what looks to be some sort of psychotic break or manic episode?

If Kanye’s actions after her public relationship with Pete Davidson weren’t a wake-up call for her, I really hope this has done the trick. Considering Kanye used a music video to threaten to bury Pete alive, and he seems to be getting more and more unhinged by the day, I’d hope she is taking measures to keep herself and her children safe. Creating Art is one thing, but the line between fantasy and reality seems to be blurring for Kanye, and that’s troubling. Making Alex Jones look like the normal one in any situation is bad enough.

Even if you are a fan of Kanye’s music, (possibly especially so) you have to acknowledge that it is sad to watch a man who has 22 Grammy awards, spit on his own legacy. There will come a point where no one will remember his achievements anymore. It will all come down to the madness that has consumed every moment he makes a headline. Someone needs to step in and do something to either get him help or ensure that if he’s going to self-destruct he doesn’t hurt someone along the way.

The best outcome here is that somehow, some way, someone in Kanye’s life steps in and does something that will lead to him getting help or at least minimizing harm. Perhaps a few years down the line we’ll look at this in the aftermath of Kanye turning this period of chaos into some work of art for his fans. Regardless of your feelings toward Kanye at this point, I don’t think anyone wants him to be another celebrity death from mental illness.

Let’s remember two things moving forward. Mental illness does not excuse Kanye’s actions, and the Jewish people should not be left to deal with the aftermath of Kanye’s self-destruction. Normalizing antisemitic rhetoric is a bad idea, as is normalizing bigotry in any form, but Kanye’s actions and comments lately aren’t helping, they’re causing active harm.