MTV Video Music Awards: Was it Kanye being Kanye, or was his outburst something more?

In Monday's Calendar, the Times' pop critic Ann Powers discusses the MTV Video Music Awards. An excerpt and link to the full piece is below:

At least the shocker this year was related to music.

The MTV Video Music Awards are always willfully chaotic, keeping alive the myth of pop as the provenance of rebels by placing a bunch of moderately edgy celebrities within a festive environment and fueling the mood with sexy performances, off-color jokes and "incidents" that are often staged, but good for a thousand Twitter tweets. One of these mostly bogus controversies usually goes a bit deeper, hinting at real issues of identity, status, personal power and self-expression -- the sticky stuff from which pop music is, in fact, made.

When Kanye West jumped up during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for best female video Sunday night, put his hand over her microphone and declared that Beyoncé's losing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" clip was "one of the best videos of all time," he did a stupid thing. He seemed like a bully inexplicably targeting an honors student, and he further damaged his rather unstable reputation without managing to make his point clear.

A couple hours later, Beyoncé received the Moonman trophy that MTV's execs had designated for her -- every superstar gets one, apparently, in this predetermined coronation of pop's latest prom court of ingenues and enduring hotties. Ever the lady, she ceded her thank-you time to Swift, who emerged seemingly quite prepared for the moment and gave a totally inconsequential speech. (She was really grateful to her video director and her fans.) It was a nice gesture of female solidarity in the face of West's boorish and, yes, macho move.

But let's consider what might have motivated West's outburst. Swift was the bestselling artist of 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan. She's transcended her base in country music to become a top 40 juggernaut and, arguably, the current face of young female America. Beyoncé is a slightly older superstar who's also topped plenty of sales lists; like Swift, she makes chart-toppers strongly rooted in a specific genre that appeal to a wider audience. Her home base is R&B, and, through her marriage to Jay-Z and her brilliant singing style, she's strongly connected to hip-hop.

Perhaps West, who later apologized, felt that Swift's little love story mirroring the current plot of the new prime-time hit "Glee" genuinely wasn't as deserving as Beyoncé's Bob Fosse-inspired volcanic eruption of a dance routine, which has inspired thousands of tributes by fans, including Justin Timberlake and Barack Obama. Maybe he was miffed that this young black pop queen's heels were being nipped at by a blond Ivory Girl whose fans tend to look quite a bit like her.

Is that reading too much into the situation?

Read more Was it Kanye being Kanye, or was his outburst something more?

Photo: Beyonce and Taylor Swift. Credit: Getty Images

Comments

[Mouse]

Option C: Plainly transparent publicity stunt?

[Yikes]

Silly waste of an article. People are acting like this is the Oscars or something. It's the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 Hosted by Russell Brand. These things have been absolute garbage for almost 10 years now and this year continues the trend of their decline. Second, Taylor Swift is the Jonas Brothers of Country Music, who really cares if a guy "takes away from her moment". Wow, a worthless MTV Video award... what a moment. It was a hilarious and obviously light-hearted joke at what is really one big joke anyway. It was actually probably the funniest thing that's been on MTV in years. Get over it.

[JB Digriz]

Yet another reason why I don't let me kids watch MTV. I'm betting that he'll be back in front of an MTV camera in the near future.

[TPW]

There really is no excuse for Mr. West's behavior. Performer or not, you are not entitled to behave in such a crude manner.

If Mr. West had called attention to global warming or third world hunger, then I might undersrtand. Actually, no, I still don't understand. Nothing one can say would make what he did right. His ego allowed him to step on stage and dictate how the world should view things. The fact that he would do so on such a stupid topic only makes one realize how remedial a human being he truly is.

This young girl will only every experience what it's like to win her first award at an MTV event. At such a young age, that has to make you feel like you're on top of the world. The idea that some ill-behaved man (Let's not bring up the race card) would take that moment away from a young person (gir or guy) is beyond excuse.

Mr. West will not be supported by my hard earned money. My money is spent on things of good taste.

[patroklos]

You're a good writer, Ann, and I know you're smart enough to know that Kanye's product isn't art, and isn't good. Yet you keep praising his horrible "music" to the skies, and twisting yourself in knots to excuse behavior for which there is no excuse. I have to ask, and really, no offense, Ann, but who is paying you? Kanye's label? The distributor?

[Maggie]

Huh? And to answer your question -- yes, you are reading too much into the situation. But it's the nature of journalism nowadays to make something out of nothing so I can't blame you.

With the plethora of superfluous award shows every year, most of which are entirely forgettable, who cares who wins this asinine and ultimately meaningless award?

Is "blond" Taylor "nipping" at the "black pop queen's" heels? Sure, there will always be competition. Everyone is nipping at everyone else's heels. That's the nature of the game. Again, who cares? What does it have to do with Taylor being blond and Beyonce being brunette or whatever you're trying to imply, or maybe I'm inferring too much.

The VMA means nothing, perhaps less than nothing. It's not like we're talking Grammys here, which many would argue have also devolved into meaningless territory.

I think Kanye is just upset he can't be nominated for the male and female categories. He's a big crybaby who thinks he's greater than he actually is. Honestly, his music is not groundbreaking nor masterful, and I don't understand why people make such a big deal about him. He's no Michael Jackson, he's no Elvis and he never will be.

[joe]

I cant believe in the end, your trying to justify Kayne West's outburst. He is a racist. He showed no respect in 2001, saying George Bush hates black people. He showed no respect at the 2006 MTV awards. MTV should ban his appearances on future events.

[caroyln]

I think he is an igornant rude jerk. He should be banned from attending such award ceremonies for acting like such a jerk!

[Miguel]

I completely agree with you. Suddenly it's cool to hate on Kanye West... I don't know what it is. That he adopted auto tune? Because lyrically and musically he doesn't stick as closely to the status-quo as the above posters would like? Dismissing his music as "not art" is the most incredible thing you can suggest, considering that even the worst music as long as there is creative intention behind it. The only argument otherwise would be that the music is a product meant to sell units rather than actually BE music, which is not the case with Kanye's music that is at least meaningful to him if nobody else.

At any rate, I definitely think Kanye's outburst was motivated because he thought Beyonce was being racially subverted. If you consider Kanye's track record, most of his outbursts have an element of race attached to them. And up until the point of Beyonce winning video of the year, I agreed with him. Her video was better, and I didn't understand why she didn't win. "White people strike again..." I thought to myself. I am sure Kanye, liberally lubricated, thought the same thing.

[In the trenches]

Kanye west is a self centered a-hole, he has a pattern of going over the edge like he's somekind of icon in the music industry. I seen him on PUNKED and he showed his true colors, I look at kanye in awhole different way now.

[Mary]

I just don’t understand how Kayne was able to interrupt this girl in the way he did and don’t get massacred by the media as a racist. Not only was his comment racist, he gave an apology because he doesn’t want charges brought against him.

[Sami]

Ann, let me tellyou what really happened. Kanye is a huge racist!! Plain and simple. White girl beats black girl: drove him even crazier than he already is! I was always a fan but now I am throwing all of his music away. His apology is as fake as his talent. He is a kid who lashes out when he disagrees with anything. I know his mother is soo ashamed of him right now! He is a pathetic and disgusting little boy. Put that in your many reasons why he is a 'tool' instead of making excuses for him.

[Eluther]

Kanye and Joe Wilson should go bowling together - I have a feeling they'd get along great!

[Steve]

Kanye . . .
You spoiled little boy - human life is a process of adjusting to other people's presence. A person's acceptance speech is a reaction to "other people's wishes". Son, you're not the producer here, nor are you the sole judge & arbiter. Your "craving" is boorish and your presence continues to diminish.
The only workable point here is the fact that the VMA security staff is inadequate. If they failed to react becuse of "who Kanye is", well, now they (& everyone) knows.
Conduct yourselves accordingly . . .

[mborrego]

It was rude and tasteless that Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. He would have broken into a fight or cussed someone out if they had done the same to him. Who does he think he is? Beyonce' is a very talented person and obviously classy young woman she does not need him coming to her defense, he only brought her down.

[Disgusted]

So Ann Powers, you feel that Kanye only 'seemed like a bully' and 'did a stupid thing' because he didn't manage 'to make his point clear'? And just what (are we supposed to think valid?) point was it that Kanye failed to demonstrate with his frankly racist and disrespectful (yet 'yes, macho') rant regarding this young white female performer? If you're saying that it's that he's unhappy that the 'black pop queen's heels were being nipped at by a 'blonde Ivory Girl whose fans tend to look quite a bit like her', then I'd say he managed to express just how he thinks quite well. Does this bit of racist 'motivation' somehow excuse this outrageous behavior in your mind?
Hey, anyway, guess what my friends did today? While shopping for CD's, they randomly shifted ALL of Kanye's CD's to other places in the displays. At three different stores, dontcha know?

[Tony]

So true, Miguel. Beyonce is clearly being "racially subverted". Poor women hasn't had an ounce of money, awards, or popularity come her way since she started her career with Destiny's Child.

Good grief, man. Stop to think about what you're saying. She is part of the most powerful couple in music. And guess what? They're both black!

Yeah, whitey strikes again. They just can't get ahead!

[Tom]

You give Kayne far too much credit for thinking *anything* through. He's a relevance hound without a leash.

Sadly, no one thought to whack him over the head with a rolled up newspaper when he took a dump on someone else's moment.

[Colin]

If Kanye didn't make these little outbursts, nobody would know he existed. Real talent speaks for itself. Kanye's talent is nothing more than the ability to draw attention to himself, hence bringing the human snake as his date.

[DISGUSTED]

Kanye West is a bully period. Would he have displayed such desrepect towards, Jay Z, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, or any other black rapper? I think not. Kanye is a bully. He owns her much more than an apology. He stole from her a moment in time she could never get back. Did he do this because shes coutry, because shes a woman or because shes white???? I say boycott him until he fades away. BOYCOTT HIM BOYCOTT HIM HE'S A BULLY.

[JJ Jackson]

Every newspaper and every news program on the planet are talking about Taylor Swift today. I don't believe for a minute that this wasn't a marketting scheme. Kanye shows up with and takes a bottle into the theater? There is no security to keep people off of the stage? Check out how visible Kanye and Amber Rose have been in the last two weeks. Come on. Don't be so naive. It's Business. And, well executed. Who is the most famous blond country singer on earth today?

[imani]

man listen. kanye was drunk. and his girl shouldnt have let him have all that an proceed into the music hall. either way. drunk or not. he was wrong. that was completely disrespectful to take away the mic from her in the middle of her speech. also (i love beyonce) it was the first award of the night. beyonce was nominated for video of the year and in his words "one of the best videos of all time" and she won video of the year. one of if not the biggest award that night. i bet he feels dumb.. it would have been a different story if she hadn't won anythng. he'll probably pay for this. i bet he lost hella fans. i love his music. but as a person.. not so much. taylor shoulda took that mic back an knocked him in the head wit it!! beyonce.. beautiful.. let her come back out and complete her acceptance.. love b!!

[imani]

i also think that this is reading too much into the situation. there is no excuse. none!! for wat kanye did. and is this a racial thing.? not all country music is sung by White people. not all r&b/pop is sung by Black people. look at Joss Stone, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, she's one of the most soulful singers. Please. Your ending statement is racial. It has nothing to do with that. I honestly think that kanye would have done that whether it was taylor or anybody else.

[Regina aka ExpatJane]

Yeah, you're reading waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much into this.

Kanye has done this before. It's just not happened on such scale as this. The last few times, he's been complaining about what he didn't win and how he was cheated. Everyone chalked it up to him being an ungracious crybaby. He also took it upon himself to inform America that George W. Bush doesn't care about black people. If you look at that video he was emotional. I know I was watching the Katrina coverage too. While shocking, most actually got that outburst because he verbalized something most felt.

This time, however, he wasn't just whining about himself or verbalizing something everyone was thinking. This time he was just plain rude and disrespectful to fold a young lady's achievement into his own weird psyche. However, it would have been rude had he cut off anyone else who won over Beyonce.

I think the focus on Kanye is twisted. I think you're pushing it, but who cares what off kilter thinking inspired a drunk Kanye to steal someone's moment? I think the negative attention keeps it going. I mean this isn't the first outburst he's had.

Why not focus on Beyonce's gracious behavior? She, and maybe some fast PR pros, had the presence of mind to give Taylor her moment back.

That's the action worth looking at. I know I've written about it twice. I'd much rather analyze her thoughts than his.

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