Kanye West has once again shown up off his guts to an award show and gotten all boisterous about who should or shouldn’t get a silly trophy, his fourth strike for the same offence.
At this week’s MTV Video Music Awards the prodigious hip hop talent leapt on stage to proclaim the clip for Beyonce Knowles’s floor-filler Single Ladies ‘one of the best videos of all time’.
I admire his passion for the music video form, but can only deride his timing: West made the statement during 19-year-old popstress Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for the best female video award, which she’d won ahead of Knowles.
He also made his claim through Swift’s hot microphone, which he’d snatched out of her hand while she juggled the bulky MTV trophy.
You must admit, defending the wayward lad’s behaviour is a tricky proposition at best.
All I could come up with is that his outburst did take the spotlight off that one-hit drone Lady Gaga, who was no doubt expecting blanket blog coverage (again) for her tired old rack of outfits (which were really interesting, by the way, when Gaultier was making them 25 years ago).
Oh, and he must have pleased the product placement gurus who made sure he was photographed swigging from a bottle of Hennessy (label out!) cognac on the red carpet earlier that night.
I can sort of see his point but maybe coming in at ‘best choreography of this decade’ would be an easier argument to win.
Swift had won for You Belong To Me and its rather delightful video, which casts the singer as a bookish nerd bearing a secret crush on the high school quarterback.
It’s a bullseye in terms of storytelling and characterisation and a whole different kettle of fish from the performance-based Single Ladies, a rhythmic black and white showcase of Knowles’s miraculous dance moves.
It’s apples and oranges and just one of the reason’s West irrational love of trophies (trophilia?) and burning desire to see justice done in the music video award arena is a puzzling thing.
One would think announcing a boycott of music video awards until the director, not the artist, receives the prize would be an obvious move from someone wanting to see a fairer dispersal of creative rewards. Wouldn’t it, Kanye?
What’s even more puzzling is why he cares at all. If you want to be cool, stay home!
I’m as irate as the next guy that Pixar can’t crack a best picture nomination but are these things really worth upsetting yourself – and poor old Taylor Swift – over?
Just say no to a bunch of arbitrary voting from shady bodies (or worse, people’s choice polls) that decides which celebrity gets A) a baize-bottomed sculpture and B) the chance to prove their lack of grace under pressure during a trite acceptance speech.
Better yet, hit your blog and tell the world why award shows are grotesque meat parades that you want nothing to do with.
That’s what George C. Scott said on refusing his 1970 Oscar for Patton; you can’t buy the sort of respect a move like that earns.
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