For those of you who, like me, don’t watch the MTV Video Music Awards, you may have missed a little tidbit. Last night country singer Taylor Swift won for “Best Female Video” and went up to accept her award. In the middle of her speech Kanye West walked out on the stage, took the mic from her, told her that he was going to “let her finish,” then said something about how Beyonce had made the best video that year. I guess he was upset that Beyonce hadn’t won and wanted to let everyone know this in the middle of the winner’s speech.
That is some goddamn bullshit, Kanye.
Later on that night Beyonce did win the “Best Video” award and said that when she was 17 and up for her first VMA is was one of the most wonderful moments of her life. Then she invited Taylor to come on stage and have her moment. I’m not a big fan of Beyonce but that right there shows a lot of class. Whereas Kanye showed he has NONE.
I mean, WTF Kanye? I am just as eager as you to have my favorite artists or friends win awards. But never would I ever consider interrupting an acceptance speech to give that opinion. Beyonce certainly didn’t seem to appreciate that, and who would? That’s not at all cool.
Kanye is known for being a bad boy and opinionated and I’ve always appreciated him for being outspoken and for saying on TV “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” But that is an entirely different thing from this.
I know Kanye has pulled some award show antics before, but I wonder if he would consider doing that kind of thing to another male artist. Like to run up on Jay-Z, pull the mic, and shout “50 Cent made the best rap video this year and y’all are punks for not recognizing!” Or even pulling the mic from John Mayer to give his love to Maroon 5.
Regardless, that is just some bullshit. In know his mother gave him some better home training than that. The line between bad boy and public asshole has now been crossed. Brother man would do best to step back on the other side.
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Kanye West, What The Hell Is Wrong With You?
i had not seen the show, but wow. i’ve always loved Kanye, even his attitude problems, but this is just rude as hell. i also can’t help but think he wouldn’t have done this if it were a man. i can’t say i’m a fan of Taylor Swift, but seriously. show some consideration.
If you are female and you have won the “Best Video” award, how do you not win the “Best Female Video” award?
In terms of video quality, Beyonce was on Sesame Street with Destiny’s Child once, which gives her a bonus of Taylor Swift, who has never appeared on Sesame Street.
If you are female and you have won the “Best Video” award, how do you not win the “Best Female Video” award?
Because MTV likes to give out awards.
Incidentally, let’s not forget that Beyonce’s speech got wrecked too. Classy as her gesture was — and it was — it would have been nice had she been able to accept her award too. (And FWIW, MTV could have made that happen, had they wanted to.)
Kanye West has taken the mike away from white men before: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227304,00.html
I think there is plenty of evidence suggesting that Kanye is prejudiced, namely his lyrics and interviews, but this whole interrupt-the-winner’s-speech-to-say-who-I-think-should-have-won thing? Totally his shtick.
I was thinking that, perhaps, the videos were gendered independently of the artists, and that Beyonce, while female, had produced a video that was himself male.
His previous mic grabs suggest that is willing to do this to people that he believes are of much lower status than him (white male DJ). In other words, he’s a bully.
I would think that winning best overall video wouldn’t necessarily mean you HAD to win best female video. Perhaps the judges felt that because Beyonce was winning the big one that someone else could have the best female one.
It’s even stranger given that Beyonce wasn’t even nominated in the ‘best female video’ category.
Also, the nominations make no sense. The categories make no sense. The winners make no sense. The VMAs are an expensive, highly hyped commercial for MTV.
He’s a low class, autotune junkie. He blew off his fans for hours and hours at Bonnaroo in 08 and got tons of negative press about that and it changed nothing. Maybe being a jackass in front of his peers will make someone stage a freakin’ intervention.
Michael:
It’s even stranger given that Beyonce wasn’t even nominated in the ‘best female video’ category.
Also, the nominations make no sense. The categories make no sense. The winners make no sense. The VMAs are an expensive, highly hyped commercial for MTV.
I know wiki is not the end all be all of fact but according to that site the Beyonce video “Put a Ring on It” was up for female best video, best video, and pop video. As far as I can tell about the way the categories are done I think they an attempt by MTV to spread the love and make sure all the stars (manufactured or real) get some exposure.
But I wish I hadn’t looked that up because I just saw that Britney Spears’ video “Womanizer” won best pop video. Serious gag on that one.
(Edit: Since I still have 47 minutes to edit I’ll use this instead of putting a new comment up.)
After reading PG’s comment 11 I was about to say “That’s what I just said” and then realized that I may have caused a mix up by calling the Beyonce track “Put a Ring on It” when the title is actually “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. My bad. But I didn’t say anything about “Womanizer” being nominated for best female video…
Marginally more reliable, MTV’s own website says “Single Ladies” was nominated for Best Female Video. “Womanizer” was not.
EDIT: I was pointing out that MTV is more reliable on this subject than Wikipedia, but it supports Wikipedia’s account.
Brother man would do best to step back on the other side
Indeed, if it’s not too late. I think he should take a moratorium on award ceremonies, full stop.
Although if he can be as funny as this …….
Marginally more reliable, MTV’s own website says “Single Ladies” was nominated for Best Female Video. “Womanizer” was not.
I swear that Single Ladies wasn’t on the nom list when I double-checked, because I hadn’t really been paying attention (I will admit I had the VMAs on in the background on Sunday but will NOT admit to actually watching them.)
Regardless, this is still such a non-issue, except that (if true) it’s really awesome that the President called Kanye a jackass.
And then there was how he ruined that Daft Punk song even though they allowed him to use it. Outside of the classless jackassedness do American music awards have any meaning at all?
@cmh–
ruined it?? he made it better! yeah, Kanye’s a jerk in public, but a lot of people enjoy his music