What Happened?
Kanye West has been in the news headlines for the last week since he published a tweet saying, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I am going death com 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I can't actually be antisemitic because black people are jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone who opposes your agenda.”
This post caused social media platforms to restrict his accounts. The Anti-Defamation League described this tweet as “deeply troubling, dangerous, and antisemitic, period.” Kanye has a giant platform and can influence hundreds of thousands of people with this propaganda. Antisemitism has plagued the United States for centuries. Jewish people have been often used as scapegoats in history which has set a foundation for prejudice today. An article by NPR states that “one in four Jews say that they have experienced antisemitism in the past year.” Kanye West's tweet will only cause antisemitism rates to climb. It gives people the mindset of “well Kanye said this so I can too.”
There have already been causes of antisemitism directly from Kanye’s tweet. In Los Angeles, there was a group of protesters on a freeway overpass holding banners with antisemitic comments made by Kanye and giving Nazi salutes. Some of these banners had phrases such as “Kanye is right about the Jews' ' and ‘honk if you know'.
In response to the LA protest, Rep.Adam Schiff, D-Calif., stated “tragically it shows the power some hold to amplify hateful language, and how quickly it can persuade others to express their own bigotry.”
Another example of antisemitism that has happened due to Kanye’s actions was at a Florida v. Georgia football game. On an electronic video board that was showcased to the whole stadium the phrase, ‘Kanye was right about the Jews’ popped up.
These are just two examples of hate crimes against Jewish people that have happened since Kanye’s tweet but there are so many more cases that have occurred as well.
How have Kanye’s words affected his brand?
Many brands are dropping their collaborations with Kanye after these remarks. For example, Balenciaga ended ties with him. The brand stated that they have no plans of working with him now or in the future. Kanye recently walked in Balenciaga’s Summer 2023 show. In this, he showcased a White Lives Matter t-shirt which also stirred controversy. In Balenciaga’s statement, they did not address either incident directly.
Additionally, Kim and Khloe Kardashian used their social media presence to show where they stand, how they are against hate speech, and how antisemitism is never acceptable. Kim’s tweet went along the lines of this: “Hate speech is never acceptable. I stand with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an end.” Khloe also reposted Jessica Seinfeld’s Instagram story stating how she supports her Jewish friends and Jewish people.
Kanye had also been working on a documentary about himself. However, this will never be released as the filmmakers and distribution partners decided to not move forward with the documentary.
In addition, the agency he was working for dropped him. The CAA (Creative Artists Agency) confirmed on October 24th that Kanye is no longer a client of theirs. Part of the CAA’s reasoning for no longer working with Kanye is that “We can’t support hate speech, bigotry, or anti-Semitism. Please support the boycott of Kanye West.”
Another big brand that cut off ties with Kanye is Adidas. Adidas and Kanye’s brand Yeezy have been working together for nearly 10 years. Around when Adidas dropped Kanye’s brand his Billionaire status was revoked.
To add to retail stores that dropped Kanye’s brand the Gap, Footlocker, and TJ Maxx all vowed to stop selling the Yeezy brand in their stores.
More and more consequences keep appearing throughout the weeks. Brands continue to cut ties with Kanye and influencers and public figures continue to make statements about how harmful Kanye’s words are to society. This shows how influential a celebrity’s words can be, and how they can affect the public.
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