The yeezy effect

The political absurd has become all modish. With US President Donald Trump turning the White House into his own circus of personalised woe and expectations, other candidates are stepping up to the plate.

Make way for Kanye West, whose union of utter vacuity with Kim Kardashian has done much to keep the glossies, blogs and “influencers” rolling in anti-cerebral slush. This time, media outlets have not fallen for the trap they did with Trump, treating his bid for the commander-in-chief position as a sham lunatic’s act not worth covering.

There is even a streak of commentary finding West’s announcement a source of concern rather than mirth. Natasha Lindstaedt ponders the glass darkly on “the qualities of the celebrity” that tend to be “poorly suited to the duties of governing”, though they can “attract the necessary attention from the media without any prior political accomplishment.” Such figures can be “charismatic” and “anti-establishment” but constitute “a sign of political decline in democracies and wide frustration with professional politicians who voters feel disillusioned and distant from.”

That said, what else can be made of this challenge? West was formerly cosy with Trump who, with other “no-bullshit” characters, as he called them, inspired him to become a footwear magnate and Adidas pinup. “It’s called the Yeezy effect.” During a visit to the Oval Office in 2018, he spoke of brimming masculine admiration. “I’m married to a family where there’s not a lot of male energy going on. There’s something about it.” Putting on the Make America Great Again cap “made me feel like Superman. That’s my favourite superhero. You made a Superman cape for me.”

In some clumsy effort at irony, or irony very much after its brutal slaying, West called it “a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community. Also, other than the fact that I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby.” But West is never one to keep adoration or admiration consistent. Eventually, he gazes at the mirror and lets his ego bleat for recognition. On July 4, he made his announcement, fittingly via a tweet, that he would be throwing himself into the electoral contest. “We must now realize the promise of America in trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future.”

The ... water that counts for his especially fluid platform can be gathered in an extensive interview with Forbes. He was “taking the red hat off”. His new political movement will be called “the Birthday Party”. Should he find his miraculous way to the White House, he intends using the model put forth by the movie Black Panther, which he conceded had not gone down well with a “lot of Africans”.

Excerpted from: 'The Yeezy Effect: Kanye West Joins the Presidential Race'.

Counterpunch.org