Appropriating dog-whistle slogans is a step too far even for Kanye West

KANYE West has always been able to depend upon a generous helping of the benefit of the doubt. So when he sent “White Lives Matter” T-shirts down the runway at his Yeezy presentation at Paris fashion week on Tuesday, and later told his 17.9 million Instagram followers that “everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam”, there was a collective intake of breath. Surely no one could possibly be lining up to defend the indefensible this time?

For those unfamiliar with the rapper’s turbulent past, this is not the first time he has found himself in hot water. But this is again proof of the truth of the age-old adage, “when someone shows you who they are — believe them the first time”.

And West has been showing us, time and time again. From the harassment bordering on stalking of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and chilling social media posts about her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, to saying 400 years of slavery was a “choice” and that the American abolitionist Harriet Tubman “never actually freed slaves”, he has made no secret of his offensive views.

Whether this latest provocation is a publicity stunt or if he truly believes the sentiment behind the “White Lives Matter” slogan is irrelevant. What matters is that West is using his considerable celebrity to embolden an already febrile far-Right, racist movement in the US. The family of Ahmaud Arbery — a 25-year-old black man murdered by white neighbours in 2020 — have said West’s conduct has helped to “legitimise extremist behaviour”.

There are, and always have been, reallife consequences to West’s actions. But always there are those who defend him. They treat his behaviour like a joke, dismissing it as just “Kanye being Kanye”. And often they argue that West is a misunderstood genius operating on a different plane.

Here’s the thing: I understand the impulse to immediately jump to West’s defence. There is no doubt that he is an astronomically talented musician. His wit and candidness have been refreshing. But why are some people so quick to excuse the behaviour of men with the assumption of superior intellect, or trivialise it with some variation of “boys being boys”?

There are also those who point to West’s 2016 bipolar diagnosis. Watching anyone experience mental illness is challenging and complicated, and with someone like West it is difficult to know where his ego ends and symptoms begin. But it is clear that he is struggling, and that he does not have the support around him that he deserves. He is a money-making machine, and as long as he continues in the public eye even to his own personal woe, someone is profiting.

The Kanye West show is a highly addictive rollercoaster. Whether it’s artistic brilliance or disturbing outbursts, it is impossible to look away. But it has gone too far. For all of our own good, including Kanye’s, it’s time to switch it off.

West is using his celebrity to embolden an already febrile far-right, racist movement in the United States of America