As you know if you've read any of this blog before, I am basically a fourteen year old girl. And because I am basically a fourteen year old girl, on Sunday, I watched the Video Music Awards on Mtv. They were fine. The live performances were great this year actually,* and the awards don't really matter. They're VMAs--aka just an excuse for Mtv to showcase a bunch of popular artists.
But apparently no one told that to Kanye West because when Taylor Swift won the VMA for Best Female Video**, this happened:
Yep, you saw that right. Kanye West got mad that Beyonce didn't win*** and got up on stage and told everyone, basically, that Taylor Swift didn't deserve her VMA. During Taylor's acceptance speech. And look at Taylor Swift when she realizes what he's saying. She's stunned. And so is Beyonce.
So that's my rule: Don't Be Kanye.
Or, in more general terms: don't be the person who has to rain on other people's parades even if, in your opinion, that person didn't deserve a parade. And don't get up in the middle of the parade and shout "this person doesn't even DESERVE a parade!" It makes you look petty, it makes you look like a jerk, it makes people think less of you.
Kanye could easily have voiced his opinion that Beyonce deserved to win. He's going to be on Jay Leno. He's got a blog and a Twitter account with, like, a jillion followers. He's effing KANYE WEST, for pete's sake. If he wanted to say in an interview after the show--"you know, I think it's a shame that Beyonce didn't win Best Female Video. Taylor is cool and all, but Beyonce's video was one of the best of all time,"--no one would have had a problem with that. He's entitled to his opinion.
And you are entitled to your. So-and-so didn't deserve that book award. What's-her-name is an idiot. These are things you can think and, even, say. But not at the moment when So-and-so is accepting the award. Not in the instant when What's-her-name is being honored at a luncheon. Say your piece, speak your mind, but do it in such a way that you don't come off like a flaming...Kanye.
Don't take a microphone out of a girl's hand and tell her that she didn't deserve an award seconds after she's won it, because that is NOT Cool.**** Don't be Kanye.
~~~
*Standouts for me included Lady Gaga, who did a seriously disturbing performance of "Paparazzi" and Pink, who sang "Sober" while swinging from a trapeze. I know! Both of them, by the way, actually sang live and sounded great. You may have won a VMA moonman, Britney, but you're still over.
**Yeah, I don't know why the VMAs would be segregated by gender, either, or why the category is called "Best Female Video" when it should be called "Best Video by a Female Artist" but Mtv isn't known for its rocket science if you catch my drift.
***An opinion that, by the way, I agree with. Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video is an iconic video that people will remember for years. Swift's "You Belong With Me" is a lame copy of a lame Rachel Leigh Cook movie. But still, Kanye. Time and place, dude. TIME AND PLACE.
****Later in the awards, Beyonce won for Best Video and she didn't give a speech, but invited Taylor up on stage to give her speech. Beyonce = Style, man.
But apparently no one told that to Kanye West because when Taylor Swift won the VMA for Best Female Video**, this happened:
Yep, you saw that right. Kanye West got mad that Beyonce didn't win*** and got up on stage and told everyone, basically, that Taylor Swift didn't deserve her VMA. During Taylor's acceptance speech. And look at Taylor Swift when she realizes what he's saying. She's stunned. And so is Beyonce.
So that's my rule: Don't Be Kanye.
Or, in more general terms: don't be the person who has to rain on other people's parades even if, in your opinion, that person didn't deserve a parade. And don't get up in the middle of the parade and shout "this person doesn't even DESERVE a parade!" It makes you look petty, it makes you look like a jerk, it makes people think less of you.
Kanye could easily have voiced his opinion that Beyonce deserved to win. He's going to be on Jay Leno. He's got a blog and a Twitter account with, like, a jillion followers. He's effing KANYE WEST, for pete's sake. If he wanted to say in an interview after the show--"you know, I think it's a shame that Beyonce didn't win Best Female Video. Taylor is cool and all, but Beyonce's video was one of the best of all time,"--no one would have had a problem with that. He's entitled to his opinion.
And you are entitled to your. So-and-so didn't deserve that book award. What's-her-name is an idiot. These are things you can think and, even, say. But not at the moment when So-and-so is accepting the award. Not in the instant when What's-her-name is being honored at a luncheon. Say your piece, speak your mind, but do it in such a way that you don't come off like a flaming...Kanye.
Don't take a microphone out of a girl's hand and tell her that she didn't deserve an award seconds after she's won it, because that is NOT Cool.**** Don't be Kanye.
~~~
*Standouts for me included Lady Gaga, who did a seriously disturbing performance of "Paparazzi" and Pink, who sang "Sober" while swinging from a trapeze. I know! Both of them, by the way, actually sang live and sounded great. You may have won a VMA moonman, Britney, but you're still over.
**Yeah, I don't know why the VMAs would be segregated by gender, either, or why the category is called "Best Female Video" when it should be called "Best Video by a Female Artist" but Mtv isn't known for its rocket science if you catch my drift.
***An opinion that, by the way, I agree with. Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video is an iconic video that people will remember for years. Swift's "You Belong With Me" is a lame copy of a lame Rachel Leigh Cook movie. But still, Kanye. Time and place, dude. TIME AND PLACE.
****Later in the awards, Beyonce won for Best Video and she didn't give a speech, but invited Taylor up on stage to give her speech. Beyonce = Style, man.
Comments
Caught a little bit of the show (I am not fourteen years old, sorry!) and was impressed by Lady GaGa. I'm this close to buying her CD because I love the songs. People laugh at me but I say "it's just old-school dance music, great beat, catchy hooks, that's how music should be when you want to dance to it." Plus, I like that she has fun with the whole rock star persona. As if she's saying "you think rock stars are over the top? I'll show you over the top!"