Hi,

This is the best examination of the Kanye incident and aftermath that I’ve seen anywhere! You are so right to draw a parallel between the reaction of many Whites who were in support of Joe Wilson and then slammed Kanye. Oh the hypocrisy!

You are also right about the Black man interrupting a White girl vs. White man interrupting a Black man.

And I am so tired of everyone treating Taylor Swift like she’s been done so wrong. It was only the MTV Video awards! Yeah Kanye was wrong to do it but in reality it really wasn’t that big a deal.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!
The VMA’s really? Since were did they become the Grammys or the Academy Awards? Some stars and guests dress in jeans and t-shirt to go there, even the host had on jeans! The President addressing America, I mean the LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD addressing America and being interrupted?!?!?!?!? Oh, no biggie! Don’t apologize about race, because there are so many issues with that comparison. A new “white teenage artist” (I actually like Taylor Swift she seems down to earth) whose spot light was basically taken away by the big Arrogant Powerhouse Rapper, Kany West, takes precedents? To be honest I didn’t even hear about the Joe Wilson incident, but Kanye West was on every talk show, radio show, and news cast in America. Now i understand your status from the other day, lol. Its funny, only in the melting pot of America can everyone’s true colors really shine through.

This was a really good one, Kuuuuuudos!!!!!

Thank you. What Kanye did was rude. But everybody knows he’s rude. People went too far with the backlash. It should have been aimed at Joe Wilson, not Kanye. But that’s the history of our country, I guess.

Thank you! Two entirely different venues and two people on drastically different levels of importance and yet Kanye gets the short end of the stick. Ridiculous. Pass the article on. I really think people should read it.

Really Really good analysis.

I agree to the fullest extent!! Kanye West outburst blew twitter, facebook and whateve rother network offline. While Mr. Wilson’s disrespect i call it towrds our President went under the books. Personally i feel that Mr. Wilson should have been punished more than that. As a congressman he shoudl have respect for his President no matter if he agrees or disagrees. Look at the man who threw his shoes at former President Bush during his speech. He went to jail for 9 months. It’s just ridiculous and angers me how much disresoect is going on for our President. But i love your blog!!!!

It’s funny you bring up the shoe-throwing guy because I read today in the paper that he was being tortured in prison in Iraq. While I obviously am against Joe Wilson and Kanye West’s outbursts, it did make me thankful that we live in America where those outbursts are condemned but they aren’t (physically) tortured because of it. And thank you so much! Tell your friends and family! Michelle-Huxtable.com is where it’s at! lol

This is the greatest article I’ve read so far on the incident..It didn’t even cross my mind…thanks

Think your missing the point here. Its the age difference not color. People who watch MTV and are from that generation are very familiar with twitter/facebook/myspace. its a way of communication. A majority of people who are watching the president and commenting on politics are from a different age. My parents dont twitter. people their age dont twitter. on the flip side all of my friends who watch mtv twitter.

I can’t say I agree. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/teens-dont-tweet-twitters-growth-not-fueled-by-youth/
That article says that basically Twitter doesn’t appeal to teens and kids. That’s what Facebook and Myspace is for. More than 90% of those who use TweetDeck (which is a program to run twitter from your desktop not an internet browser) are over the age of 25.

i don’t agree with this article at all… while you can compare the 2 things as two completely disgraceful events, and neither are punished the way they should be. Kayne would never be allowed at an award show if people were that outraged (see Chris Brown at the BET Awards)… but they aren’t, he will still make his MILLIONS, and MTV is making millions off the press. Which is the world we live in… any press is good press.

Joe Wilson didn’t make a million dollars by yelling, his campaign got a million dollars to counter the million dollars the democrats gave to his opposition. Congress is corrupt and i hate the bullsh!t that goes on like i hate the bullsh!t artists and celebrities do to make more money for themselves. Talented musicians get pushed off a music channel so someone with a sex tape can get a reality TV show

Make this racial if you want, but it is just the case of two idiots doing what gets attention in our world today, and that is the only comparison i see

brilliant mate! I fully agree with what you have said. thank you for the great read! Its the hypocrisy of democracy! well done bro. thank god you wrote this! what a blessing. keep it up bro. whether it be a minority voice, keep it up!!! but I agree absolutely what you have said. thank you so much man. elz

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Well MichelleHuxtable. Maybe with more well spoken, well opinioned websites like yours, We have a chance. Good job on your facts and to the great discussions!! Lets get the word out on MichelleHuxtable!!

Thank you very much! Let’s get the word out!

you should read most of your articles after you write them. you might find out how much of a racist you are yourself. you criticize society for things that arent really there. The fact that you eliminate all other possible interpretations of the events (to be less pessimistic/racist, why not think that since obama is a grown man who can defend himself, people didnt care for it as much, or, seeing as our country is obsessed with pop culture, it could have been president kanye west and congressman taylor and no one would have cared either) The fact that you are constantly pulling out the race card (and that you try to excuse yourself by placing the lame ‘i hate to go there’ or ‘ i hate to talk racism’ , which are immeadiately followed by the showing of the race card) is extremely ironic. you should take a huge step back and realize that, not only are you looking to remind this country about its ignorant and past ways of social behaviour, but you are adding to the issue which you pretend to fight so passionately against. And you do it with such dumb situations too. For example your Jay-Z BP3 article. Really? you think its because jay z is black? im pretty sure eminem is being pirated too. what kind of double standard is that, which you can call country music and rock ‘white artists and white music’. Why do you have to be so racist, clearly a more realistic explanation for (you probably have no researched facts to back this up) rap music being pirated more because hip hop is more popular. And thanks for ending that article by saying the single most point proving sentence (my point, not yours). I say this because in it you state how two synonyms are the same word. Congratulations. Look it up, rock music (according to you, white artists/fans) has bootlegs from the 60’s. Its just a word, and so is pirating. from what else i can interpret in the sentence, you live in the most racist town in the US, or you are a racist. I beleive the latter….excuse typos and other errors

Well since I know I’m not racist it’s hard to respond to this. But thanks for the comment. Also if you read the article I said ‘black music’ which obviously Eminem would fit under. And I am in no way “reminding” this country of its history. As a matter of fact, if I am, awesome. We can’t ignore it. Talking about an issue isn’t the same as hyping it up or condoning it. Debate and discussion is healthy and moves towards progress.

well, since you don’t know that everyone in the united states is racist, its hard to believe this article is relevant at all. Also, debate and discussion of an issue is only healthy when the issue is not made up out of innate need to play the victim/race card when no one else (never once heard anyone speak of race as an issue with kanye/taylor or obama/ congressman). in the music industry article, everyone gets screwed, black, white, or lady gaga. instead of calling out every music pirate/bootlegger as a racist,why not argue that the people who pirate music are partaking in an act of defying the economical well being of the artist who works hard to be good at their job and thus does not collect the total award they should. why argue against the reason of an action that, even if its probably not true for the most part, is irrelevant to the consequences of the actions. even if it were statistically true that hip hop is pirated more, could it not be that there are more hip hop artists? also, my point with eminem was to say that why are you limiting rap/r&b/hip hop to black fans? what kind of racist double standard is that? only black people can enjoy rap? only white people can listen to carrie underwood?

Wow. How do you start off a statement with, “Well, since you don’t know that everyone in the United States is racist”? Blanket statements like that can’t even be addressed. Cmon son. Apparently you don’t watch TV, read blogs, or talk to people because I heard for several days, weeks, and months after the Kanye/Taylor and Obama/Wilson incident that it was racially motivated. And why are you addressing the pirating conversation on this post when this wasn’t it? At least direct your rant to the proper venue. Once again, you’re using blanket statements. Re-read the post. Then go comment on that post if you still feel your view is accurate.

never mind, you have yet to respond to any of my arguments. all you have done is brush them off as nonsensical. at least when i do that i give you reasons. or you call me out for posting in wrong places. Im sorry, i just get flustered when people create double standards and say others are racist instead of looking inwards. how can you say i use blanket statements when you do it just as much. to just say this situation happened because of racism is just as racist as anything i have said. and i used that same sentence because you started your ‘rebuttal’ with ‘I’m not a racist so i don’t have to respond’, i was jokingly referencing your argument….and again, another argument to your point: if its true that the whole reason people caused an uproar was because of racism, why did beyonce (black, as far as i can tell) apologize for kanye? Because she understood what the situation was, a grown man under the influence of alcohol (a non-prejudiced substance) ruining a young woman’s precious memory-in-the-making. she did not see kanye as a black man or taylor as a white girl. As did most everyone else during and after the fact. Except you.

Let me ask you something. What about Don Imus…uses a slur, that guy cant show his face ever again (and he’s on the radio, he wasn’t 1/3 as famous as kanye so most people didn’t even know about this). Kanye (world famous, and on MTV no less) interrupts, he’s still making millions. Why? Don Imus was being racist, and people took it for racism and so he is suffering dearly. Kanye was a stupid celebrity drunk out of his mind trying to bring infamy to his name. People recognized it for what it was, the former, and not racism, and he is suffering too. so what im saying is that if people really felt the same way as you, kanye would be out of business right now.

If I could intercede momentarily I would just like to say the reason race can be discussed, and appropriately is discussed in this instance is that we still live in a very much racist (or for analytical and didactic purposes “white normative”) America, it would be absurd to think otherwise. That being said your last statement is contradictory in itself because Kanye West has no need to bring further infamy to his name (see “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” – might I add he was sober when he said that), and the true reason why Kanye is not out of work is because hip-hop (and/or Rap, whichever epithet you prefer) was born out of artists speaking their mind – through music and other mediums – and not being afraid of public opinions – i.e. The Last Poets, Eric B. and Rakim, KRS-One, Nas, Dead Prez, etc. Kanye was doing that – however nonsensical and unethical his means – I believe Kanye would have said this regardless of his B.A.L.

Also to your point of:

“why not think that since obama is a grown man who can defend himself, people didnt care for it as much, or, seeing as our country is obsessed with pop culture, it could have been president kanye west and congressman taylor and no one would have cared either”

That is a logical fallacy – as MH said a Presidential Address is a formal event in which the President typically receives the utmost respect. For someone (a congressman, at that) to stand and interrupt him is simply incorrigible. Though we could easily say the same about Kanye’s disruption, MH has pointed to the fact that, the VMA’s are all about drama (i.e. Britney and Madonna kiss, Adam Lambert’s performance, etc.). So to say that the response to the VMA incident was not racially driven one would have to be benighted.

And if I am allowed to be blunt momentarily, Don Imus is ignorant, he made not one but two highly publicized racial remarks – including not only his Rutgers mishap but his controversy with Adam “Pacman” Jones. Also, do some research before saying “that guy cant show his face ever again.” He still has a nationally syndicated radio show..

thank you, finally someone argues with reason, though i can only say i concede to the Don Imus one.

I think you miss both Michelle’s argument and my arguments against it. i am not defending either kanye or the congressman. Michelle (from what i read, and i have read this every time i post haha) is arguing that the REACTION to each event is racially charged, not the events themselves. that, because kanye is a black man interrupting a white girl, it got a lot more press and negative backlash towards kanye, than the congressman got because he is white and president obama is black. My argument is that race couldn’t possibly the major factor in how these reactions have played out (and that the subsequent reading of most other ‘popular posts’ have led me to believe that Michelle is more of a racist than she makes everyone else out to be because of the double standard she creates)

To address the current issue, I am pretty sure that hasn’t been the craziest thing done by a senator to a president (televised or otherwise). And for a democratic, free speech protecting government, it was his right to interrupt, however rude and apparently fanatical. And so was kanye’s.

The reaction comes from the court of public opinion, and the truth is, this country is obsessed with pop culture. I don’t know if you remember, but at obama’s town hall meetings there were incidences of people carrying guns out in the open, and while it was covered heavily on the news, social networks and blogs weren’t lit up with as much commenting as, for example, the latest drama on television (connan o brien vs nbc vs jay leno) I mean look, you had to be blind not to see an ‘Im with CoCo it is my belief that it could have been george w bush (white) interrupted by congressman obama and it would have mattered equally as little compared to, lets say, keith urban or eminem interrupting a young beyonce. (i.e., regardless of race)

in fact, you kind of argue for me: the events of Madonna kissing Britney, and lambert’s kiss, where covered heavily by the media and also social networks and blogs. if we live in such a ‘white normative’, why were they given such flack for it? you’re telling me that if beyonce made out with jennifer hudson, it would have been in any way better or worse for them compared to madonna and britney because of the difference in race? now, you can argue that it the reaction was do to most of society being uncomfortable with open acts of homosexuality (and i would agree). but arguing racist interpretations (as i suspect michelle would have no problem doing) is a stretch.

and something i had skipped over previously: to say that the congressman received a campaign donation because of his interruption (and, following the racist interpretations of the article, \ implying that the party who made the donation is perpetuating racism and not just supporting his stand), is a blanket statement if I’ve ever written one

Reading your comments again, and again, and again lead me to believe that you miss my point completely and if you have read my posts as many times as you claim to, it would appear as though I cannot help clarify my point any further. To address your question about Madonna and Britney and the Lambert kiss and why they received so much flack in the “white normative” it’s clearly because the white normative means white, heterosexual, Christian, etc.. Those performances didn’t fit that standard. The reaction to the Kanye/Taylor Swift is also clearly racially charged. When you look on twitter (which yes although a social media, is a clear indication of how people really feel) there was immediately a twitter made calling Kanye a n*gger. This would be insignificant if it didn’t also receive many followers. And “the truth is” although this country is obsessed with pop culture, it is also obsessed with race. That makes sense giving this country’s history. To argue that race is not at all involved in these events is quite naive and unfortunately is a common defense mechanism in America. Claiming to be “color blind” when it comes to race does not make racism go away. It will continue to persist. You have to address the issues.

this will be my last post.

if i have to address the issues, you should address my arguments. I have never disagreed with the fact that racism is most likely a part of some peoples’ reactions to both events. That is inevitable and i agree with you 100% that there are still racist tendencies in the US and they are in no way a small quantity of people. My point is to say that making it all about race is not only wrong, but racist itself because you are creating a double standard. if a white person made a blog and said a blanket statement like yours, along the lines of ‘obama was backed by the media and people’ SOLELY because he is black and the congressman is white, literally everyone will call him racist. you on the other hand, are black, and anyone who might argue against your statements (basically the same conclusion, only the races switched, the media and general public backed taylor SOLELY because she is white and kanye is black) is labeled a racist and ignorant (the double standard).

and yet again, you partake in using the same blanket statements you called me out for using. all of a sudden white normative is also heterosexual too? c’mon, how are you arguing my argument by just amending someone’s word to include what i pointed out was wrong?

once again, so i make it clear. Race IS a part of some of the reaction to the events. but that is not my point. my point is to call you out for making everything (at least these articles on the website) about race. call you out for creating a double standard, hiding behind the victim card and using the very same blanket statements you object to if used by someone else. and after all this i try and argue, but it takes someone else to present valid counterpoints. and all of this you say while an african american president is in office. do you honestly think that the US is still as racist as you paint it?

But i digress. Thank you for engaging in a good conversation, hopefully you might make arguments more ’shawn-proof’ haha.

regardless of what i have said and have yet to say, your opinions are your opinions. My opinion? if this country is obsessed with race, you my dear blogger are the champion of that obsession.

“if a white person made a blog and said a blanket statement like yours, along the lines of ‘obama was backed by the media and people’ SOLELY because he is black and the congressman is white, literally everyone will call him racist.”

Seriously? A white person has.Plenty of people have remarked that if Obama were exactly the same person with the same values and platforms that he has now except he was white, he would not have won the election. Also, not once did I call you racist and you disagree with me so your statement that “anyone who disagrees with you is labeled a racist” is moot. For the last time, since this is also your last comment, I do not make everything about race. You read a post on race, so you know what? It’s going to be about race. Easy. Go read any other post about oh I don’t know, how to be successful, the education system, sports, etc. They aren’t all about race. Even if they were, that’s my right. Also, I NEVER hide behind the ‘victim card.’ If you bothered to read the other posts you would see that. I wrote an entire post on why I am against victimization. And look at you pointing out that I should be different because we have an African-American president. Cmonson. You’re saying so much without saying anything at all. And YES the US is as racist as ‘I paint it’. Although I’m 98% sure your real name isn’t Shawn, I will try my hardest to review every post I ever write and cater it to you, one reader. Yes. That’s my new goal.

As I read through all of these comments, I don’t feel as though Shawn is making any real points. He is saying things, but I wouldn’t go as far as to label it an “argument” as he continuously does. Personally knowing Michelle Huxtable, I can FIRMLY attest that she is not racist. If you read all of her posts thoroughly and actually understood what you read, you would realize this is the case.

aaaaand this is where I step in. at the risk of being thrown into an awkward situation, my name is indeed not ’shawn’, and neither is it my friend’s, who has been posting under my email to keep himself anonymous.
For the sake of remaining neutral, I do not endorse or disagree with anything you or my friend have said. Myself, frankly, don’t care for the bloggin sphere. Just sayin.

go terriers