The only person who should feel embarrassed today is Kanye West.
If you happened to miss the 2009 Video Music Awards last night, West threw another one of his famous award show tantrums, this time directing his outrage toward Taylor Swift.
After hearing her name called as the winner of the Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me,” Swift appeared taken aback. Humbly accepting the award after beating out Britney Spears, Pink and Beyoncé, Swift thanked MTV and her fans for the accolades.
But that’s as far as she got.
West appeared on stage out of nowhere, took the mic out of Swift’s hand and began his tyraid. He ranted that Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” video was one of the best of the decade.
“Yo Taylor…I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!” West shouted.
After that, it was time to take his walk of shame…right out of Radio City Music Hall.
For the rest of the night, West’s name was booed and hissed at. The unfortunate part of all of this is that his outburst was the most exciting part of the entire show. Sure, Beyoncé put on a stunning performance of “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).” Lady GaGa was eccentric with her song “Paparazzi,” ending her performance suspended on a string covered in fake blood.
The show was supposed to be highlighted by the tribute to Michael Jackson that opened the show. Madonna gave a heart-warming speech about her relationship with Jackson that began when they were both evolving into icons, and Janet Jackson delivered a powerful performance of “Scream” with the original choreography.
Even the show’s host Russell Brand had to put all his joking aside for a moment and give praise to the Jackson tribute.
The show closed with a trailer for the documentary “This Is It,” which is behind the scenes footage from the rehearsals for the comeback tour in London that Jackson was preparing for.
Despite all of these perks and aside from the fact that Beyoncé took home Video of the Year for “Single Ladies,” West’s antics remain the forefront of VMA 2009 discussion. Since she was so rudely interrupted, Beyoncé graciously allowed Swift to come back on stage and accept her award properly after she finished her own acceptance speech.
West apologized in his blog during the remainder of the show (he was kicked out of Radio City) and claimed he had spoken to Swift’s mother. He also said he planned to formally apologize to Swift.
But we have to ask ourselves, will that be enough? I have no objection to Kanye West’s opinion of who should’ve won Best Female Video. As a matter of fact, I felt the same way he did. Taylor Swift is a newcomer, and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” was epic and the most feminine video in the category. However, that doesn’t give West a license to be rude.
The Video Music Awards yet again lacked the artistic flare and appreciation for hard work and talent that they used to have. While veterans like Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Green Day are still winning, the Lady GaGas of the age are beginning to take over. I understand that Kanye West is one of those guys who refuses to restrain himself, but that doesn’t excuse his disrespectful interruption.
At VMA 2007, Justin Timberlake challenged MTV to play more music videos. It’s apparent to me (and Kanye West) that they haven’t risen to that.
Even so, Kanye still needs to take a chill pill. Change MTV with your music, not your ego-fueled antics.
The LG Blog 