14 DAY TRIAL // Anyone who’s anyone has already weighed in on the Kanye West VMA scandal, from Kelly Clarkson who has never met him to Ricky Martin and, as unlikely as it might sound, President Barack Obama. Taylor Swift fans are not happy about what the rapper did two nights ago at the MTV award ceremony but, according to E! Online, he might actually stand to win from the controversy than the other way around.
Among the many things that get fans for Kanye West, aside from his music, his fashion creations and other endorsements, is also his fascinating egocentrism, E! believes. This is one rapper who, unlike other performers of our time, stands up and proclaims himself king, whether of hip-hop, fashion or black culture in general, it doesn’t even matter. Kanye West is a “raging egomaniac” whom people love precisely because of this, the report says – in this light, it’s highly unlikely that he lose any fans because of his outburst at the VMAs.
“Kanye West fans are Kanye West fans only partly because of his boppy music and his candylike sunglasses collection and his propensity for glow-in-the-dark stunts. Kanye fans also love him because he is a raging egomaniac. And in dissing Taylor Swift at the VMAs – during her acceptance speech, no less – he just gave those fans more of what they crave. […] Kanye is only going to get – I’m gonna say it! I’m gonna say it! – stronger.” E! Online writes in response to a Twitter user who wanted to know what were the odds of the industry and the fan community turning their back on the rapper.
Industry insiders also agree that Kanye is a long way from saying his final goodbye to showbiz. “His antics at the VMAs are in line with his larger-than-life ego and previous public hissy fits. For certain younger audiences, his outburst only made him cooler, and gave him street cred. As far as corporate branding goes, the execs who cut those deals want Kanye for the exact reason I noted above: his ability to connect to an edgier, more ‘street’ teen or youth audience. [The backlash] will be negligible as far as his machine is concerned. Will his music sales slide? Imperceptibly. His sound is too distinct, and he’s smart about his collaborations with other artists.” teen branding and marketing executive Arthur Gallego says for E!.
To sum up what could be otherwise a very long story, Kanye is going nowhere anytime soon. His antics, just like Madonna’s outfits and public displays of “affection” in her heyday (to avoid a much harsher term), like Pink’s aggressiveness and Katy Perry’s almost nauseating girlie and sweet aura, are part of his public persona. The public loves Kanye not in spite of his outburst, the report concludes by saying, but because of it.