Though Kanye West credits homos for his style inspiration, the straight (and one-time admitted homophobe) isn’t exactly the guy who should be telling us whether phrases like “that’s so gay” should be considered a compliment. Especially coming from a guy who remains too reserved to, say, step foot into a gay bar — “nor do I ever plan to.” Hearing Kanye instruct society on how to properly use the term “gay” is like a white guy telling Kanye how to throw around the word “black.”
Kanye tells Details:
“Titles are very important. I like to embody titles, y’know, or words that have negative connotations, and explain why that’s good,” he says. “Take the word gay—like, in hip-hop, that’s a negative thing, right? But in the past two, three years, all the gay people I’ve encountered have been, like, really, really, extremely dope. Y’know, I haven’t, like, gone to a gay bar, nor do I ever plan to. But where I would talk to a gay person—the conversation would be mostly around, like, art or design—it’d be really dope. From a design standpoint, kids’ll say, ‘Dude, those pants are gay.’ But if it’s, like, good, good, good fashion-level, design-level stuff, where it’s on a higher level than the average commercial design stuff, it’s, like, gay people that do that. I think that should be said as a compliment. Like, ‘Dude, that’s so good it’s almost . . . gay.'”
West’s friends and professional adjuncts, who quietly pass in and out of his loft throughout the day, start cracking up, and he leaves his chair for a bit of stand-up: “‘Dude, that’s so good it’s almost gay!’ ‘Dude, you pay real attention to detail—that’s almost, like, gay!’ ‘You had a whole conversation with that girl without bringing up sex? That was, like, gay!'”
So, when a black guy comes out with a decent suit, we should compliment him by saying “that’s so black”? I’m sure Sean Combs would love that. Or maybe when an Asian kid scores a perfect SAT score, we should congratulate him on “a job well Asian-ed.” Do white guys who get into an Ivy League school get kudos for “getting their white on”?
Other choice Kanye quotes:
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• On his self-professed cultural icon status: “Someone could be a better rapper, dance better. But culturally impacting? When you look back at these four and a half years, who’s the icon at the end of the day? Who broke down color barriers? What other black guy would a white person use as a fashion reference?”
• On his self-professed king of music status: “There’s nothing more to be said about music. I’m the fucking end-all, be-all of music. I know what I’m doing. I did 808s in three weeks. I got it. It’s on cruise control.”
• On his self-professed core of all creativity: “One of the problems with being a bubbling source of creativity—it’s like I’m bubbling in a laboratory, and if you don’t put a cap on it, at one point it will, like, break the glass. If I can hone that . . . then I have, like, nuclear power, like a superhero, like Cyclops when he puts his glasses on.”
Photo: Fame Pictures
ChicagoJimmy
It’s official. He’s gone ’round the bend.
Leo
I wish people would just stop paying attention to him already. maybe only then will he go away.
adamp
Maybe it’s just the way the interviewer typed it up, or maybe it’s due to the fact that he’s a moron, but even a written account of what he says is incomprehensible.
Mister C
What the F^CK ever!
thatguyfromboston
he looks pretty gay in that picture.
Nitesurf
Kanye is like Palin, someone who gets an inexplicable amount of attention just because they say stupid things. Just IGNORE them.
Smokey Martini
“Y’know, I haven’t, like, gone to a gay bar, nor do I ever plan to. But where I would talk to a gay person—the conversation would be mostly around, like, art or design—it’d be really dope.”
AGAIN with the stereotyping of gays! Except now, they’re not only in fashion design, but art, too. At least he made it clear in the interview that we don’t always talk about butt-fucking. *phew*
This Kanye fellow really needs to get out more.
GranDiva
As above, why should I give a flying rat’s ass about Kanye?
cruiser
What a Tool!
AfroGay
As Oscar Wilde so aptly put it: “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all.”
Kanye West lives for the kind of attention ANY headline gives him so the most effective option is to ignore him.
walt zipprian
Did he drop out of school in the third grade?
Seriously.
Cody
Total. Tool.
Ben F
“I did 808s in three weeks.”
Trust me, Kanye, it shows.
B
I think it’s time for Kanye to embrace the Rebel flag. Afterall, he is such a rebel and I mean that as a compliment.
Sebbe
That saddest part is that he actually thinks he’s being complimentary. He’s so into himself, he always has been. It’s going to be soo awesome to watch him age into obscurity. I never understood his appeal. Larry King is in love with the dude, he’s on there all the time.
“Who broke down color barriers?”
“What other black guy would a white person use as a fashion reference?”
STFU Kanye
Charles J. Mueller
@AfroGay:
Lol. My father used to say something equivalent to that.
“When they STOP talking about you, is when it’s time to START worrying.”
Charles J. Mueller
Oh..and where did this schmuck learn, you know, how to speak English?
Like, ummm…in PS 23 in the Bronix? Cuz, like, that’s so gay too! You know?
The most frightening part, however, is that people like him walk among us…and vote!
vernonvanderbilt
Maybe I need to turn in my gay membership card, from the looks of things around here, but I’m a huge fan of Kanye’s. I like his persona, I like his self-absorption…hell, I even like his music. He may not be the most enlightened or eloquent speaker on gay life, but seriously, he’s an ally in a world where we have very few. I’m certainly not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Hip-hop was long overdue for some evolution, and Kanye is one of our most outspoken defenders in that world. Do intentions mean anything to anyone?
Kanye is one of those people you have to take in context, otherwise it’s only natural that he’ll come off as sophomoric and nonsensical. Tell me one mainstream rapper that doesn’t boast about themselves now and then. Kanye’s elevated ego to an artform.
@Ben F: I’m guessing you didn’t like the album?
808s & Heartbreak, in my opinion, is one of those albums that is perfect because of its imperfections. I also believe it was a bold and daring move to make on Kanye’s part. I’m not going to write a book-length defense of the album, but I think people tend to be a little too dismissive of it simply because it’s not what they expect from Kanye. No, he’s not the greatest singer, not if you’re judging based on technical aspects. But he is a great singer on this album, by virtue of his connection to the material and the soul that he puts into it. I’d rather listen to a rough around the edges but heartfelt singer like Kanye than a technically proficient automaton like Celine Dion any day.
Anthony in Nashville
Kanye is an ally and that’s rare in hip-hop, but he is on this “gay crusade” to keep attention on himself because nobody was feeling his last album and he needs the spotlight.
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
This is too weird!!
I was wondering when you guys would post this. And hoped some of the readers would at least be bright and perceptive about this..in a somewhat snarky way but…erm..no.
I guess I’m the only one who did English at a higher level, with one of our classes dedicated to phonetics and reading between the lines.
He’s gay.
No fucking question but damn, people are damn and will be spoon fed with what they can take.
The guy is so obv torn up about being gay AND black AND a hip hop star that even a reject psychology tutor can figure this out!?
Come on guys…you’r all so full of it. You may not be black OR be into hiphop but when you were at school…or work…how outspoken were/are you about gay people??????
Prop 8 says it all.
Sebbe
@John from England – I’m not sure anyone is anxious to call them one of their own. LOL