The latest pop culture scandal to exponentially capture the media’s attention, surrounds the drama between American rapper Kanye West, his estranged wife Kim Kardashian and Kardashian’s new partner, Pete Davidson. West, who now goes by Ye, took the internet by storm with his attempts to win back Kardashian with several alarming social media posts attacking and harassing Kardashian and Davidson.
It is important to note that West is diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, but the subject of this social media drama goes beyond mental illness. West airing his personal drama to his 14.1 million Instagram followers not only creates widespread negativity, it also promotes harassment, and physical and emotional violence, especially towards women.
This type of posting and usage of social media brings awareness to how vital it is for celebrities to use their media platforms more cautiously, as they are setting an example for their millions of fans. As their following grows, there is more of a spotlight put on their actions, so it’s imperative that these celebrity figures are more aware of what they are spreading out into the world. The scary reality is, West is using his influence and platform to glorify his toxic relationship, and the media can’t help but to take a front row seat on the action.
Through West’s social media postings, we are watching a domestic abuse situation unfold, in which Kardashian is harassed and stalked online by her ex-partner. West is clearly unable to accept the reality of his failed marriage, and in his twisted attempts to win Kardashian back, he’s trying to play the “hero” in a sweeping public romance. Kardashian has pleaded with West to stop sharing their private conversations, and in a screen shot of their text messages, she wrote to West, “Why can’t you keep any of our conversations private???” With West responding, “because I got a text from my favorite person in the world, I’m your number one fan. Why wouldn’t I tell everyone!!!”
In West’s eyes, he might think that he’s doing Kardashian a favor by being obsessively romantic, but these actions are clearly alarming to fans. One social media user expressed, “Kanye West’s behavior is abusive, not romantic. It’s not romantic to refuse to let your ex-partner move on, to use kids as emotional manipulation, to reveal private conversations, and then to claim you do it all from love.” We can see that he is very publicly displaying manipulation and emotional abuse to not only his wife, but his entire family.
Kardashian filed for divorce from West last January, and the rapper still refers to her as his wife, which makes it apparent that West is in denial and cannot respect the boundaries of his ex-partner. Some Twitter users are thinking critically about his patterns of abusive and manipulative behavior towards Kardashian, with one stating, “Kanye is just showing the world how scary it can be for a woman in Kim’s situation. Now imagine someone not having security, financial independence, or a way out.” This response brings up a vital point. Kardashian is lucky to have the means of financial and personal security for herself, and the unfortunate reality is that most women in abusive relationships don’t have these resources. West’s bizarre postings showcase what it’s like for a woman to be trapped with a partner who believes they have much more power.
West has a massive impact, his influence and image is seen by millions, and the rapper is known to promote his brand by portraying a “god-complex,” in which he believes his actions won’t face consequences. This image appeals to his fan base, and some of his fans are even encouraging West’s behavior in his attempts to reconcile with Kardashian. West recently prompted more harassment against Kardashian’s new partner by posting, “IF YOU SEE SKETE IN REAL LIFE SCREAM AT THE LOOSER AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS AND SAY KIMYE FOREVER.” This demonstrates that the music artist is taking advantage of his platform to encourage more violence and harassment to win back Kardashian, and believing he can get away with it.
West is arguably one of the most popular American rappers of the generation, with a net worth of over 1 billion. He undoubtedly can obtain the resources to better his mental health and lead a better example, but instead uses his resources to publicly display his brutal family drama. West is using his fame and wealth to directly inject his unhappiness into our mainstream media, which in turn, is promoting unacceptable violent behaviors. This dramatic spotlight of him and his family has captured our attention for all the wrong reasons, and opens up the conversation of what’s actually going on underneath the surface. West isn’t just having another episode, he’s abusing his celebrity platform to cause havoc and emotional pain, and the media is indulging in every second of it.
