First and foremost, Kanye West should have been “canceled” a long time ago. Since 2016, his support for Donald Trump has been more than enough evidence to conclude that Kanye believes in dangerous and discriminatory rhetoric. As the years have gone by, he has only become more and more vocal with his bigotry, to the point where he is now suspended from both Instagram and Twitter.
Why, then, are people still so desperate to give him a platform?
Media outlets have been trying to give Kanye a chance to explain himself—a chance that he does not deserve. Why should a public figure be allowed to spread hateful and discriminatory messages, especially when many of his claims are false? Public figures, celebrities included, wield influence. If Kanye believes and spreads hateful messages about a group of people, what will his fans believe? What messages will they spread? Especially in the age of social media, it is incredibly easy for his rhetoric to reach millions of people. When Kanye says something, thousands of his followers will not only repeat it, but believe it. While Kanye himself may not be violent, he shares these kinds of messages and beliefs with some who have committed violent hate crimes. Kanye may not go that far—but some of his followers might. All it takes is one person. Continuing to give Kanye a platform of any kind can lead to discrimination against the groups he speaks out against.
While Kanye has a responsibility to society, society also has a responsibility to him. We have the responsibility to respect his dignity as a person and as a citizen. We have the responsibility to protect those that are suffering. When people lash out, it is often a signal that they themselves are in deep distress. While we should refrain from speculating on a person’s mental illness, Kanye’s frequent bigoted outbursts are signals of his suffering. This should not be put on display. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but continuing to entertain Kanye via social media or interviews makes a spectacle out of him. He is not an object for people to laugh at and he is not a mode of entertainment. He is a man and he is a father. He needs help, and we owe that to him.
Moreover, failing to take Kanye’s mental health seriously is a failure to those who suffer from mental health issues everywhere. If people fail to take Kanye, a man once adored by millions, seriously, then what will they do to just the average person? Our treatment of Kanye reflects how we treat any individual who is suffering. When people make a joke out of him, they make jokes out of thousands of others just like him. No one deserves this treatment, not even bigots like Kanye. Our treatment of Kanye is not just about him; it reflects our treatment of those who are suffering everywhere. Every human being deserves love and respect; the way we can show this to Kanye is by getting him the help he needs and by refusing to entertain or support him until he does.