The most unlikely meeting of two polarizing celebrities, with now-irreparable reputations, took place in the West Wing last week between Kanye West and President Donald Trump.
In accepting an invitation and traveling to the White House for a meeting with Trump to discuss “black issues,” West has done what most would have considered impossible a few years ago: completely tarnish his legacy.
West is an icon in the music industry and has paved the way for countless artists in hip-hop over his nearly two-decade career. However, going from the young rapper who claimed President George W. Bush hated black people during a fundraiser to meeting with Trump wearing a “MAGA” hat in a publicity stunt is a reckless way for a celebrity to wield their power and influence.
Without taking away from West’s absolute genius in the fields of rapping and producing, this man, who never had any higher education and openly admits he does not read, is not qualified to be an ambassador for all African-American people discussing issues like the opioid crisis with the president of the United States.
It is impossible to speak for everyone, but the further a society moves into the era of social media, the more celebrities should not be shamed for coming out and speaking their minds politically. With this in mind, there is a major discrepancy between voicing an opinion and using other celebrities who are also struggling with their popularity to make each other relevant again, regardless of the consequences it has.
Both West and Trump, before his presidency, were adored by the public and media alike. Sometimes people should stick to the things that got them to where they are.
Trump was elected to office, in part, because he used hateful rhetoric toward just about everyone and every group he could think of to appeal to a base of Republican voters who found truth in what he was saying. Regardless of politics, that is indisputable.
West has many accolades throughout his career, but advocating for policy is not one of them, nor should it be.
It was wildly inappropriate for Trump and every member of his administration who gave the green light for this meeting to invite West to the White House in an attempt to distract people from the GOP falling behind in the polls for the House in November. West should have the common sense to realize that his fame could be what it used to be if he just stuck to what made him so popular.
As a white male, it is not within the realm of possibility to discuss the feelings of African American people. One would be hard pressed to convince this author that there are not many African-American people who feel betrayed by an artist they once considered an idol to be a vocal and proud supporter of a president who has so widely been regarded as racist.
The pair, who will forever be married in the eyes of the public by their outrageous use of Twitter, and now this meeting, have completely passed the point of exciting and responsible and are firmly in the territory of damaging any memories people had of the things they have accomplished in the past.
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