How The Media Twisted Kanye's "Stand Up!" Moment

By Kate Mueller on September 22, 2014

via Saint Heron

Kanye West has made headlines again–this time for reportedly telling a couple of handicapped audience members to “Stand up!” Did he really say that? Listen for yourself here.

Kanye stopped the show during his performance of “Good Life” because the audience was not responding to the show the way he wanted; they were sitting when they should be standing. I mean, who goes to a concert, any rap concert, and sits there? It’s not an unreasonable request to have audience members stand up, just as telling the crowds to raise their hands or sing along are not unreasonable.

Kanye, being Kanye, decided to take it one step further. He cut the music and said he wasn’t going to start again until everyone was standing, unless, of course, you are handicapped and unable to stand due to the confinement of a wheelchair.

Now maybe he didn’t word it that way, but if you listen, that is what he said … which is distinctively different from what the media put out over the next week.

The things ‘Ye didn’t say, but the media did

Stand up, I don’t care if you’re in a wheelchair

It’s funny how the media can twist that story around. Maybe Kanye didn’t approach it as politically correct as he should have, but we’re talking about Kanye … he’s never been one to approach things in a politically correct way. This impromptu request to have everyone stand up was directed at everyone EXCEPT those that cannot stand.

He may have gone one step too far when he told his bodyguard to confirm that those standing were, in fact, handicapped. I’ll agree with that.

Stand up, because I am God

By far, this is my favorite interpretation of Kanye’s antics. The funny thing is that Kayne has never called himself God, as in the Christian sense. He calls himself “a god,” which to me is entirely different. Kanye is Christian and a man of God, not an atheist illuminati member.

“I know He’s the most high, but I am a close high.”
- Kanye West, ‘I Am a God’

The whole “Kanye thinks he’s God” dates back to his controversial Rolling Stone cover when he was dressed as Jesus. The cover was in response to his hit single “Jesus Walks” and was supposed to get people talking, which it did, except not really about the song. Instead people were saying “Kanye thinks he’s Jesus, Kanye thinks he’s God.”

In reality, the song only proves more and more how much of a praying man he is. He says that Jesus walks with him, with us, despite our sins and the hardships we face.

He says that because the song is about Jesus that it would “take away from his spins (AKA radio play, AKA money),” but he hopes it also takes away his sins. The Yeezus concept further made it worse, yet people who didn’t listen to the album, get the background or attend a concert would never understand.

We have begun to praise EVERYTHING – the new iPhone, chiseled muscles, sports cars, etc. We say we ‘love’ these things and become slaves to them (see Apple lines).

Look at Michael Jordan. People have praised him from the start. Now, people are wearing more Jordans than they are crosses. They skip church to get in line for the new release. Are they treating him/the brand, like a god? Yeah, they are. But Jordan has never said it.

Kanye is outspoken and has no problem saying what’s on his mind (see George Bush). Does it make him wrong? I don’t think so … sometimes, at least. We should respect honesty. We complain about people being fake or “not keepin’ it 100,” yet get upset when someone is honest with us or we resent them for it.

There are plenty of people that are just as egotistical, yet never say it out loud. Does that make it any better?

via Kanye To The

Kanye calls himself a god because he believes he’s one of the most creative people on the planet. You may not like him or his music, but you can’t deny that he isn’t one of the industries’ leaders and influencers.

Stand up, because I’m a diva and want it my way

This one just makes me laugh because it’s so far from the truth. His antics make him seem selfish, but in reality it’s selfless. Kanye didn’t stop the show because people weren’t standing. Kanye stopped the show because he wanted everyone to have a good time. How can you enjoy a concert sitting down, especially when almost everyone else is standing?

It reminds me of the time Kanye got flack for stopping his show in Tampa, a show that I was at. The media responded like “here’s Kanye being selfish again,” when that wasn’t the case. He stopped the show in Tampa because the lights were wrong. Kanye’s concert was more than just a concert with a guy rapping in front of us over a beat; it was a production with dancers, actors, lights, props, scenes, etc.

He stopped the show because it wasn’t true to how it was supposed to be during that song (which lights were a big deal for). He didn’t want the audience to not get the full experience or their money’s worth, so he stopped it and started it over again. He is an artist that wants people to see his interpretations and get the full experience. Trust me, it’s worth the money.

#KanyeShrug

“I’m a married Christian man with a family. At my concerts, I make sure everybody has as good a time as possible. So all this demonizing me, it ain’t gonna work after awhile. Pick a new target. Because I’m not one of these dumb*ss artists that you’re used to.”
- Kanye West, the next concert 

via Instagram

Telling an audience to stand up should not have landed Kanye with this much attention. KimYe agrees that the whole thing was blown out of proportion, and unfairly at that.

Yes, Kanye has made mistakes in the past (which he’s apologized for), but sometimes we can give people a little slack. If you’re not a fan, that’s fine. But we don’t need to crucify him after every questionable thing he says.

Most importantly, we need to get the facts before we jump to any conclusions.

Not everyone can love Kanye, like Kanye loves Kanye.

via popcrush

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