A particularly unlikeable public figure has metaphorically snatched the mic, yet again.
Yes, I’m talking about Kanye West.
West is also known as (for my age 50+ readers) “Yeezy”, and for short, “Ye” (a self-proclaimed nickname derived from Jesus). Kanye began using this nickname to position himself as a God of Rap. He has since stated that he simply is, God (in general, not only of rap). I’d imagine if I were religious, I’d find it all quite offensive.
And speaking of offense, this brings me to today’s topic. West’s abhorrent behavior of late has not only managed to alienate most of the population but has further alienated an entity far more profitable than people – Corporate America.
The What. (Of the past, like, 30 days)
In the last few weeks, retailers, social media platforms, fashion and entertainment companies, and celebrities have all peeled away from business alliances with rapper “Ye”.
In early October, West wore a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt and dressed several Black models in clothing with the same phrase at his YZY runway show at Paris fashion week.
In a 45-minute “Drink Champs” podcast episode aired earlier this month, the rapper made numerous outrageous comments that caused financial repercussions for him and his brand partners. On the podcast, West said, “I can say antisemitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
He suggested George Floyd died from a fentanyl overdose rather than police brutality.
He repeated several antisemitic conspiracy theories, doubling down on them in subsequent interviews until the pinnacle tipping point – West threatened on Twitter to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
Since Ye’s most recent antisemitic comments, businesses have come under pressure to take further action against him. (No kidding). Here are the businesses cutting ties with Ye.
The Who
ADIDAS: Last Monday, Adidas ended its partnership with Kanye West.
The sportswear maker was the last major company to drop Ye, which was a brutal look seeing as the German brand should have zero tolerance for antisemitism considering it was founded by a member of the Nazi Party.
Prior to the drop, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told the Washington Post, “The fact that Adidas has not made that simple point is shocking when one considers Adidas’s history as a company that once outfitted the Hitler Youth.”
Sales and production of his Yeezy branded products have stopped as well as payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas said it will take a $246 million hit to its fourth quarter sales.
THE GAP: The rapper said he was ending his rocky two-year relationship with the Gap on September 15, citing “substantial noncompliance.”
In an internal and highly bureaucratic email, the President and CEO of Gap Brand Mark Breitbard stated, “how we work together to deliver this vision is not aligned. And we are deciding to wind down the partnership.”
INSTAGRAM: A Meta spokesperson said content from Ye’s account was deleted for violating the company’s policies and a restriction was placed on his account on October 7th. Spoiler alert, it was another antisemitic post!
Afterward, West made a return to Twitter after nearly two years away from the social media platform – that didn’t last long, either…
TWITTER: Twitter locked his account following his tweet to “Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.”
In the since-removed tweet, West also commented that, “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” without specifying what group he was addressing.
BALENCIAGA: Kanye’s antisemitic comments were also the final straw for luxury fashion house Balenciaga.
“Balenciaga no longer has any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” Kering, Balenciaga’s parent company, said in a statement to WWD.
CAA: Last week the prominent talent agency announced that Ye is no longer a client.
JP Morgan: JP Morgan Chase sent a letter to West giving him 60 days to close his accounts and take his business elsewhere.
While the bank hasn’t publicly stated a reason, experts point to several cases of banks cutting ties with controversial figures based on “reputation risk”. Banks have a right to close accounts for any reason.
Let’s Scream About it at Dinner.
Cancel culture is one of those scary terms that people immediately start flipping plates about over Christmas dinner.
The critic will say the movement is a modern form of mob rule.
“Cancellation prevents open debate which has long been the foundation of democracy. Different ideas and perspectives create the conditions for social progress.”
The supporter will say it is a tool to achieve social justice for the historically marginalized.
“A single Tweet has the power to plummet share prices, hold politicians accountable and force celebrities to admit to wrongdoings. Put another way, cancel culture represents the voice of the voiceless”.
I will say that in this case, one where West’s comments are being used by white supremacists to spew hate; One where just last week a group hung banners in support of Ye over the 405 freeway in LA, reading in part, “Honk if you know Kanye is right about the Jews”; In this instance, cancellation is imperative.
I feel like a good barometer for this is if one directly incites violence (shout out to Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots), they should be cancelled. Personal safety and security ultimately trump free speech. And anyone who says otherwise is probably part of a group that hasn’t been marginalized. Or is Kanye West.
Should Companies be Political? The Corporate Boycott of Ye.
In short, the answer to this must be yes. Brands can no longer afford to be neutral because neutral is viewed as complicit. (Nobody likes a bystander). If brands don’t stick to their promises, consumers possess the knowledge, determination, and platform to call them out. In short, there’s nowhere to hide.
According to a study by Edelman, 64% of consumers around the world will buy or boycott a brand solely because of its position on a social or political issue.
When employees pressured Disney to take a stance against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill in March 2022, they faced pushback from state political leaders and mistrust from consumers and employees. By April, the political backlash contributed to a 19% market drop in Disney stock.
Swedish vegan milk brand Oatly has long been a favorite for eco-friendly consumers. However, fans of the alternative milk brand began boycotting the company after it sold $200 million in shares to a consortium that includes Blackstone following a Twitter thread accusing the investor of contributing to deforestation in the Amazon.
Similarly, in 2020 Lululemon was under fire for promoting an event about “decolonizing gender” and how to “resist capitalism” despite the companies $45 billion market valuation.
I Never Liked him Anyway.
I must say, to sign off, I never liked Kanye West. I find his narcissism and maniacal egoism entirely psychotic and for those of you who say he’s a musical genius…I raise you these lyrics from the song “Lift Yourself”:
“Poopy-di scoop / Scoop-diddy-whoop / Whoop-di-scoop-di-poop.”
This single arrived amidst a baffling series of events, including a flurry of pro-Trump tweets and Ye’s infamous claim that slavery was a “choice”.
If this is what genius looks like, I hope to represent a shining beacon of idiocy.
Until the next.
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