I'm just amazed that this is getting a pass. Kanye 1) blatantly sexually harasses a female artist on the track, 2) calls her a bitch, 3) takes credit for her career, 4) and then makes a video that depicts her naked in bed with him, while 5) he remains clothed, and then 6) dares her to sue him. If Donald Trump did this, we'd be calling for his head on a platter.
Who cares that Taylor is rich and famous? Who cares if she writes songs about breakups? What bizarre moral logic uses that as a rationalization for sexually harassing and exploiting her?
Since the release of Yeezus, every Kanye interview has convinced me that he has no coherent beliefs beyond his brand. Chris Brown/Rihanna is ridiculous, but Taylor is the one who gets degraded and humiliated in the song, so her nude appearance in the video is especially misogynistic.
And please don't tell me you honestly think the video's purpose is anything beyond building his own brand and creating controversy. Ye can say whatever he wants about Matthew Barney, this is cheap marketing disguised as art.
"Everyone" vulnerable? West got to choose how he was depicted in this video, Taylor didn't. At some point he got to make the call that she would be nude and he wouldn't.
It's blatant, unprovoked, public sexual harassment of Taylor Swift. The verse was already misogynistic and creepy (not to mention lazy), now he's taking it further by sexualizing her image without consent to promote himself. I used to love Kanye, but I can't defend this shit.
If any other artist did this, we'd be drowning in think pieces about misogyny and rape culture. Blurred Lines is like a feminist anthem compared to this.
Stereogum’s Senior Editor does not understand the business side of music. Someone explain that getting featured on stereogum's mixtape of the week isn't paying Lyor's overhead.
Also Tom, saying Lyor doesn't understand the current rap music landscape is silly. His business model hasn't changed for the last 20 years- turn out hits. Young Thug's mixtapes are only valuable if they eventually lead to a successful album and singles. Ask The Weeknd.
I think Lyor has a point. Sure, Thug is the underground rapper of the moment, but if he doesn't produce some actual hits, he'll just be replaced by a newer version of himself in a year.
Any list of 2015's biggest music videos that neglects to even mention Hotline Bling is suspect. How could you not rank the only video that people outside of the shrinking music industry even noticed?
I feel like it gets applied inconsistently on this site. If this were a Taylor Swift, Lily Allen, or Avril Lavigne video we'd get an article about how this is a "problematic" appropriation. Is there a reason this video is exempt?
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