Attention: For when you read this, I demand you stand up, stop whatever it is you’re doing, “I’ma let you finish,” but this is the greatest piece of writing you will ever read.

Clearly I’m not serious, at least not Kanye-level serious, unless you have been truly affected by my writing (my email is at the bottom, we can sort this issue out). To be Kanye-level serious, you need to demand that you receive the undying attention of everyone in front of and around you, have all thoughts be thought about you, and every voice speak your words (because you are the voice of our generation).

Our pal, and in all honesty one of my favorite artists and public figures (I love his music and find him comical and exciting), Mr. Kanye “Our Savior Yeezus” West finds himself again in the hot seat. At a recent show, West demanded that everyone stand for the rest of his show, and then called out a person in a wheelchair and another with a prosthetic leg.

OK now, if you’ve seen the video, he does state that it’s OK to remain seated if they are disabled. As a performer, he wants everyone to have a good time. Along with his clear arrogant manner of having to make them prove they are unable to do the task he requests, I have to place blame on the crowd. I have been to my fair share of concerts, and sometimes the people who attend are just as bad as those who mask themselves behind the mystery of the computer screen. It’s a barrage of speaking “freedoms” and attempts to “have a good time,” much to the expense of some. If a musician berates a person in the crowd, you’re damn right the masses will “boo” and insult that person until they are escorted out. It is almost a fight for survival.

Where this particular concert went awry is the crowd doing just this toward the two disabled concertgoers, to an almost worse extent. It’s not fair for, in this example Kanye, to get away with the attack. But it is also not fair to gather together like wolves preying on a fawn to attack these people. I would be embarrassed to call myself a member of that crowd by how they handled the situation. Not a single soul will be surprised by Kanye’s words and action, as he is definitely known to give an “insightful” rant anytime he’s in the spotlight (so basically on all occasions), but before you call out the man for living his character, think of your own. We could all turn off the mic, take a minute to consider what we’re going to say or do, and, I promise, I will let you finish.

Let the center of attention lead us off into the next life, but you don’t have to do everything he says.

Mike Richards is a senior English major and a columnist for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].