Kanye West, also known as Ye, has been caught up in controversy as of late. From racist remarks to quoting and displaying affection for Adolf Hitler, Ye has been in the media’s spotlight for the past several months. 

There doesn’t seem to be any solid motive for this behavior, and frankly, the media doesn’t seem to care what the deeper meaning of all this really is. Ye stated in an interview with David Letterman back in April of this year that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Ye provided information about the changes in his life since his diagnosis.

According to Jonathon Strum of The Recovery Village, Ye stated, “When you’re in this state, you’re hyper-paranoid about everything… Everyone is an actor. Everything’s a conspiracy, you pretty much don’t trust anyone.” This could possibly explain why Ye has taken such a controversial stand. The media is known to appeal to the public opinion, even if that means making people look evil and morally wrong. The media has rained fire upon Ye, but is he really at fault for his mental illness?

Now I’m not necessarily saying that Ye is completely innocent, but I am saying that maybe the media needs to put more light on the fact that Ye has a mental illness that may or may not be affecting his mind, therefore causing him to say things and do things he normally wouldn’t do. My point is proven even more if you look at a very recent interview on Alex Jones’ show, who has also been barraged by the media in the past. Ye is seen showing clear signs of mental illness and signs that he’s not in a right state of mind. “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis,” Ye stated, according to Andrew Limbong of NPR News.

Ye is being attacked by the media for his actions, and it has cost him. Many companies have completely cut ties and affiliation with Ye. This includes sponsorships with Adidas, Balenciaga, Gap, and many more. “Ari Emanuel, I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I’m still alive,” Ye states on an Instagram post, “This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am.” This shows signs of Ye possibly having good intentions with the message that he’s trying to convey. Although the opposite could be said, Ye could be saying this to lighten the attacks made by the media.

The whole “Kanye West Situation” has been taken abroad by younger members of society. Recently Ye has become an internet sensation, with memes and jokes being found all over the popular platform TikTok about his recent controversy. Others have stated and showed their support for the artist. Not only adolescents but many celebrities have shown their support for Ye. According to XXL News and Forward News Elon Musk, Candace Owens, Donald Trump, and Joey Bada$$ have all stated their support over Ye’s recent remarks. Donald Trump stated, “I did watch the Tucker Carlsen interview, and he was really nice to me… Sometimes he’ll make a statement, and a lot of people will think it’s worse than he means it to be.”

Ye could have some sort of agenda, a plan for an ultimate goal. Or he could just be “crazy” like the media states he is. Ye is now known worldwide for his anti-semetic comments, and many show their distaste for the man. But many support him as well. The public is divided on this topic. There is no really right or wrong answer.

I have asked a randomly selected student from Hillcrest High School to convey their opinion on the matter. Aaron Glenn states, “I think it’s a little crazy. Kinda everyone has their time in the sun, and I think his is kind of up. You do kind of have to separate his music from what he’s done. You gotta seperate art from the artist, but like at the same time, this is kind of just publicity stunt after publicity stunt.” I think Aaron brings forth the idea that this is all some kind of publicity stunt, as Ye is known to have done things in the past but never to this degree, I think his idea is valid and certainly a possibility. Glenn’s ending statement is, “Ye is still my homie.” A light bit of comedy which shows not many people are too serious about the whole thing. I think this is a great analysis and example of Ye and how his controversy has affected the world.