Crisis Public Relations

 Cancel Culture

    In todays world nothing is private especially if you are a celebrity. Celebrities come in all different shapes and sizes with big and small personalities. Celebrities are watched 24/7 so they have to be careful what they air out all over the internet. Everyone is titled to their own opinion but it is usually in everyone's best interest to keep it to yourself especially if you are well known throughout social media. Cancel culture the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure. It is very important that after a person or company overshares in the wrong light to quickly apologize do right by their wrongs before the entire world "cancels" them. 

    Kanye West is someone that has been bouncing back and forth being canceled. Some may say that he is careless with his choice of words over the internet and some say that he is simply saying things that others are too scared to. Kanye is partnered with several different clothing, fashion brands, and social media platforms but maybe not for much longer. Not to be confused, Kanye has legally changed his named to Ye. 

     CNN talks about in the beginning of October, Ye also known as Kanye, wore a "White Lives Matter" t-shirt and got several Black models in attire bearing the same expression during his YZY runway presentation at Paris fashion week. The Anti-Defamation League has associated this slogan with the Ku Klux Klan. Ye bounces back with comments like "My tee s*** on everybody's showssss. Nothing happened but my t-shirt... To the Arnault's that hire anybody that worked for me remember my one t-shirt took allllll the attention" Jaden Smith a famous rapper and Will Smiths son attended Ye's Yeezy event during the Paris fashion week. He made it known that he left the event early and soon after tweeted, "If I don't feel the message I'm out. Black Lives Matter." 

    Ye West was recently on a 45-minute episode of "Drink Champs" podcast that was released earlier this month. The rapper made several shocking statements that had tangible financial consequences for both himself and his brand collaborators. On the podcast, West declared, "I can make antisemitic remarks, and Adidas can't sever ties with me. What now?" He also proposed that George Floyd's death was due to fentanyl overdose rather than police brutality. Additionally, he reiterated a number of antisemitic conspiracy theories, reaffirming them in subsequent interviews. I feel like he was talking out his for lack of better words butt during this entire podcast. He is walking around like he in untouchable and saying things without thinking about who he might hurt along the way. It is a bold statement to say that Adidas won't drop him because yeah he has done a lot for their brand but at this point he will just start to drag them down with him. 

    After the podcast was aired if he hadn't done enough yet, Ye made the post on Twitter saying, "Go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE." It is almost getting to the point where people have to start thinking either someone is paying him so much money to lash out like this or he has just absolutely lost his mind. He has gone from a Ye that everyone knows and loves to a Ye that no one wants anything to do with. After Ye's tweet came out Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the first to speak out about his Jewish comment. She responded with "The holiest day in Judaism was last week. Words Matter. A threat to Jewish people ended once in a genocide. You are a father. Please stop." After she spoke her thoughts through Twitter, she also relayed her concerns through an interview on the TODAY show. The thing that caught my attention the most with her retaliation was that she called out the fact that he is a father and that should be enough in itself to snap someone back into reality. When you are a father, the things you do are not just on you anymore but it also falls back onto your children. 

    The time came where Ye's brand deals have had enough. Starting with Adidas, on Monday they ended his collaboration with the brand immediately. In an official statement, th3e sportswear manufacture expressed that it "does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech" and also "unacceptable, hateful and dangerous." Adidas declared that these statements contradicted the company's principles of promoting diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness. Sales and manufacturing of Yeezy-brand items have been halted, and payments to Ye and his affiliated enterprises have also ceased. Adidas anticipates a negative impact of $246 million on its fourth-quarter sales as a result. 

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    Balenciaga is another well known brand that has just recently dropped Ye from their brand deal. In light of a string of antisemitic posts and contentious statements made by the rapper. Thud decision was documented in a statement from Balenciaga's parent company, as reported by Women's Wear Daily. Kering, who is Balenciaga's parent company said, "Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist."

         Other brands that Ye was dropped from or they decided to split ways because of different views were The Gap, Instagram, Creative Artist Agency, Twitter, along with ones that have been mentioned, Adidas and Balenciaga. Ye's Twitter and Instagram has been restricted due to his continues offences of violating the laws of the app. 

    It is clear that Ye is his own person and no one is over him or sensors what he says or post. He is entitled to his own opinion he just doesn't necessarily know when to stop before he hurts a lot of feelings and that leads to his career and brand deals. One wrong move and you can ruin your name forever to the point of no return. What now? How does someone like Kanye bounce back from this?