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Sometimes, even the most inflammatory people get to make a great point. It happens.
Back in 2005, that was Ye in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Now, after Kanye West’s antisemitic tirade, it’s Howard Stern’s turn.
Howard knows the very real, personal consequences of antisemitism, as well as the history of it.
He is also quashing an all-too-popular defense that Ye’s defenders keep making.
On the Wednesday, October 19 episode of the Howard Stern Show, the controversial host weighed in on Kanye West.
“I almost don’t want to give any energy to this Kanye West character,” he admitted relatably.
“I don’t know much about Kanye West,” he admitted. That part is less relatable; we’re just envious.
“I’m not big into the rap scene, but he is …” Stern trailed off for a moment.
He expressed: “I’m really tired of people excusing his behavior by saying, ‘Well, he’s just mentally ill.’”
We, too, are fatigued with that claim. Mental illness is not an excuse for bigotry — it is also not a cause. Antisemitism is not a disease, it is an evil.
Stern observed that “a lot of media organizations” have been awarding a lot of “attention” to Kanye.
After all, what he described as a “wacky, antisemitic rant he feels free to spout” is difficult to ignore.
Stern then admitted that news organizations were “rightly” discussing him because they were “exposing him.”
But Stern has experienced antisemitism first hand. He relived some of that childhood trauma on air.
He recalled “groups of people with chains hitting me all because they’ve been taught the Jews are evil and killed Jesus.”
Stern continued: “What the f–k. I didn’t kill Jesus. I don’t know Jesus.” Sadly, that experience with bigotry is far from unique.
“Good lord, you gotta hear the s–t this guy’s into,” Stern went on.
Remember, Kanye announced that he was going “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” His belief is that a shadowy organization of Jewish people are conspiring to ruin him, which is classic antisemitism.
He commented: “And f–k this mental illness, self-defense thing … ‘Oh yeah, he’s just mentally ill, don’t worry about it.’”
“So mentally ill … they don’t they appoint a conservator over his money like they did with poor Britney Spears?” Stern asked.
Britney Spears’ infamous conservatorship robbed her of her personal freedoms and many human rights for nearly 14 years.
While there are rare cases where some form of guardianship is necessary, Stern’s point is clear: Ye is capable of managing his own life. He understands right from wrong. And he is choosing wrong.
“You know who was mentally ill? The guy that shot up that synagogue in Pittsburgh” Stern suggested. “If he’s that mentally ill, let’s commit him somewhere already.”
For the record, we do not know of any indications that Robert Gregory Bowers’ atrocity was the product of mental illness.
Instead, he appears to be a product of white supremacist radicalization. He didn’t believe in QAnon, for example. Many of his beliefs appeared to stem directly from Fox News hysterics about immigration, linked with antisemitism.
It is nothing short of dangerous to hear someone with Ye’s influence rant about a “Jewish underground media mafia.”
He accused this fictitious organization of sabotaging his career after he wore a “white lives matter” shirt.
For the record, you don’t need an insidious supervillain council to hurt your career when you wear a racist slogan.
Kanye also whined about people do not call him a “billionaire,” an “inventor,” or a “visionary,” but refer to him as a rapper.
“Guess what, douchebag,” Stern commented. “When they write about me, they call me ‘the shock jock.’ You don’t have control over [it].”
He went on: “You’re a rapper. That is what you are. That’s how you became famous.”
Stern lamented that this whole thing has been “so depressing” to process.
“Kanye used to be fun crazy, now he’s like Hitler,” he expressed.
That may be hyperbole, but Ye’s inexplicable influence could lead to real antisemitic violence. Just … not on the scale of the Holocaust. Not by himself, anyway.
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