Oh Kanye. First you go all meme-ish the other week after the VMAs. Where, predictably, just about all of us with a computer had to go and Photoshop up some sort of spoof of your Taylor "Swift-boating" incident. Some pretty reputable-sounding rumors out there even have you and Jay-Z orchestrating the whole thing. Because everybody in y'all's camp won. His wife Beyonce looked saintly at the end of the show. You get to go on Leno with Jay and Rhianna the next night goosing the ratings for Jay and promoting self. And Jay-Z's new album--which not so coincidentally features guest artists from his latest label imprint, as well as tracks you produced--becomes his 11th album to top the Billboard 200. Thus breaking a record held by Elvis Presley. But I digress.
Mind you, I know. You're smarter than most give you credit for. You're no more a pawn in Jay-Z's master plan than you are the vision of unchecked assholery that others think you are. You think about these things. Maybe not 100% of the time. But certainly in general. And your operational philosophy basically announces to the world that you don't care how many haters you have as long as they know how to spell your name right in their tweets and blog posts. And feed a publicity machine that jumps from social media to mainstream media and back so fast and so often that the release of the above video actually spawned a "trending-topic" flood of "RIP Kanye" tweets this week.
Which makes people watch the video. That is directed in the beautiful and provocative style of one Spike Jonze. Because Spike Jonze directed it. And it's probably promoting something that we're not even aware of yet, in addition to Jonze's box-office-topping film "Where the Wild Things Are" and your song "See You in My Nightmares."
For whatever it's worth, Jonze is saying that you jumped the gun posting the video on your blog before it was finished, before mysteriously taking it down later. But okay, enough of the second person, I'll call you Kanye from now on and act like a reporter or something. From today's New York Times, Jonze had this to say about the leak.
Nonetheless, his enthusiasm for the project was quite evident in the following statement. Jonze continued.
A couple of thoughts. First, I'm pretty sure that the reception will partition folks into their usual camps: those who dig Kanye, those who dig his art but find him to be a bit of a douche, and those who hate his ass with passion and find him to be a total douche. But personally, I'm starting to think he's working an angle that's much more actively thought through than most people give him credit for.
This short film--about fighting inner demons--was in the works for months. And seemingly leads one down a trail that has been mapped out. With plenty of layovers on the social-media world tour. If you ask me, I'm guessing that it leads to a place where Kanyeeze will be pitching us an elaborate musical story about the personal salvation that comes after acute heartbreak. Just hazarding a guess here, but maybe all of these antics are just prep work for an even more elaborate pitch for public redemption.
Either way, we'll know about it. Because whether they love Kanye or revile him, fans, influencers, and even detractors will all be working hard to get the word out.
Daniel Turman
Mind you, I know. You're smarter than most give you credit for. You're no more a pawn in Jay-Z's master plan than you are the vision of unchecked assholery that others think you are. You think about these things. Maybe not 100% of the time. But certainly in general. And your operational philosophy basically announces to the world that you don't care how many haters you have as long as they know how to spell your name right in their tweets and blog posts. And feed a publicity machine that jumps from social media to mainstream media and back so fast and so often that the release of the above video actually spawned a "trending-topic" flood of "RIP Kanye" tweets this week.
Which makes people watch the video. That is directed in the beautiful and provocative style of one Spike Jonze. Because Spike Jonze directed it. And it's probably promoting something that we're not even aware of yet, in addition to Jonze's box-office-topping film "Where the Wild Things Are" and your song "See You in My Nightmares."
For whatever it's worth, Jonze is saying that you jumped the gun posting the video on your blog before it was finished, before mysteriously taking it down later. But okay, enough of the second person, I'll call you Kanye from now on and act like a reporter or something. From today's New York Times, Jonze had this to say about the leak.
This is the first time it's happened to me and it is a weird feeling, like, 'Wait a second -- I wasn't ready to put that out! That's mine. Uh, no, I guess it's not mine anymore.'
Nonetheless, his enthusiasm for the project was quite evident in the following statement. Jonze continued.
We rehearsed the night before we shot, and talked about trying to get to that raw place, that sad, pathetic, drunken, lost place. I told him, the more shameless it is, the more pathetic it is, the better. He just went for it.
I like Kanye and I care about him. This video is a side of him. I don't know what the reception is going to be, but I love making stuff with him. I love the guy.
A couple of thoughts. First, I'm pretty sure that the reception will partition folks into their usual camps: those who dig Kanye, those who dig his art but find him to be a bit of a douche, and those who hate his ass with passion and find him to be a total douche. But personally, I'm starting to think he's working an angle that's much more actively thought through than most people give him credit for.
This short film--about fighting inner demons--was in the works for months. And seemingly leads one down a trail that has been mapped out. With plenty of layovers on the social-media world tour. If you ask me, I'm guessing that it leads to a place where Kanyeeze will be pitching us an elaborate musical story about the personal salvation that comes after acute heartbreak. Just hazarding a guess here, but maybe all of these antics are just prep work for an even more elaborate pitch for public redemption.
Either way, we'll know about it. Because whether they love Kanye or revile him, fans, influencers, and even detractors will all be working hard to get the word out.
Daniel Turman
Strategists & Planners
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