The Right Cheek Ass Clown of the Month for February, 2015

Dear Readers, if you have been keeping track of the alternating Friday schedules of Great Moments in Editing and Ass Clown Awards, you know that today should feature the former. However, since it's my blog and since a prime candidate has arisen, I have decided to go ahead and change the schedule so that I can name the

Right Cheek Ass Clown of the Month

for

February, 2015

 And the award goes to

Kanye West

You will no doubt recall that it was Mr West who, in 2009, loudly and boorishly stormed the stage at the Grammys to protest the award given to Taylor Swift, which he believed should have been given to his friend Beyonce Knowles. He received no small measure of opprobrium over that affair, but it did not seem to change his behavior, for at last week’s Grammy Awards, he did the same thing again, this time interrupting the presentation of an award to performer Beck who, according to Mr West, was getting an award that should have gone to … surprise! … Beyonce. After the show, he lectured that 

“Beck needs to respect artistry and he should’ve given his award to Beyonce.” He went on to insult the Grammy Awards themselves by saying, “When you keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in their face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you’re disrespectful to inspiration. And we as musicians have to inspire people who go to work every day, and they listen to that Beyonce album and they feel like it takes them to another place.”*

Clearly, Mr West thinks he knows better than everyone else who ought to win music awards. But that opinion was not shared by Shirley Manson, frontwoman for the group Garbage, who posted an open letter to him on Facebook, saying,

“You disrespect your own remarkable talents** and more importantly you disrespect the talent, hard work and tenacity of all artists when you go so rudely and savagely after such an accomplished and humble artist like BECK. You make yourself look small and petty and spoilt. In attempting to reduce the importance of one great talent over another, you make a mockery of all musicians and music from every genre, including your own. Grow up and stop throwing your toys around. You are making yourself look like a complete twat … I am pretty certain Beyonce doesn’t need you fighting any battles on her account. Seems like she’s got everything covered perfectly well on her own.”

For his spoiled, boorish behavior and crude insult to a fellow performer, Kanye West is named as our Right Cheek Ass Clown of the Month for February.

I wonder if anyone will storm my blog to tell me that someone else should have won.

Have a good day. See you in this space tomorrow for our special Valentine’s Day edition of Cartoon Saturday.

Bilbo 

* Beck himself was quoted afterward as saying he thought Beyonce was going to win, and replied to West’s crude comments with a gracious, “I still love him and think he’s genius. I aspire to do what he does.” That, folks, is class.

** For the record, I do not find that Mr West’s talent – such as it is – to be at all remarkable. Sorry, Shirley.