Now that we have a little background let's go back to Kanye's song Ego. As I mentioned the song came out a month after the South Park episode making fun of Kanye. The song is obviously a response to the criticism Kanye was receiving at that time for his award show outbursts and for saying things like "[I'm] the voice of this generation" (cite). In the song Kanye raves about his "big ego" with some not so subtle sexual innuendo. Two birds, one stone; Kanye recognizes that he has a huge ego and tells the world that he has a huge dick. This, of course, is ironic because he seems to be recognizing his ego in an extremely egotistical way. This, no doubt, is the point. The problem I have with the song is that he seems to be not only recognizing his egotistical ways, but celebrating them.
The problem with having a huge ego and outright celebrating it is that this individualistic attitude has detrimental effects on others. In the first place, egotistical attitudes deny the self-criticism necessary to analyze one's own actions and their effect on oneself and others. This lack of insight will come at the detriment of others, and likely oneself. The second part of my critique is more complex. If, popular culture is a is a struggle for control of the masses and resistance from that control, Kanye West's message of egotistical individualism aids those people who attempt to control. Such a toxically individualistic mentality is, and has been, used to deny the communal nature of society. This mentality encourages people not to care too much about others. Ignoring our communal nature and neglecting the concerns of others creates a politically passive subject, one who is unable or unwilling to look at or address social concerns. This is the kind of subject that is easily manipulated politically, because his/her knowledge of the political world is narrowed. Furthermore, individualizing people keeps them from creating the type solidarity that social movements require. So, the problem is twofold. An egotistical person is generally unwilling to put energy into social change and an individualistic society is unable to form adequate solidarity necessary to change society. I am aware that this critique rests on the assumption that social change is necessary. But, suffice it to say that a democratic society requires politically active subjects.
So, Kanye West's attitude is antithetical with democratic values, what about his music? My critique of Kanye and his music stops where his egotistical message does. By this I mean that I have no animosity toward his musical style. In fact, I think some of Kanye's music sounds good. But, I challenge his fans to look more critically at the values laden in his music and what the effects of this attitude may mean. This, of course, assumes that some of his fans subscribe to his egotistical attitude; which I think is a safe assumption.
Paradoxically, Wilson writes that grappling with people not like oneself is what democracy is about. Reconciling this perspective with my own seems to lead to cognitive dissonance. On the one hand, I agree that we should embrace and celebrate our differences, like our tastes in music. On the other I contend that the spread of individualism, explicit in Kanye West's attitude and music helps create an essentially undemocratic society. I deeply respect and defend each person's right to express themselves and consume whatever media they desire. But, if popular culture is the battleground for the minds of the masses, we should examine more closely the effects that popular views have in the construction of attitudes and how they affect the political and social world.
After reviewing my analysis of Kanye West and his song Ego Pierre Bourdieu would categorize me as having a middle class or elite taste. Rather than simply liking music for being entertaining or accessible, I place a much greater emphasis on the values the music espouses. Knowing my background, Bourdieu would credit this proclivity to my field rather than my habitus because I come from a poor family. He would theorize that I am attempting to separate myself from people who like this music to gain cultural capital and symbolic power.
I used to cringe at popular music for simply for being popular because I assumed it was vain. That attitude most surely was highbrow. My critique and dislike of Kanye West is altogether different. My attitude probably has a lot to do with what I have learned about society, culture, and politics while at the university. For this reason, my distaste for Kanye West's music is determined by my field.
Bourdieu's theory is altogether too constraining because I separate myself from his Kanye's music out of protest, rather than cultural capital. Of course, one asset of a non-falsifiable theory like Bourdieu's is that he could contend that I am blind to my own motivations for taste. However, my critique of the values laden in Kanye's music does not depend on my motivation.
So, what does my animosity toward Kanye West's song Ego say about me? It says that I care more about a songs message than whether or not I can dance to it (therefore, I'm a more thoughtful and reflective person than Kanye West fans). If only Bourdieu had it so easy. Like Kanye West fans, my tastes are more than the interaction between my habitus and field. I suppose my dislike of Kanye shows that I have become more critical of the media I consume. Far from wanting to separate or distinguish myself, I aim to motivate others to examine what they consume and the messages therein. This process is everyday praxis for the type of social change I aim to help foster. Yes, that was a shameless celebration of my efforts, but in my defense it was a long overdue break from my routine self-deprivation. Oh my! Did Kanye just bolster my ego?
References
Wilson, Carl. Let's Talk about Love: a Journey to the End of Taste. New York: Continuum, 2007. Print.
