What’s your problem, Toronto?

On Slut-shaming, Kanye West and the Pan Am Games

 

July 17th, 2015

by Lindsay Hutton

 

Canadian sports fans are the next subset of the world’s population to engage in the spewing litres of haterade for Kanye West. The man who will forever remain the archenemy of both Swifties and pissy Glastonbury attendees alike was confirmed today to headline the closing ceremonies of the 2015 Pan Am Games, taking place this month in Toronto and surrounding area.

 

More than a few onlookers have wondered if the especially severe tide of vitriol regularly pointed at West is motivated by racism than his distinct brand of douche-y behaviour and attendant antics. Put simply, if you’re asking, “So, if I’m super-against Kanye playing the closing ceremonies, does that make me a racist?” My answer is “probably.”

 

Similar to the petition lodged against West after news broke of his headlining slot at the Glastonbury festival in the UK last month, a Change.org petition protesting the booking currently boasts nearly 40,000 signatures.

 

Enter Alan Cross, a revered radio broadcaster and music journalist, a man who within the confines of the Canadian industry is nothing short of messianic to many a bespectacled university radio-station deejay. Cross published his thoughts on the Pan-Am committee’s decision to book Kanye two days ago, stating his preference for a possible “all-star Can-Con jam” featuring the likes of Neil Young, Matthew Good and Sarah McLachlan, among others. (What? No Avril??)

AlanCrossonKanye

In a previously-published version of Cross’ post, he lists his reasons for hating on Kanye as a headliner:

 

I don’t want my tax dollars going to this asshole who’s married to a Kardashian-especially THAT one. The thought of one cent of my tax dollars going to his skank support.

 

A hasty edit a few hours later had the last sentence tidied up to read: “…The thought of one cent of my tax dollars going to her makes me physically ill.”

 

Um. What? One could surely buy the argument in international sporting events, the musical performers are usually citizens of the hosting country. Slut-shaming the pregnant wife of a performer is hardly demonstrative of that enduring Canadian politeness.

 

Especially when lobbed from a dude who cites albums by gallivanting fellows like Oasis and Trent Reznor in his all-time top five, eh?

 

About

Lindsay Hutton lives and works in Hamilton, Ontario.

Image: Flickr

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