By: Kimberly D’Alete
Since the premiere of Kanye West’s new video/short film “Runaway” was released people cannot stop talking about it. The 35 minute long film packed with mysterious characters, ballerinas, “KKK” costumes, explosions and a giant Michael Jackson head has everyone wondering what was going through Kanye’s head and has started more controversy than Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” scandal. Is this video a creative masterpiece or just a failed attempt to get some attention?
No Stranger to Controversy
Kanye West is a very successful American rapper and producer who is no stranger to controversy. Known for his outbursts and dramatic behaviour, West has always been able to turn that energy around to make platinum selling albums and award winning singles. Unfortunately, in a short period of time he managed to turn himself into one of the most respected and influential stars in all of Hollywood, to one of the most hated. The transformation started back in 2005 at a benefit concert supporting the victims of Hurricane Katrina after publicly announcing that “[President] Bush doesn’t care about black people”. West’s comment on live television sparked huge controversy with the American population. He later apologized and the incident was somewhat forgotten. Shortly after, West was again criticized and blasted all over the media for his controversial cover on Rolling Stones magazine posing as Jesus with a crown of thorns on his head. Also in 2006, he gained a lot of attention because of his numerous negative comments about the Grammy Awards after not wining any of his five nominations and after blasting the MTV Video Music Awards for choosing Britney Spears to open the show instead of him because of “the color of her skin”. Once again, all was forgotten and people moved on but nothing could have prepared us for his 2009 MTV Video Music Awards stunt.
2009 MTV Video Music Awards
The infamous episode that led the very own Barrack Obama to express his opinion about Kanye West being a “jackass” is now the result of the negative perception the world has of him. As millions watched in shock after Kanye stormed in on Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech ranting about how the award should have gone to Beyoncé instead, West’s notability and star power rapidly decreased making him one of the most hated stars of all time. He quickly tried to regain some respect by formally apologizing to Swift on TV shows such as Jay Leno, by tweets, in his personal blog and personally calling her but former fans still wouldn’t forgive him. In his last attempt of redemption, West preformed his new song “Runaway” at this year’s MTV VMAs where he again apologized to Swift and sang this scandalous verse of his song:
Let's have a toast for the douchebags,
Let's have a toast for the assholes,
Let's have a toast for the scumbags […]
The song quickly went viral after his performance and the highly anticipated 35 minute short film/music video was released October 23, 2010
Runaway Video in a Nut Shell
Runaway is a 35-minute short film directed by Kanye West which also serves as the music video for his new single of the same name. It was inspired by other music-related short films such as Purple Rain, The Wall and Thriller. The film depicts a romantic relationship between a man and a half-woman, half-phoenix, and is set to music by Kanye West, most of which is from his new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
In the opening scene we see West running down a road in a forest with his shirt unbuttoned, followed by a quick introduction narrated by Nicki Minaj. The phoenix (played by model Selita Ebanks) crashes down to Earth as West crashes his car in the forest. While the car explodes in the background, West picks up the phoenix in his arms and brings her home. In the scenes that follow, we see the phoenix amazed and confused with objects from the human world. After a short dance scene while West plays a remix to his song “Power”, he takes her to see a carnival with a papier-mâché Michael Jackson head, a marching band, and fireworks. West falls in love with the phoenix and invites her to a formal dinner party. The other guests stare in disgusts and make rude comments so West responds with a performance of "Runaway". As the song starts, a group of ballerinas in black tutus preform an interpretive dance choreography. The rude guests toast to the lyrics saluting the "douche bags", and applaud West's performance. The diner ends when the phoenix screams in horror when she discovers that the main dish is a large turkey. After the dinner, the couple sits outside where they discuss the creation of sculptures, with the phoenix claiming that they are phoenixes who were turned to stone by society. She comments on the negativity and narrow mindedness of the world, declaring, "Do you know what I hate most about your world? Anything that is different you try to change." She then tells him that in order to avoid her fate of turning to stone she must burst into flames and return to her world. West tries to convince her to stay and they make love to his song "Lost in the World". He wakes up the next morning on his apartment roof, only to find the phoenix floating back into the sky in a gold breastplate. The video finally ends back in the forest seen at the beginning of the video.
Piece of Art or Epic Fail?
All the weirdness aside, West was able to capture the theme of the film beautifully. As you watch it, you can’t help but be intrigued and curious as to what will happen next. West does a good job by making you think about the media and how it can change people’s perception of a person in an instant. Near the beginning of the film, West says: “First rule of living in this world baby? Don’t pay attention to anything you see in the news”. The quote instantly takes you back to his past controversies (specifically the Taylor Swift scandal) and almost makes you feel sympathetic. The short film is a beautiful representation of the world today and how being different is still a “bad thing” and who better to express this but a walking, talking, work of pop culture essentially created by the media, Kanye West. He is the perfect example, aside from Lady Gaga, of a person who is hated for being different and who has be scrutinized and bashed by the media. While the short film is already receiving a lot of attention and praise it is up to record sales and critics’ reviews of the upcoming album (to be released November 22) to decide whether or not the artist was successful. Although, this is an impressive directorial debut for Kanye and a fascinating look at how the new [Ballerina scene in “Runaway”rules of media and entertainment can play
a part in crafting a work of art and restoring a damaged brand.
The reason why I chose this topic is because from the second I started watching it, I was in complete shock. I didn’t know what to think of it. There was so much confusion I wasn’t quite sure exactly where he was trying to go with it but as the film progressed, I started to understand the real meaning behind it. I have always been disgusted with the people in this world who don’t accept others for being different so anytime it is shown in movies or songs I’m usually all for them. What sets “Runaway” aside is Kanye’s unusual interpretation. The beauty behind the weirdness is so intriguing, it makes you want to know more and continue watching. It’s because of that reason that the video on VEVO’s channel has over 4 million hits on Youtube after less than two weeks.
Le 3312 c'est d'abord le numéro de local, mais c'est aussi le blog des étudiants du cours de rédaction du Collège Lasalle. Venez découvrir et partager avec nous, nos idées, nos points de vue, nos textes tout au long de la session.
mardi 16 novembre 2010
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