Rikki Stern is marketing and events coordinator at Initiative
Should you wear Hugo Boss knowing he produced the Nazi uniforms? Can you listen to R Kelly knowing he raped teenage girls? Can you watch American Beauty knowing Kevin Spacey allegedly violated 15 children?
Today, what an artist stands for is just as important as the work they put out to the world, and in the public eye, it’s almost impossible to separate the two.
But it’s the latest celebrity blunder that’s hit me, and 15 million others just like me, particularly hard.
The Kanye scandal.
Kanye (or ‘Ye’, after his recent name change) came out this week with a string of antisemitic and racist remarks, culminating in his overconfident statement:
“The thing about me and Adidas is I can literally say antisemitic s**t and they can’t drop me,”.
Well Ye, they did.
Just as an artist’s work and their views have become inextricably linked, so too have the brands that align themselves with these figures. It isn’t enough for a brand to collaborate with an A-list celebrity for the cultural clout that comes with it. Brands are working harder to ensure talent partnerships align with not only their businesses values but their consumers and are foregoing profits in the process.
Take West for example, with labels including, Balenciaga, Vogue, GAP and even his own record studio and documentary film retracting their name from all things Ye despite projected short-term losses of $250 million by terminating the partnership. Brands may have taken uncomfortably long to take such actions, but we must remember these aren’t just cute ad campaigns that are being cancelled, but entire divisions of business…globally.
Thankfully in the end they have though, as this is just the latest proof point that there needs to be consequences to controversial actions. Controversy should not be seen as a shortcut to popularity. It breeds a mentality that one must shock and step on the toes of those who can’t speak for themselves to get ahead. It creates a horrifically vicious cycle where you have to ‘outshock’ your past benchmarks, leading to the point when they inevitably cross an irreversible line. Yes shock sells, but it costs society so much more.
As a young Jewish professional and the grandchild of a concentration camp survivor, I am witnessing firsthand the fear and anxieties these statements are having on my community from the hate speech of a man powerful enough to become a presidential candidate. Ye amasses 18.3 million followers on Instagram alone, a larger number than the 15 million global Jewish population.
The aggressions and hatred being inflicted on them by Ye’s followers in his support has been confronting to say the least, damaging. Particularly amongst his follower base who often take his word for law.
But this issue is not new to us.
It is only now, after over 70 years that the Jewish population is reported to be reaching the pre-holocaust number. The loss of the 6 million people who perished in the holocaust is a number that the Jewish people cannot forget and a number we wish for the world to remember so that we no longer need to be fearful.
So if there is only three things you take away from this article it’s this:
1. Shock shouldn’t be lazily used as a shortcut to brand success
2. If you use celebrities and talent, ensure they align with your businesses and consumers values (and be prepared to lose money if they suddenly don’t).
3. By aligning with brands that positively contribute to society and the planet you may forego short term profit loss but in the long term it will pay off.
Whilst there are many downsides and grey areas when it comes to cancel culture, I for one am glad that, with regards to issues like this that are so black-and-white, we as a society can hold power to account.