AIBU to think cancelling Kanye West’s Italy concert was justified? (antisemitism)

[Twiglets1]

A Kanye West concert in Italy has been cancelled as a result of “public order and safety issues”.

He was scheduled to perform at the Pulse of Gaia Festival at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia on July 18, but Salvatore Angieri, the city’s prefect, stopped the concerts after “concerns” from the local Jewish community about previous anti-Semitic remarks by West.

A translation of a statement issued by the government of Reggio Emilia "took into account the cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the real risk of counter-demonstrations.”

In April, West’s show in Marseille, France, was postponed after he had been denied a UK visa earlier that month, which led to the cancellation of his headline appearances at London’s Wireless Festival, following backlash due to anti-Semitic remarks.

West released a song called Heil Hitler in 2025, and previously advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. He has also been criticised for posting tweets of an anti-Semitic nature and describing slavery as “a choice”.

Slight aside, but I love the fact that in Italy a prefect (the equivalent of a mayor here) can just say “yeah, that’s not happening in my town” and that’s the end of it. Same in France. In the UK no one would have any powers to stop this kind of nonsense except perhaps the Home Secretary.

He's an arrogant, abusive, misogynistic, antisemitic arsehole. Having bipolar doesn't mean people owe it to him to like or support him.

Who do you mean by small but influential special interest groups?

I dont think anyone is doing that, you can go watch him perform in the US, no one will stop you.

Why are people bending themselves into pretzels to excuse this misogynist, homophobic, racist POS of a person? Because he’s rich? Because he has some catchy songs? Bipolar/mental illness isn’t the reason for any of this.
He’s just a fucking horrible cunt. Stop defending him. I wonder would the excuses land the same were he white.

Were he white and coming out with racist shit multiple times he would have been cancelled years ago.

Yes I think this is what I struggle with when people immediately jump to concluding that these things must be deep beliefs in the first place

There are often threads about pepol ewith dementia, and that the inappropriate things they say must be because thats what they believe anyway

Im not convinced. I worked on psychiatric wards at the start of my career, I now work in a related professional to MH in the community and am exposed to lots of different client groups who have varying degrees of emotional wellness

Those who are not well, who are in psychosis or who suffer with paranoia seem to have fairly random beliefs. Sometimes its about pop stars, or a religion that seemingly has no connection with them, sometimes its food based, or technology based, or spirituality based. When they're well these are not the same people.

I dont know much about this bloke.

I just know if I had some break down and was inappropriate I hope people would be kind to me

I think he probably just needs to get better rather than play gigs.

Yep and rightfully so.

Somehow this piece of garbage still has a platform. And a record deal.

He did not grow up poor or disadvantaged, quite the opposite.(and his behaviour still wouldn’t be ok even if that were the case), but he did not grow up without resources etc. so to blame decades of shit behaviour on a MH issues is frankly bollocks.

Yes, I think it was justified. The damage that was done, isnt undone IF he said and did these things while in active psychosis.

Im out on whether this was the reason for his behaviour, I dont know enough about the bloke

Im in on it being justified to be cancelled.

He's literally said he beats women, but sure, lets hope no one is unkind to him.

Ugh I had to Google that, add violence towards women and misogyny to the things he supposedly can't help:

Ye’s latest rant was already crazier than any before due to his praise for Hitler, the admission that he was a Nazi, and his defense of Diddy — but it took a darker turn over the weekend. The 47-year-old rapper admitted to domestic abuse while discussing Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

The Chicago producer pointed out how the Bad Boy founder was behind bars for his sexual misconduct allegations while K. Dot was performing at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show despite having assault allegations of his own. Amid all that, he took the time to tell on himself perhaps without considering the repercussions. “LET ME START BY SAYING. I HAVE HIT WOMEN BEFORE,” he wrote on X.

He continued by pointing out everyone who he has offended, including Black people, white people, Jewish people, and plus-sized women. “A FAT BI*H MAY TRY TO KILL ME,” he added. “IF THIS IS MY LAST DAY ON EARTH PLAY THIS IN MY MOVIE. AND PLAY THE FAT BIH PART TOO CAUSE I’M FUNNY AND ALL YOU NI*AS IS FUNNY TO ME.”

https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/kanye-west-domestic-abuse-diddy-drake-kendrick-lamar-1234992994/

But who are the people arguing this?

Or did you make up the argument?

This too...

@Dontlletmedownbruce seems to be suggesting that because he has apologised, he didn't mean it in their opinion.

I don't think much of him but would think his views were so extreme and because he has apologised that he didn't mean it and it was MH related.

I dont even think it makes a difference if he didnt mean it even (let alone if he didnt have a choice in his comments and that is obviously up for debate), the damage it can cause is too much to let him be embraced as a public entertainer.

One clumsy comment, perhaps, but not decades of it.

no yanbu.

But apparently the poor love couldn’t help it because, yet again, “mental illness.”

Am so sick of mental illness being used as a get-out to justify the most abhorrent behaviour. The two things are not mutually exclusive. You can be an antisemitic cunt and still be bipolar.

If he genuinely regretted his actions he would have withdrawn those songs from catalogues and repaid all the earnings he made from them to some kind of charity which supports the victims of antisemitism, it appears he has done nothing of the sort.

Ya halfway down your post, after tou mentioned the arguments.

My point is, who is arguing about it that caused this thread to exist? You say its an opinion you dont agree with, but don't share whose opinion it is, it sounds like you made up that this was a counter argument without source.

Bit hard to make sense of that comment.

I asked the question AIBU to think cancelling Kanye West's concert was justified.

And have been transparent that my personal opinion is that it was justified to cancel his concert.

On this thread people have mentioned that he subsequently apologised for his antisemitic rants and that he has bi polar. They appear to me to be defending him, which is fair as it's an AIBU.

To me, that doesn't change much; he still shouldn't be allowed to attend concerts or festivals when he apparently can't stop saying antisemitic stuff and also beats women (according to him) and calls plus sized women fat bitches.

I don’t really understand the point of this thread and who is arguing against it being cancelled. His comments were vile.

While I do think the mental health card is sometimes used as a get-out, he is absolutely mentally ill, there is no doubt. I have seen the video of him screaming at Kris Jenner and I found that very frightening.

I will say that I think that if he was a white woman with severe mental heath issues the world would be more forgiving.

What white female celebrity can you name that has said things this vile and hateful for this many years, including admiting to violence against others, and still has a successful career and mass public support? Im genuinely trying to think of just one.

Really? I'm a white woman, very fortunately not with bipolar or other MH issues.

But if I did have bipolar, and if I did start making very outspoken racist comments towards black people or Asian people say, I don't think society would be very forgiving at all.

I've been trying to think of one too and haven't been able to.

I dont think there is a direct comparison at all, I cant think of any either which is interesting

But, theres a thread about some woman who sleeps with thousands of men, on camera a sort of porn show thing. The entire narrative about this woman is 'poor her, she must be mentally ill' (theres no signs whatsoever about her being mentally ill and she hasnt claimed to be)

It is interesting how one persons bad behaviour is seen as 'clearly mad' and others isnt.