Assignment 4 - Joshua Pe

This is a screenshot from Kanye West’s music video for his song “Famous” off of The Life of Pablo, and Desiderio's "Sleep" at the top for comparison. It features either actual people or the likenesses of people, going from left to right: George W. Bush, Anna Wintour, Donald Trump, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Ray-J, Amber Rose, Caitlyn Jenner, and Bill Cosby. Some people have called this image and music video disgusting and only trying to garner shock value. Other people have praised the artistic value, looking at it as a remix of Vincent Desiderio’s “Sleep.” Either way, it is a snapshot of Kanye West’s eccentric exploration of his art. Other things in his career that have polarized people recently are his Yeezus album, his fashion line, and his most recent album The Life of Pablo. This image, among many other things from Kanye West, has caused society to rethink what art is and what makes an artist and artist, as well as the atmosphere of political correctness.

When I look at this, I see a commentary on remixing, on artistry, and on political correctness. Fundamentally, Kanye West’s remix is almost the same as Desiderio’s original. They both have the overhead view of people asleep on the same bed, and even the poses are the same. The difference is that Kanye West features famous people, and he is in the center of the bed, likely implying that he has the power or fame that makes his peers want to sleep with him. Kanye West has helped to redefine remixing as changing the intent of the message, since nearly everything else is copied. Is Kanye an artist? Some people discredit him as a clown and embarrassment. I see him as a pioneer who is pushing the limits of art. He’s an innovator, and this is one of many things in his career that shows how he is changing the game. Also, Kanye West has created discussion on political correctness. The blatant offense is the featuring of naked celebrities, many who likely did not give any permission for their likenesses to be used. In his song “Famous,” he says that “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ Why? I made that bitch famous.” He throws away any attempt at being inoffensive, and reignites the fire between him and Taylor that he started at the 2009 VMAs. This image hasn’t necessarily changed the course of history, but it has affected the art community and American society.