I don't pay a whole lot of attention to the Grammys (or other award shows of its ilk). I find them to be super-glitzy infomercials for the entertainment industry and their product, much of which I find to be complete pabulum (on a good day) and freshly stinking tripe on other days. I figure that my personal "grammy award" goes to those for whom I purchase my music (I don't believe in illegal downloading - I'm a musician, and I can fully empathize with my fellow musicians who are having a hard-enough time trying to make a living at their craft).
That being said, it just would not be a complete event without an outburst courtesy of the frontal facial orifice of Kanye West. The man comes off as somebody who has absolutely no concept of anything related to social graces, decency, or scruples, as attested by his recent storms on the Beck parade flotilla, as well as his similar action to Taylor Swift back in the days when she was a country singer. So while his outburst earns him the scorn he has received, let's take a look at this from a somewhat-different angle.
It pays to keep a couple of things in mind. First, Kanye West is not only an entertainer in his own right, but he's also a the head of a highly successful record label. You don't get to where he's at without knowing how to make waves and gain attention for yourself. You have to know promotions and marketing like the back of your hand, and he's proven his adeptness at those arts. He may appear to look and sound like a buffoon, but I guarantee you, he knows exactly what he is doing.
The fact that ethic groups other than Caucasian are still, largely, not at the levers of control in the music and entertainment industries is certainly not lost on Kanye (or any other artist of color.) Most of the highest positions in those industries are still chaired by middle-aged or older white men. While there has been some progress in this area - Louil Silas, Jr., Randy Jackson, Sylvia Rhone, Berry Gordy, Jay-Z, and a few others come to mind - it's no secret that minorities and women are still grossly underrepresented in the top ranks.
So my suggestion is this: recognize that Kanye's outburst was not the product of an idiot. Kanye is a modern-day P.T. Barnum, and he knew what he was doing.
