Kanye West vs. VMAs: Round… ?

Come on, people. Is anyone really surprised to find out that Kanye West is an enourmous douche?

Has he not done something like this at almost every award show he's attended since having become a recognized name?

I wasn't actually aware that the VMAs were on until sometime after 11pm last night - True Blood is infinitely more entertaining in one hour than MTV has been, as a network, in 10 years. I noticed a bunch of news headlines talking about it, though, and decided to check out some of the video coverage. I couldn't even watch the entire Kanye/Taylor clip - it got to a point where it was literally too embarrassing just to witness in the teeny window of the online video player.

This morning, I read that Beyonce made a classy move and handed the mic over to Taylor Swift instead of making her own speech at the end of the show. Now there are rumors of the whole thing having been staged. I guess with all of the stunts MTV pulls to gain headlines, you do kind of have to wonder. It's certainly not beneath what they'd do to grab ratings and attention. They've done it before, though this one - if it was a prank - doesn't make much sense to me. Everyone already knows Kanye is a dick, so there's nothing new there. I don't know much about Taylor Swift, other than that she sings some song that always comes on the shower radio when I'm in there and makes me want to die (or run out of the shower with shampoo still in my hair just to avoid having to listen to it... 'cause turning the radio off is too much effort, you know?). Beyonce I'm kind of on and off with, but I think she seems like a pretty decent person, not really in need with a whole lot of image boosting right now, so I guess I don't see the purpose in staging that kind of event - especially when it's going to make one of the people you're giving an award to look silly, feel uncomfortable, and probably like a piece of shit. If it does come out that MTV was behind the whole thing, they're going to have a shit storm to deal with.

I think it's much more likely that Kanye West has just reached a level of douchebaggery that was unprecedented and they should probably stop inviting him to things. I like his music most of the time, but the guy is just... a fool who needs attention and has yet to find a classy way of getting it. This is how you get relegated to fish dick jokes, Kanye. Learn your lesson.

Edit:

I'm sorry, I'm coming back to this post because I absolutely need to include Kanye West's incredibly articulate apology right here on this page. And, just FYI, because I know some people have trouble with sarcasm - by "incredibly articulate" I, of course, mean "holy shit, my 11 year-old sister has better writing skills than this!"

Annnnd here we go:

I’M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD’VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED! I LIKE THE LYRICS ABOUT BEING A CHEERLEADER AND SHE’S IN THE BLEACHERS! …………………… I’M IN THE WRONG FOR GOING ON STAGE AND TAKING AWAY FROM HER MOMENT!…………….. BEYONCE’S VIDEO WAS THE BEST OF THIS DECADE!!!! I’M SORRY TO MY FANS IF I LET YOU GUYS DOWN!!!! I’M SORRY TO MY FRIENDS AT MTV. I WILL APOLOGIZE TO TAYLOR 2MRW. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!! EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I’M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!! NO DISRESPECT BUT WE WATCHIN’ THE SHOW AT THE CRIB RIGHT NOW CAUSE … WELL YOU KNOW!!!! I’M STILL HAPPY FOR TAYLOR!!!! BOOOYAAAWWWW!!!! YOU ARE VERY VERY TALENTED!!! I GAVE MY AWARDS TO OUTKAST WHEN THEY DESERVED IT OVER ME… THAT’S WHAT IT IS!!!!!!! I’M NOT CRAZY YALL, I’M JUST REAL. SORRY FOR THAT!!! I REALLY FEEL BAD FOR TAYLOR AND I’M SINCERELY SORRY!!! MUCH RESPECT!!!!!

So, I'm sure at least some of you will join me in saying... ... ... uh... what?