‘SNL’: Kanye West’s ‘Uncomfortable’ Political Rant Made Things Weird for Cast
Kanye West is no stranger to bold claims and behavior that makes those around him uncomfortable. And it seems he has another rant to add to his growing catalog of bizarre behaviors.
This time, the rant took place on the set of Saturday Night Live. It didn’t air; however, so how do we know that it took place? Because West made the other cast members so uncomfortable that they’re speaking out about the experience. Let’s take a closer look at what happened.
Kanye West has a history of controversial political views
This is not the first time West has found himself in the spotlight for his political views. In fact, one of his earliest “viral” moments was a politically-charged comment on live television.
In 2005, West appeared alongside comedian Mike Myers in a telethon to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. West apparently told Myers, “Yo, I’m going to ad-lib a little bit” before the cameras started rolling.
Myers is clearly reading from a script as he gives disturbing facts about the impact of the hurricane. When West starts speaking, he is clearly off script in an emotional monologue that talks about the way the black victims are being portrayed as looters.
Myers again follows the script. When West next speaks, he delivers a line that remains one of his best-known shockers: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”
Kanye West’s latest political rants have been supportive of Donald Trump
West has found himself running afoul of many of his friends (and even causing his wife, Kim Kardashian, plenty of anxiety) with his most recent political views. He has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump.
West has been seen on multiple occasions sporting a red “Make America Great Again” hat, a clear symbol of Trump supporters. It appears that he empathizes with Trump and sees liberals as “bullying” the President and preventing his supporters from being able to freely speak their minds.
“We don’t have to feel the same way but we have the right to feel what we feel and we have the right to have a conversation, a dialogue, not a diatribe about it,” the rapper explained.
West’s real political views have been hard to pin down. For instance, he was spotted pairing his MAGA hat with a Colin Kaepernick sweatshirt. These political symbols signal two completely oppositional viewpoints in the current American landscape.
Many of his high-profile outbursts — including his political rants — have fans and friends alike concerned about his mental health.
Kanye West made his ‘SNL’ appearance political
West appeared on SNL in September of 2018. He was wearing his signature MAGA hat, and he grabbed the mic to go on a rant about his Trump support. A clip of the unaired sequence made its way around the internet.
In it, West explains that Trump “inspires” him. He says that he “connects” with Trump, so he doesn’t need to “believe in all [his] policies.”
West claims he was “bullied” backstage when other cast members told him not to go on stage with the hat on. Trump himself was quick to respond positively to West’s speech. He went so far as to claim that West was “leading the charge” for his cause.
Kanye West’s ‘SNL’ rant stirred up some of the cast members
While West may have thrilled the president, not everyone was so happy with his unscripted performance. SNL cast member Kenan Thompson talked about the moment on both Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning and in an interview with Seth Meyers on Late Night.
Thompson said that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but he says he felt the other cast members were “held hostage” by being brought on stage during the moment. Thompson himself had skipped out on West’s request to return to the stage.
Myers asked him if, after seeing the rant, he was glad he’d made that choice. “For sure!” Thompson enthusiastically replied.
He described an uncomfortable moment where he felt like West had set a trap for the people on stage who West knew strongly disagreed with his views.
If history is any indication, we can expect many more moments where West steps beyond the established boundaries to speak his mind — even if we have no idea just what he’ll say when he does it.
