I miss the old Kanye: An opinion on why Kanye West’s mental health is the reason for his recent controversial statements, and how the media is using him for publicity.

As I scroll through a string of Homecoming and senior Sunday posts, I come across yet another problematic post from rapper Kanye West saying that George Floyd died from fentanyl, not police brutality. A click on his profile displays seven more posts — each one more problematic than the last. 

It seems like one of the most common sights in newspapers and blog headlines over the last two decades has been controversial statements made by West.

Ever since his rise to fame in the year 2000, West has found himself in the spotlight quite often, but not always for his new album releases. Instead, it’s for his troublesome hot takes, from saying “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” to his most recent declaration via Twitter that he will “go defcon 3 on Jewish people.”

In these social media rampages, there has been an endless number of public relations nightmares. He interrupted an awards show to complain about Taylor Swift winning a Video Music Award in 2009. In 2016, he defended convicted rapist Bill Cosby, claiming he was innocent. Two years later, he shared his perspective that “slavery was a choice” by African Americans. 

In many of these cases, he has apologized and often shared publicly that he struggles with both substance abuse, grief from his mother’s sudden death and bipolar disorder. Regardless of what West is going through, it doesn’t justify his outrageous actions — especially because he’s a prominent figure with the world watching him at all times.

Kanye West’s bipolar disorder, the constant media coverage surrounding him and his ego have created a perfect storm of chaos that is now impossible to stop. It seems clear to me that Kanye is in the middle of a mental-health crisis and needs help. One of the elements that seems to be driving him is publicity, because instead of seeking out help, he’s seeking out interviews and opportunities to speak publicly.

West has spent the last two weeks making antisemetic and paranoid statements. His most recent issues began after West — alongside controversial activist and conservetive Candace Owens — wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt to Paris Fashion Week. 

After his initial Tweet about Jewish people, West went on Fox News with host Tucker Carlson and discussed his concerns about being censored for his views. He’s been suspended on both Instagram and Twitter as well, and even Carlson chose not to air some portions of the interview, which — according to the Washington Post — included more antisemetic statements and claims that his children were being “sexualized” by “actors” placed in their home. There’s no evidence that any of this is true.

These contentious actions by West all point to signs that he’s in some sort of Bipolar episode, which would explain his constant barrage of socially inappropriate and erratic behavior. 

The problem is that people keep putting him in front of cameras. Carlson chose to air the interview with West even after he’d made hateful statements about Jewish people. Even though West is a major celebrity, the media shouldn’t be giving him attention he craves when he acts out like this.

Maverick Carter, the producer of the TV show “The Shop,” chose to allow West to film an episode of the show, though he later chose not to air it because West made several “hate speech” comments about Jews. Even later, rapper and podcaster NORE invited West to appear on Drink Champs, where he continued to make discriminatory statements about Jews. 

The media keeps giving him what he wants: the spotlight. Any parent or older sibling knows that the best way to deal with someone who is out of control is to not give them the attention they are seeking. 

I’m sympathetic to West’s mental health struggles in particular because I have family members who have struggled with the same diagnosis. He clearly needs to seek professional support. However, as long as he continues to get the attention he desires, he’s unlikely to do that. 

It isn’t just on the media either. Podcasters, TV show producers and others in charge of scheduling interviews will keep booking West as long as people keep tuning in. In other words, if you miss the old Kanye, stop watching the new one.