A big talking point recently has been public figures; to what extent do their political affiliations, and controversial claims, really shape public thought?
At the centre of this most recently has been rapper Kanye West, and his public support of President Donald Trump. It has been polarising and shocking, and much debated.
However, in order to see what the public really thinks about it, I decided to ask them.
Bella Kosky, a 20 year old UNSW student studying social policy, from Burwood, said:
“I think Kanye is kind of representative of the fine line between genius and ego. People have argued that his support could either be a way to stimulate the brand and trend in wake of the release of his newmusic, or it could be genuine political support. Either way, Kanye prides himself on being apart from the rest, and we can’t really be sure what exact policies of Trump he does and doesn’t agree with. Could be a stunt, legit who knows.”
Grace Nguyen, a 19 year old barista at the same café, from Fairfield, was much more brief with her reply. She said:
“Who cares about Kanye West.”
Maryam Zavieh, a 34 year old hairdresser, from Northmead, said:
“My younger brother listens to him. I don’t know if anyone cares about what he actually has to say. It’s just music.”
Joshua Maher, 20 year old Macquarie University student and paralegal, from Castle Hill, said:
“He’s definitely keeping himself interesting. I always thought of him as a very talented person because of his musical prowess, but boy has he just gotten really weird and off the rails. He’s not the same person he once was. I mean, who is, but to go from music that had strong messages to do with his culture and those around him, to tweets with Trump… the guy isn’t doing himself any favours.”
