Whether you're a Kanye fan or not, there's no way you've missed the rapper's most recent internet behavior.
Every single day, there's something new, and considering it is part of my job to stay up to date with everything going on in the world – specifically the world of Ye – there's not a post, video, or rampage I've missed.
Those familiar with Mr. West will know that he has an affinity for turning to social media, especially during desperate times, and we've previously seen him start beef on Twitter. These past few weeks, however, Instagram has been his platform of choice.
We've seen everything from an odd beef with Peppa Pig, to public attacks on ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend, Pete Davidson, as well as publicly mentioning the name of his kids' school, North's TikTok presence, and so on. Even Ye's most loyal fans have started to question his behavior, and now Instagram has finally decided to suspend the rapper – for 24 hours.
"Bragging about bullying someone into a mental breakdown ain't p... We get it Kanye u don't fuck with him, no need to keep posting," wrote a Reddit user in r/WestSubEver, and plenty of others echoed this sentiment.
Kanye has been harassing Kim Kardashian online for days – weeks, even – so it is about time that Instagram, which is owned by Meta, stepped in. To be honest, I don't understand why they didn't sooner, as Ye's posts have already caused plenty of harm in the process, and encouraged plenty of his fans to act just as hateful on the internet.
According to a Meta spokesperson, his posts "violated Instagram's policies on hate speech, harassment, and bullying," but of course, he's only penalized by not being able to post for a whole day. Sigh.
It goes without saying that his suspension will do nothing but frustrate him even more. After attacking Kim, Pete, Billie Eilish, Trevor Noah, D.L. Hughley, Kid Cudi, Dave Sirus, and so on, there's no reason he won't return with more people on his list.
He's been getting away with his behavior for too long, with his fans pushing the classic "separate the art from the artist" narrative, but damn, it is time he is held accountable. With 15 million followers (plenty of who are under the age of 18), he's got an impressionable audience that is ride or die. If Ye says to "scream 'KIMYE FOREVER' at Skete when you see him" they will.
Harassment is never funny, and those who are still supporting Kanye's behavior need to reevaluate. It is clear that the rapper is not in a good mental state, but as someone who has repeatedly rejected help, medication, and so on, it is not an excuse for putting other people in danger and encouraging his fans to attack Pete, Kim, and anyone that dares to disagree.
24 hours is a good start, but there's no reason that Kanye needs to be on social media right now.
