NBC Responds To Kanye West's Comments On Hurricane Telethon

[sabra]

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/4932034/detail.html

NBC Responds To Kanye West's Comments On Hurricane Telethon
Singer Criticizes President, Media Coverage

Help for the hurricane evacuees is pouring in from everywhere, including NBC's Concert For Hurricane Relief held Friday night.

But unscripted comments from musician Kanye West threatened to take some of the show's focus off raising funds.

...

During the special, West apparently ignored the script provided to him to give his opinions about coverage of the relief effort and express his criticism of President George W. Bush.

...

NBC pulled the comments from its West Coast broadcast and issued a statement after the show.

[sniffa]

1. tsk tsk

nominated, and fuck NBC

[proud patriot]

2. they pulled the comments for the west coast broadcast

rat bastards

[SlavesandBulldozers]

20. yes

i saw both the original and the rebroadcast.

they pulled Kanye's last statement in the rebroadcast (his initial rant is still there though).

[BQueen]

46. glad to see they left in the initial rant

about the media portrayals, etc. "good on ya, Kanye! I'll be buying your new CD tomorrow."

[fleabert]

45. they may have, but cnn played them five minutes later!

yeee-haw!

[TankLV]

55. But CNN last night played it in it's entirety!

I am so shocked - and this time it is not sarcasm!

[mountainvue]

67. Yep. And they kept playing it over and over.

Did we just get the press corps back?

[guruoo]

85. Video clip...

http://buttlands.net/kanye.avi

[KamaAina]

88. And yet they aired it with the comments in Hawai'i!

it seemed as though there was a ham-handed cut right after Kanye dropped the bomb: "George Bush doesn't care about black people." May have something to do with satellite feeds.

Truly, he is, as he was introduced at Live 8 in Philly, "the extraordinary Kanye West".

[Lindsay]

3. There is no longer

free speech in America.

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. While I admire Kanye West's stand and condemn NBC's censorship,

I too think in that situation, focusing on the fundraising effort is key. Flame me if you must.

[rodeodance]

14. here is their statement:

........"Tonight's telecast was a live television event wrought with emotion. Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him and his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks. It would be most unfortunate if the efforts of the artists who participated tonight and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person's opinion."

NBC pulled the comments from its West Coast broadcast and issued a statement after the show.

Distrib

[TomInTib]

16. Glad that we saw it live...we are on the west coast and started a

DU post.

[Shallah Kali]

31. "Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him

Makes me wonder what they wanted him to say. Whatever it is I don't blame him for getting mad. They have bungled everything from day one and more people have died because of that. I know I wouldn't have been able to keep calm.

[NoQuarter]

42. Calm indeed.

You can hear his voice shaking (probably from rage,) knowing that he was making himself a target. This is not the first controversial stand this young man has taken in the past few weeks. He has also called for hip-hop culture to deep six the anti-gay lyrics that permeate that genre.

Big-ass set of balls on that one.

[kevinam]

17. No flame here...

I agree with you 85%. I am not criticizing Kanye West for his comments, but the goal is helping the victims. As much as I probably agree with what he said (I haven't heard the comments), the goal of the concert was to raise money for the victims. If NBC's 'censorship' raised more money than not censoring it. It is the right call. Some wingnuts, might have decided against donating if 'their President' was bashed. They may have been offended. The time will come for addressing the reasons this disaster was worsened. That concert wasn't the right time.

Kevin.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

23. the time is now.

The time is never right to discuss issues of race and class in the corporate media. You have to take the opportunity as it presents itself, and I admire Kanye for doing it.

No flames here, though.

[NYC Liberal]

27. BINGO.

WHEN is the time? It will never be the time with this media. Time has run OUT. Now we need to say what needs to be said.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

28. yes

I am reminded of MLK Jr's Letter from Birmingham Prison, when he remarks on the idea of "now's not the time".

edit: thanks NYCLib for the direct quote. By the way NYCLib, I'd never been to NYC before until last November. That's some city you live in.

[NYC Liberal]

29. Just so people can read it again:

http://www.nobelprizes.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html

For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant 'Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."

[SlavesandBulldozers]

30. thanks for the direct quote

you rock.

that man had a way with words. amazing stuff.

[NoQuarter]

43. 'Nuff said. eom

[TankLV]

58. Yes indeed!

I am so disappointed in some of our DU'rs here!

NOW is the "proper time" to point out all the CRIMINAL failings of the REPUKE party and this administration!

Fight these criminals WHILE IT IS FRESH IN EVERYONE'S MEMORY!

And keep it FRESH so they ALL REMEMBER WHEN IT IS TIME TO VOTE so we can be sure to TAKE ACTION!

BUILD THE ANGER! NURTURE THE OUTRAGE!

LET IS SEETH AND BUILD AND BOIL OVER!

USE OUR COLLECTIVE DISGUST TO KICK THESE CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR GOVERNMENT FOREVER!

[The Wielding Truth]

94. Powerful. FEMA and POTUS did not respond in time.Not even close

They could have been sending instructions and water and food by drop any time before during or after katrina hit.Homeland Security what a neo-natzi excuse for help.

[Mad_Dem_X]

70. EXACTLY - we have to take every opportunity

that is presented to us to speak the TRUTH.

[Tigress DEM]

36. Sept 24-26 Washington DC --- IMPEACH the lying INCOMPETENT bastards

[mod mom]

62. IMPRISON-when impeachment just isn't enough!

[mountainvue]

69. Is there any way we can recall like they did with

Grey Davis in California?

[Bluerthanblue]

56. no flame Kevinam, but

a spark- Those who might have been offended by hearing the ugly truth, the wing-nuts can keep their blood money-
As a black man, Kanya ALONE had the courage to speak for the voiceless victims of this evil administration- and to him, and ALL of us that 'see dying people'
I say:
SPEAK IT-!!
Speak it anywhere you can,
To everyone you can,
In any way you can
At any time you can!

There is NEVER a 'good' time to hear uncomfortable truths- but if we wait for the 'right time'- there will be no one left to save.

I'm sick nearly to death of waiting for the naked truth to come out for all the world- sick of the lies, denial, complicit greed and selfish cronyism.

The 'goal' is helping victims.- maybe the most important part of that goal is pointing out the FACT that they ARE victims- not living in the hell they are because they don't 'try hard enough'- or 'are lazy' or 'are no account'- Classist racism is very much alive and thriving in the 'land of the free* and the home of the grave'

* certain restrictions may apply, Governing Agency reserves the right to revoke or withhold this offer for any reason that can be shoved down the throats of those who allow themselves to be controlled by
fear and led by arrogance.

from the wisdom of one of my beautiful sons-
"there is never a 'good' time to SAY what others don't want to hear"

peace,
blu

[goclark]

72. Peace to you too Blu! Well said

Now is the time to tell the TRUTH!

It has not paid off for us to be politically correct with Bush. TRUTH to his POWER is the only game in town.

[Bluerthanblue]

80. Thanks- ! is politically correct an oxymoron? should be- :-) n/t

.

[TygrBright]

66. "If not now, when? If not you, who?"

I find myself saying this increasingly often these days in the face of the many attempts to keep public attention focused on something OTHER than how to keep things like this from happening again.

irritatedly,
Bright

[AtomicKitten]

76. Somebody need to express the obvious.

I think it is important that the outrage isn't whitewashed. I'm tired of the media turning a hose on anything resembling displeasure with Precious Leader. This isn't the time for calming down, it's a time for action, action that should have been taken many days ago. It's an outrage and it's important that that not be homogenized.

I'm sorry, but I can no longer abide mealy-mouth apologies for people stating the obvious. Enough kowtowing to a president who doesn't deserve it.

[Todd B]

18. Agreed.

The focus of the night was for a non-partisan benefit aimed to raise money for the victims of Katrina.

There will be time enough to place blame on whoever, but, IMO, this was not it.

[TankLV]

59. OK all you apologists - TELL US ALL WHEN IT WILL BE THE RIGHT TIME!

Because we want to know!

2 days from now!

One week? Two weeks?

A month?

A year?

Just when will it be the "right time"?

It's still not the "right time" to criticize 911 according to your fellow travelers, isn't it?

JUST WHEN WILL IT BE THE FUCKING "RIGHT TIME"?!?!?!?!

[sendero]

64. What these dumb fucks..

.... forget it.

Some people, after 5 fucking years, still do not understand jack shit about how this administration operates and what it is going to take to unseat them.

I get mad at them, but they can't help it that they are fucking morons.

[gauguin57]

25. I agree with you. I don't think he needed to say it IN THAT FORUM ...

... they were trying to raise money, and that is just going to piss some donors off. Get the money out of the people, THEN tell the truth about Bush and black people.

[Beware the Beast Man]

26. Precisely!

I really admire the fact that he had the guts to say what he did, but the timing was a bit off. At least he got the message out. Good for him. :thumbsup:

[qanda]

32. Tell me exactly when and where is he supposed to say it?

Everything is so sanitized in our country and it's a shame that we sit around and worry about how people will respond when the truth is told. Money is not doing those dying people in New Orleans one bit of good right now. They won't even let The Red Cross into New Orleans. Kanye West can probably cover whatever money they didn't collect with the stroke of a pen and if people are that sensitive and the truth hurts them that bad then they probably weren't going to give anyway.

[goclark]

89. He had the floor and he SPOKE

He may never have that opportunity again!

His TIME to SPEAK was that moment in time.

He has planted the seed when the fire was hot.

[TankLV]

57. No - we have more than enough people and means to DO BOTH!

We should focus like a torpedo on THOSE REPUKES WHO ARE CRIMINALLYL NEGLIGENT!

DON'T let this one slip away from ASSIGNING BLAME where it belongs - on the REPUKES and BUNKERBOY and MAKE SURE THEY ARE PUNISHED and prevented from creating further damage for all time!

But thanks for your phoney "concern"!

[RandomKoolzip]

83. Beast, you know I love you man, but....

Would you also have condemned the Olympic Gold medal winners who gave the Black Power saulte in Mexico City in 1968?

Sometimes truth can be inconvenient, but it's still the truth.

[Beware the Beast Man]

84. I'm not condemning anyone...

I think what he said took cojones. I just worry about the negative backlash that the RW pundits plan on spinning up over the next few days. The timing sucked, but hey, he got his point across.

[RandomKoolzip]

86. I think it was fuckin' great what he said.

And fuck the right. We could find a cure for cancer, resurrect Jesus Christ, balance the budget, and bring peace to the world and they'd still find a way to spin it negatively. So what's the goddamned point in self-editing?

We're at the place now where we have nothing to lose, and the bulk of the American people are finally starting to listen. If a few RW commentators get their Irish up over this, I can safely say that I could give nary a shit.

Kanye, ya done good, pal.

[Tesha]

95. Don't you get it? When we speak, there's *ALWAYS* media backlash!

> I just worry about the negative backlash that the RW pundits plan on spinning
> up over the next few days.

Don't you get it? When we speak, there's *ALWAYS* media backlash! The Reich
Wing has bought and paid for the media backlash and *NO MATTER WHAT WE
SAY, NO MATTER WHEN WE SAY IT*, there will *ALWAYS* be a media backlash.

So why not say it now?

Tesha

[Cha]

5. Good for you, Kanye!

nbc can't handle the truth!

[caligirl]

6. thanks for the info, I now know my show was redacted.

[mitchum]

7. The peacock shows its GE war profiteer colors

red and green

[proud patriot]

8. does anyone have NBC contact information ?

I want to let them know that I on the west coast
know what they did ...

[AverageJoe]

9. What did he say?

Anybody got a transcript?

[bluestateguy]

10. "NBC pulled the comments from its West Coast broadcast"

Becuase Bush is so popular on the West Coast :eyes:

[tk2kewl]

11. see West here ===>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4598160&mesg_id=4598160

[mitchum]

12. Maybe their MSNBC talking heads will brand him a lawless looter

"you know how they are..."

[Bumblebee]

13. Actually that will make his statement even better known because now

it's a "scandal." I think we win-win.

[AuntiBush]

15. For God's Sakes, How Can Anyone Blame the Guy!

My God! It's a good thing for NBC that this WHITE WOMAN wasn't up on that stage! Good for Mr. West for using his FREEDOM of SPEECH, speaking out.

He has spine, something we've seem to have lost.

[TheDonkey]

19. goodness can't have someone express opinion that wasn't scripted

by a 24 year old intern. I can see why they are upset or pulled away but to literally erase the comments are wrong.

[mulsh]

21. I saw it here in Oakland, CA

he said something like "bush don't care about black people." pretty damn accurate to this white boy's ears. mike meyers reacted like a polite canadian.

[WinkyDink]

51. Not quite

Kanye's grammar was perfect.
In many ways.

[Edgewater_Joe]

22. MSNBC - Missing Sac'd, No-Ball Cowards

Jackasses.

[countmyvote4real]

24. It was a marketing ploy from GE from the getgo.

I don't doubt the sincerity of NO musicians and other celebs that participated, but the single hour granted to this "fundraising" event should have been a clue. Plus, it was hosted by a registered GOP bootlicker.

This was a marketing ploy to milk and transform sympathies from the awful truth to praise for our very absent "dear leader." Hello? Sponsored by a major defense contractor with a media company at *’s beck and call. I could not watch it because it would turn my stomach. Still, I’m glad some truth got out anyway thanks to K. West.

[against all enemies]

33. Bush's entire tenure has been scripted - NBC reads along.

[ProudDad]

34. We don't need

no fucking censors.

Damn them to hell!

[DBoon]

35. FUMSNBC

nt

[Skittles]

37. Mr. West speaks for me

yes INDEED

[progressivebydesign]

38. Anyone remember when they didn't edit that stuff out? I do. n/t

[ticapnews]

39. What NBC meant to say...

What they said:

"Tonight's telecast was a live television event wrought with emotion. Kanye West departed from the scripted comments that were prepared for him and his opinions in no way represent the views of the networks. It would be most unfortunate if the efforts of the artists who participated tonight and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person's opinion."

What they meant to say:

"We're sorry we let the Negro go on the air live. We provided him a script and assumed he would follow it. He will be punished by never appearing on our network (or hopefully any other) ever again. His comments do not represent the people on the network, nor their corporate masters, who profit from the pain, suffering and death of others. It would be unfortunate if the rich, white people watching this broadcast used this as an excuse not to give money to worthy charities. We understand that these people see Great Leader as a hero, and he sees them as his base, and we really hope they'll pony up some cash, because we can't just count on white trash to fill the coffers. Hopefully this outburst by a crazy black man didn't interrupt an otherwise enjoyable night of entertainment."

[NoQuarter]

44. He will be punished by never appearing on our network

(or hopefully any other) ever again.

Then they will have to banish the likes of Alicia Keyes, Usher, Jay-Z and ALL those BIG moneymakers Kanye produces. This young man is IN THE BUSINESS, big time. Not just some little rapper they can dismiss.

[Olney Blue]

60. Your re-write sums up what we suspect in our hearts very well.

Well done.

[natrat]

73. word

don't want to upset ma and pa amurican sittin back in there barcoloungers. Fuck it all, i'm going to a commune. Oh, oops wrong decade

[antonialee839]

40. If you missed it the first time, Cnn is playing it on

their channel.

[ellenfl]

41. the re-run edited out (awkwardly) his last comment

('george bush doesn't like black people'.) but cnn has been replaying it! it's a little confusing but he certainly makes his point!

mike myers was trying to get small. :hide:

ellen fl

[WinkyDink]

52. Verbatim =

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

[WhiteTara]

92. and someone didn't know this?

No surprise here. He hates women and the earth too.

[xchrom]

47. nbc shows it's racist ass to the world.

[Algorem]

48. Today show just did a little report on the show by Lisa Whatserface,they

showed part where he says blacks loot/whites find,didn't mention Bush doesn't care about black people.

[goforit]

49. Time to take them to court!!!....Abuse of the Freedom of speech/press!!

[stlsaxman]

50. Stupid question here- how is Mr. Wests first name pronounced?

I'll be buying his new cd this morning and didn't want to sound ig'nant to the store clerk.

where is the accent?

thanks for any help.

[henslee]

53. "Con-yay" West. to bet of my knowledge. Saw him on Charlie Rose

a few weeks back with Jay Z. He was cool. His appearances on various Awards shows turned me off in the past but you gotta love anyone who speaks their heart.

[stlsaxman]

79. Thank you!

[TankLV]

54. Yeah - threatened to take the focus off how wonderful that criminal is!

The focus should be on the repuke crimes that lead to these deplorable conditions.

The focus should be on ASSIGNING BLAME AND PUNISHING THOSE RESPONSIBLE.

The focus should be to make sure that war criminal bush* DOESN'T SKATE AWAY FROM ANOTHER CRIME HE HAS DIRECTLY CAUSED!

[Darth_Kitten]

61. so much for free speech......

:eyes:

[rocktivity]

63. Here's the vid if you haven't seen it

He also manages to get in shots about the lack of domestic troop strength due to Iraq and about the troops now have "permission to shoot us."

:headbang:
rocknation

[Iowa]

71. Thanks rocknation!

Those were incredible "from the heart" comments. Good for him. He did the right thing here, no doubt about it. If every decent person who got a chance to speak before a national audience had the guts Kayne has, the world would be a much better place. Kanye West is a hero here.

[Cleita]

65. Glad to know that we no longer have freedom of speech.n/t

[VegasWolf]

68. NBC = aNother Bush Company. nt

[natrat]

75. nbc,fox,wallmart

[moof]

77. Seems NBC = another bush* puppet master is more accurate nt

[SoCalDem]

74. Live means LIVE.. (not scripted)

deal with it, GE..Get over it..move on..:evilgrin:

[Nashyra]

78. CNN replaying it over and over

Me thinks CNN is loving playing it as a dig to NBC not to display how fair they are, although they have shown alot more indifferent media attention towards the shrub. I love the Mayor of NO's speech, interview or whatever his rant was, it was repeated over and over again on CNN and the reporter's on CNN have been quite harsh to some of the shills that they have interviewed. I wonder when the hammer is going to come down on them.

[ninkasi]

81. Good for him!

The right time to speak out is when you have people's attention. He had an audience, and spoke the truth, and it's time more people did. Anybody who thinks that if the residents of New Orleans had been mainly white Republicans, they would be facing the same situation, is living in some other universe.

[proud2BlibKansan]

82. They took him out completely

I watched a rebroadcast on MSNBC at 11:00 last night and Kanye West was not even on the show. Neither was Mike Myers.

[brettdale]

87. censorship sucks

Let NBC know it.

[CreekDog]

90. He didn't feel like being a token for NBC...good!

NBC apologizes that Kayne West actually said what he thought rather than what the writers wrote for him.

Are they apologizing for him not doing his part and acting a "token" for them?!

[prohemp]

91. Wrong thing to say

Personally I doubt Bush is racist, he is just classist. He cares about the rich. He likes rich blacks, arabs, jews, asians, whites. West should have said Bush doesn't care about poor people. The reason is he lost much more funding for the relief effort then he gained. There is an academic theory among some blacks and on the far left that all white males are racist and it's in their blood. Being a white male this accusation has happened to me and it is frustrating when people act like you are some modern day slave owner oppressing them and you are not even racist or doing anything wrong. It's human nature to want to help people who are in need, but if they suspect the people they are helping will only resent them for not doing more or not be grateful or even worse violent, they won't bother.

NBC is pathetic to censor this though. I heard it reported the censor missed the statement because he was only looking for curse words. So now we are going to have the censors block out political speech too? That is not good.

[Henny Penny]

93. Right thing to say!

George Bush doesn't care about black people or rather Bushco doesn't care about black people.

Doesn't care about a lot of people.

I've never heard of Kanye West before, but I just watched the clip and I think "What a brave young man!"

Some things really need to be said in America and after what has happened in this last week it is becoming IMPOSSIBLE not to say them.