I Couldn't Care Less: Go West

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A hypodermic needle and a vial

Go West

I don't usually pay much attention to Kanye West. In case you pay even less attention to him than I do. he is a singer who generally attracts media attention by giving the impression of being arrogant and obnoxious. Well I didn't really trouble myself with all that until fairly recently, when I discovered that Kanye has a habit of demanding that everyone gets up and dances at his concerts. This came to my attention when I read that at an Australian concert Kanye identified a person who was not up and dancing. He informed the crowd who, being morons, booed. Eventually Kanye was satisfied that the person in question couldn't get up because they were in a wheel chair, and without a word of apology, our hero continued his performance.


Let's cut to the chase here, shall we? Let's sidestep the point that having paid to be at a performance you have earned the right to enjoy it without being harangued by an idiot with a microphone who never learned to smile. Let's pass by the suggestion that a singer who demands his audience dance is like a comedian who forces his audience to laugh. Let's simply ignore the tiny suggestion that if your entire audience boos one lone non-dancer, disabled or otherwise, you have a crowd of bullies you ought to reproach. Let us focus straight on the part where Kanye West decides he is a fit judge of who is and is not disabled.


If you're in a wheelchair, benefit fraud aside, you are clearly suffering from some kind of disability. Does this make you the only sort of person who can't dance? If you have joint problems, you may find that standing for long periods of time is painful and tiring, especially if you are expected to dance as well. You may also have muscle pain or severe fatigue. You may have been able to walk to your seat but need to rest there for a good while before you consider getting up again. You may have limited motor control, or be able to walk with sticks, or have problems with balance. Maybe you have depression, or some other mental illness beyond the keen perception of Kanye West. You might not feel like dancing, or be made to feel actively anxious by the prospect of being looked at by others, even distressed if you are addressed from the stage and booed by the entire audience. Still, what's your emotional and mental wellbeing when you could be boosting the ego of the guy you've already paid?


I don't want to make this all about Kanye, he's already done enough of that. Firstly I wanted to suggest that he's probably not alone in grossly misjudging how visible and obvious disability is. If someone has a guide dog or a wheelchair you can see them easily enough, but could you spot ME or tunnel vision? The reason this matters, apart from the fact that we should be more alert to disability (or at least less willing to assume it isn't there) is because if we don't notice disability, we are even less likely to recognise or appreciate any carer involved. If carers are going to be supported (and they must) then they ought to be noticed (and they must). Keep a look out for people who struggle with life, and see if, behind them, there is someone propping them up.

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