Kanye West’s ‘Performance Art’ Is Just ‘Jerry Springer’ 2.0

If Kanye West is proving anything right now, it’s that America’s thirst for controversial content has not dwindled since the end of “The Jerry Springer Show” in 2018.

Host Jerry Springer kicked off the mundane series in 1991, but when poor ratings threatened to shutter the show, the topics became more extreme and the guests more outlandish. West, who now wants to be known as Ye, has been controversial for years over remarks that he’s made online.

There were exactly 3,891 episodes of “The Jerry Springer Show,” proving, if nothing else, that America loves to watch a good trainwreck. Ye, who has always been a PR master, wore a black shirt and slacks while Censori wore a black robe that she later discarded to reveal a sheer dress that left nothing, and I mean nothing, to the imagination.

At first, reports surfaced claiming that the two had been kicked out of the event for violating the Grammy dress code. Other reports surfaced that Ye had left on his own terms. Yet more reports stated that he didn’t even have a seat inside the venue, despite being nominated for an award that later went to Kendrick Lamar (of course).

Although one source told Page Six that the couple was trying to recreate his “Vultures 1” album cover, it doesn’t really matter why he did it. He knew he would cause a stir and create a significant amount of attention, which is exactly what he wanted.

Versions of the “freak show” have always existed throughout history. In ancient Greece, it was late-night plays on the outskirts of town. In ancient Rome, it was the private parties with hush-hush invitations. In the Edwardian era, it was the corner of a museum that belonged to that one disrespectable nobleman. In the Victorian era, it was the circus sideshow or the concerts in the catacombs.

In the 1990s, the world had Jerry Springer. What Jerry did was not radical, although many deemed it was. He simply provided a contained platform for the deviant and the antisocial placed safely behind the boundaries of respectable social derision. Although the “freak show” had always been popular, it was now mainstream. Jerry made it socially acceptable to openly discuss and mock controversial individuals on national television. At one point, he had higher ratings than Oprah.

What made it even more compelling was just how many people seemingly signed up voluntarily to face ridicule from a live audience. The typical “Yeah, I slept with your man, so what? I’ll sleep with whoever I want to!” had people gasping at the audacity and still tuning in for more. With close to 4,000 episodes, it seemed that there was no shortage of people willing to “let their freak flag fly” or openly state that they do what and to hell with the consequences.

There has been a lot of controversy emerging on social media over whether or not Censori wants to be a part of Ye’s public performances. As Jerry Springer so proved, there are people who like attention and will do whatever it takes to get it. Although Censori’s outfits have become so revealing there’s nothing left to reveal since her relationship with Ye turned romantic, she has never been shy about flaunting her body before. In fact, in 2022, she showed up to Burning Man wearing a chainmail bikini. Since she’s been with Ye, her wardrobe has started to consist of neutral colors and sheer bodysuits, but it doesn’t seem to be anything she hasn’t signed up for.

On Friday, February 7, Ye stirred the pot some more when he stated, “I have dominion over my wife,” adding, “This ain’t no woke as feminist sh-t. She’s with a billionaire. Why would she listen to any of you dumb a– broke b-tches. People say the red carpet look was her decision. Yes, I don’t make her do nothing she doesn’t want to.”

However, he went on to say, “She definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it without my approval, you stupid a– woke pawns,” adding, “I have no respect or empathy for anyone living ‘cause no one living can f-ck with me, but I do love some people and I give them favor.”

Ye knows how to command attention and Censori may just want to be a part of it, for however long that lasts.

“My wife’s first red carpet opened a whole new world,” Ye wrote on X. “I keep staring at this photo like I was staring in admiration that night Thinking wow I am so lucky to have a wife that is so smart talented brave and hot … She took a break from shooting her first film to make a movie in real life.”

“We tailored that invisible dress 6 times [and] just like magic, poof, we disappeared,” he added, seemingly indicating that she had a hand in the design.

Although Ye’s history of dressing his partners is well-known, Censori’s sister Angelina seems to be on board with it. At Melbourne Fashion Week, Angelina called her sister’s outfits “art” and said that she had “the best wardrobe” despite claims of public indecency.

“Some people call it ugly or eclectic, it’s not for everyone but I think it’s cool and I like it,” she said. “We know what’s up and kind of laugh about the stupid headlines, to be honest.”

With that in mind, it sounds like Censori likes causing a stir as much as he does.

So, is Kanye West slowly becoming the next Jerry Springer? Kristin says yes. In short, Ye wants to be controversial. That’s his brand now. He wants to be provocative and he wants everyone to be talking about him. The real question is, how far will his stunts go? He doesn’t mind roping his wife into his stunts, and that’s fine, with the heavy disclaimer that it’s only okay if baring her body for the world was something that she really wanted to do.

The real question is what happens when he starts dragging unsuspecting participants into his stunts. Or worse, his children, who might not fully comprehend what’s going on and the ramifications that it could have on the rest of their lives. His ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, has apparently set strict co-parenting rules, with “Number one being no nudity in front of them.” 

But Ye has never been afraid to skirt the line, and it doesn’t seem like he would care enough to argue the semantics that Censori was naked in front of the whole world, not specifically in front of them. So while everyone is drawing lines in the sand, trying to decide how far is “too far,” Ye is busy creating a massive wave that will push all boundaries and have us readjusting our lines yet again. Ye is someone who will always try to top himself, and it seems like it’s just a matter of time before it spirals out of control.

Ye is steering the train off the tracks, openly embracing his role as its conductor, knowing that he has a captive audience who will discuss, debate, condemn… and keep coming back for more.