Oh, Kanye! Controversial comments divide viewers, celebs

“Are celebrities the great thinkers of our age? Hope not.” “Kanye is the man.” After a low-key stretch, Kanye West is talking again — on Twitter and TV -— and true to form, he’s causing controversy. On Newsroom, the comments are in the thousands and show a real divide. The rapper, designer, and producer has come under fire for his outbursts during a recent interview with “TMZ Live.” Most of the fallout surrounds his statement that he sees slavery as “a choice.” “When you hear about slavery for 400 years, for 400 years, that sounds like a choice.” See the video above for footage. Fans and celebrities were quick to call him out. Snoop Dogg posted an edited photo of West with a lighter complexion and the caption: “The new. Kanye. Well, all white now, way to go dude.” The Instagram post had close to 800K likes in less than a day. Newsroom readers are split, with one commenter writing: “EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion. Another adds: “Kanye has to be more responsible with his statements.” His wife, Kim Kardashian, and mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, are defending West. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres airing Friday, Jenner said, “I know that he will explain himself in his own way. I just think this is important to say, he always does things with really good intentions.” What do you think? Join the conversation in Newsroom.