MRC announced on Monday that it would not be pushing ahead with the recently finished documentary that it had been working on about Kanye West. This announcement comes amid mounting condemnation of the rapper and entrepreneur’s recent anti-Semitic remarks.
On the other hand, according to TMZ, Netflix, the online streaming giant, has opted to maintain the three-part documentary series “Jeen-Yuhs” will remain available. Netflix does not do any business with West, and the movie did not include any anti-Semitic sentiments.
In response to the recent wave of antisemitic statements made by Kanye “Ye” West and MRC’s withdrawal of the artist’s completed documentary, the producer issued a public statement earlier today in the form of an open letter in which they condemned the speech of the artist and called out other groups for their lack of a reaction.
MRC’s co-leaders Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu, and Scott Tenley said in a statement.
“We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform,” The whole statement is this way:
This morning, after a discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West. We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.
Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3000 years – the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain. This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon and Rome, went acoustic with The Spanish Inquisition and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream it in the modern era.
Hollywood has urged companies to break connections with West as he has been more vocal about his anti-Semitism. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, Gersh’s Bob Gersh, and UTA’s Jeremy Zimmer have all publicly condemned West. Furthermore, Balenciaga and Adidas are under similar strain.
West was removed off The Shop: Uninterrupted last week after host Maverick Carter stated West “used The Shop to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes.”
Hollywood financier/producer MRC says it won't proceed with a Kanye West documentary. pic.twitter.com/cR0FiLDOmT
— Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw) October 24, 2022
West has been making contentious accusations of Jewish maltreatment in media appearances and on social media since his Tucker Carlson interview. West also tweeted that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” a play on the military alert term “Defcon.”
In addition, the letter describes how such falsehoods are used to “punch up” at victims even though victims make up a very tiny group compared to the people who harass them in the first place.
It also urges other companies to ignore the artist and adds, “Leave the artist behind.”
It is disheartening but not unexpected that leaders and corporations have remained silent about Kanye West and anti-Semitism in general in light of recent events. What is new and very upsetting is the anxiety that many Jews feel about defending themselves publicly.
The documentary “Jeen-Yuhs,” which was released earlier this year, focused on West’s personal life as well as his business.
Netflix representatives also said that they had not pulled films starring other high-profile performers when they were embroiled in controversy.
As several of West’s other partners, including Balenciaga, Vogue, and his legal team, have severed relations with the “Heartless” rapper, celebrities have urged Adidas to do the same.
Adidas, which has produced and sold Ye’s Yeezy brand for a decade, has put its cooperation with West “under review” but has yet to comment on his unsettling words.
Adidas said that after undertaking a “thorough review,” it had decided to end the partnership, stop producing Yeezy branded products and cancel all payments to his companies. “Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect,” the statement said.
In a statement, the sneaker brand, referring to West by his “Ye” pseudonym, said: “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
“I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what? Now what?” West admitted on a recent episode of “Drink Champs,” which has since been removed from YouTube.
West’s estranged family turned to social media on Monday to criticize the “Donda” rapper, but the sports apparel firm has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
Kanye West and his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, took their verbal battle to a new level when the rapper resorted to social media and openly declared that Kardashian inculcated him of “putting a hit out on her.”
She criticized the man in question in an Instagram Story by stating that hate speech is “never OK or excusable.”
Not only is MRC among the companies that have severed connections with West and any future ventures, but Balenciaga, UTA, Endeavor, and The Gersh Agency have followed suit and condemned West’s rhetoric, as well as other companies are about to go with the same pattern.
What do you think about the documentary and Hollywood cutting ties with Kanye West? Let us know your views about it in the comments!
Jane Davies
