Deeds: Kanye West is a symptom of a larger cultural challenge

If the president of the greatest country in the world declares that Kanye West is a "jackass," then it must be true, right?

Actually, none of us needed President Obama to judge Kanye for us. (Which Obama never intended to do. His observation was supposed to be off the record.)

Ever since West, an egocentric hip-hop star, snagged the microphone from 19-year-old country singer Taylor Swift and spoiled her moment at MTV's Video Music Awards, he's been trashed by almost everyone breathing. Especially female pop singers.

"You just keep amazing me with your tactless, a**hole ways," Kelly Clarkson wrote on her blog. "It's absolutely fascinating how much I don't like you."

Pink tweeted: "Kanye West is the biggest piece of s*** on earth. Quote me."

Katy "I Kissed a Girl" Perry kicked him where it hurts: "F*** u Kanye," she tweeted. "It's like u stepped on a kitten."

A kitten!

West finally apologized to Swift. But was it because he's truly sorry or because it dawned on him that the entire planet thinks he's, well, a classless jackass?

West's behavior is a disturbing symptom of American pop culture.

In the past few weeks, we've seen tennis star Serena Williams tell a line judge she'd like to shove a tennis ball down her throat.

We've witnessed a heckling congressman shriek "You lie!" while our president attempted to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress.

We gasped in disbelief as an angry Duck sucker-punched a trash-talking Bronco on national TV.

When our celebrities, athletes, idols and leaders act like jerks, it's a particularly ugly example, especially for young people.

Unfortunately, thoughtlessness seems to be permeating our culture to the point of daily acceptance.

I laugh out loud when I hear people complain that newspapers are "too negative." Check out reader comments after any article at IdahoStatesman.com. Readers are 100 times more negative than newspapers!

I'm being facetious, of course. I don't believe that most Americans are inherently rude. But the mannerless minority is certainly taking things to the extreme.

West's spectacle at the VMAs underscores an epidemic that's akin to social swine flu.

On the debut of his prime-time show this week, Jay Leno put the heat on the rapper. He asked West what his dead mother would have thought about his behavior.

West grew silent. He seemed broken up. But he also appeared to blame his actions on grief caused by his mom's passing in 2007.

I don't think West will ever really get it.

But the Mom Test is a perfect one for the rest of us to use before we decide to threaten athletic officials, heckle leaders or vent online. None of us is perfect - I'm certainly guilty of being a social-skill disaster at times - but blatant, intentional rudeness just isn't cool.

Two days after Serena Williams went batty over her foot fault, she announced that she'd like to give that offended line judge a "big ol' hug."

Too little, too late.

That said, I'm beginning to think this whole nation could use a hug.

CONCERT STOPPED

- After repeated warnings, the Knitting Factory pulled the plug at the Every Time I Die concert Sept. 13. Management says power was cut after the metalcore group talked trash onstage and incited concertgoers to violence. Animosity between club and band erupted mid-show after moshing fans were ejected for hitting and kicking other patrons, management says. A Knitting Factory security staffer was hospitalized afterward with cracked ribs.

- The Statesman has three pairs of tickets to give away to the Sept. 25 Killers show at Qwest Arena. Details are on my blog. Also, BSU students with ID can buy tickets for $25 at any walk-up outlet.