Kanye West

The only person yet to weigh in on Kanye West's Taylor Swift ambush at the MTV VMAs has finally said his piece, thanks to a BBC Radio 1 DJ who got ahold of him.

"It's an awards show," Jay-Z said, dismissing the controversy surrounding his collaborator and good friend Kanye. "He's just a super passionate person."

That's a nice way of saying "jackass."

Jay-Z, the husband of Beyonce, who Kanye was giving props to during his rant on stage, did acknowledge that, "Of course it was rude, it was her moment."

But, "that's the way he felt. It was rude, but the way they're treating him… He's on the cover of every paper. He didn't kill anybody. No one got harmed."

No. No one got harmed. Including Kanye himself. If he can blindside a cute, very talented 19-year-old, why can't the rest of the world take him to task?

Jay-Z has Kanye West's back ... to a point.

Jay-Z, who was at the center of some party-crashing drama of his own (thank you Lil Mama) continued to walk the line when defending his friend, saying:

"It just wasn't appropriate. It wasn't fair to Taylor at all."

But qualifying that with, "at the end of the day, we're gonna celebrate him for his passion more than vilify him. As he matures, he has to balance that."

Still, Jay-Z said he doesn't back West's promise to take a break: "I don't think he should lay low. I think he should move on and have a brilliant career."

Whose side are you on?

A night after ambushing Taylor Swift on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards, somber Kanye West told Jay Leno he is going to try to take some time and figure out his issues, to try to understand what the heck made him react like that.

Well, Stephen Colbert has it all figured out.

Last December, the Comedy Central figure launched Operation: Humble Kanye in an effort to knock the celeb world's perennial egomaniac and sore loser down a peg.

On The Colbert Report in the aftermath of Kanye's outburst this week, he thinks his long-running operation may have had something to do with the blowup Sunday.

Stephen Colbert reacts to Kanye's meltdown as many of us have.

Was the outburst actually directed towards Colbert? Stephen thinks so! Why is Kanye going after Taylor Swift, and not the people who actually beat him for awards?

Why would the jackass not go after Eninem, Beyonce or whatever ate Lady Gaga? Colbert believes he knows why. Because he and Taylor Swift are totally friends.

Makes perfect sense to us. We feel enlightened.

Follow the jump for a video of Colbert's rant ...

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President Barack Obama's candid thoughts about Kanye West have provoked a debate over standards of journalism in the age of social media such as Twitter.

They're also sparking some hilarious parodies.

ABC News says it was wrong for its employees to Tweet that Obama called West a jackass following the rapper's ambushing of country star Taylor Swift.

The network said its employees overheard a candid discussion between the president and CNBC's John Harwood that it didn't realize was off the record.

E-mails shot around among ABC about Obama's comments, with at least three employees Twittering to spread the news before the interview even aired.

When ABC authorities found out about the Obama Tweets, they had them taken down after about an hour. But the news was out and the damage done.

ABC apologized to the White House and CNBC.

During informal banter before an interview began, Obama was how his two girls felt about Kanye hijacking Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs.

No one can accuse the President of being out of touch on this issue.

"I thought it was really inappropriate," Obama says. "The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person. She's getting her award. What's he doing up there?"

A questioner chimes in, "Why would he do it?"

"Eh, he's a jackass," Obama said, and was met with laughter from several people, prompting the President to quickly realize he may have gone too far.

"Come on guys," he said, subtly urging them to keep the comment private and to "cut the president some slack. I've got a lot of other stuff on my plate."

It's fitting that Obama was overheard commenting on Kanye, whose outburst was described by some outlets as giving Swift "the Joe Wilson treatment."

Wilson, a South Carolina Republican Congressman, was issued a formal rebuke by his colleagues following his heckling of Obama's speech last week.

Here's a brief, but hilarious video of Kanye's outburst interspersed with the President's health care speech, right as it was interrupted by Wilson ...

Obama-Wilson-Kanye Remix

It was pretty much accepted as fact that President Barack Obama said Kanye West is a jackass for his infamous VMA stunt, but there's audio confirming it now.

Obama's comments are even funnier than you think, too.

The Kanye remark was recorded just before Obama went on camera to conduct an interview with CNBC, and was not part of any sort of formal interview.

Before the interview began, Obama was shooting the breeze in the studio and was asked about Kanye's antics, which he described as "really inappropriate."

Of Taylor Swift, whose acceptance speech West inexplicably hijacked Sunday, Barack said she "seems like a perfectly nice person" and "didn't deserve that."

He then offhandedly summed up Kanye perfectly, saying, "Eh, he's a jackass."

Barack Obama's assessment of Kanye West is accurate and hilarious.

Perhaps the President of the United States was inspired by his interviewer referring to Kanye's ambushing of Swift as "giving her the Joe Wilson treatment."

After making the jackass remark, Obama asks "Where's the pool?" Someone in the background says, concurrently, "That's what Pink said!" Classic all around.

Obama recalled his last interview mishap, in which he was chastised for his ninja-like reflexes and killing an innocent, unsuspecting fly while cameras rolled.

"Cut the President some slack," he said.

To his credit, West has issued about 17 apologies since he rushed the stage Sunday, most of which appear sincere, and the latest of which Swift accepted.

Check out the off-the-record Obama audio here ...

Obama on Kanye

Barack Obama thinks Kanye West is a jackass.

Kelly Clarkson can't even comprehend how much she hates the rapper.

But the woman at the center of this week's controversy appears ready to move on from it. Taylor Swift told ABC News Radio this morning that she's heard from West, following his ridiculous interruption of her VMA acceptance speech.

"Kanye did call me, and he was very sincere in his apology, and I accepted that apology."

Last night, Kanye appeared on The Jay Leno Show and said:

"I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt — and I don't try to justify it because I was just in the wrong... I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve."

It seems like an easy question, folks, but whose side are you on in this feud?

President Barack Obama may be having trouble unifying the country behind his health care plan, but can't be accused of being out of touch here.

Thinking what the rest of the country is thinking, and actually saying it off the record, the Prez called Kanye West "a jackass" to CNBC yesterday.

He really did - off the record. But his remark became public when it was tweeted by ABC's Terry Moran on Twitter, Politico.com reported Monday.

Way to go, guys. Not that we disagree with the Prez in the least.

An ABC statement explains, without denying that the remark was made, that: "ABC News employees prematurely Tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview."

No thumbs up for Kanye from the President - or anyone - this week.

Meanwhile, Kanye West himself admitted to Jay Leno what Americans, including our Commander-in-Chief, had already figured out: He blew it.

"It was rude, period," he said.

Sunday at the MTV VMAs, the rapper jumped on stage, crashing Taylor Swift's speech and declaring that her award should have gone to Beyonce.

After fielding widespread criticism and apologizing, West told Leno last night, "I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt."

West, who has had similar outbursts at previous awards shows, though never this bad, said, "I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I'm going to make it through the rest of this life, how I'm going to improve.

"If there's anything I could do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone, I'd like [to]," Kanye said, adding that he knew he really screwed up bad "as soon as I gave the mike back to her and she didn't keep going."

Check out Kanye's West interview on The Jay Leno Show below ...

Kanye West on Jay Leno

It's official: Kanye West is an awful human being.

A day after his much-vieweed outburst against Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, celebrities from all industries have come together on Twitter and spoken out against the egotistical rapper.

Here's a sampling of what various stars had to say about the incident:

Spencer Pratt: Let's be very clear King Spencer would never do anything like what Kayne just did to a sweet soul like Taylor!

Heidi Montag: congrats @taylorswift13 on your vma!!! you deserve it more than anyone!! I saw the devil in action when kanye west stole your mic! u rock!!!

Adam Lambert: Kanye needs to chill. He freaks out every year. It ain't that deep man.

Joel Madden: WOW Taylor Swift's first VMA and she didn't even get to ENJOY it. Kanye You were just a bully on that one man.

Kellie Pickler: Tator Tot, you handled yourself with Grace. Kanye, go grow some f-ing balls bitch! don't mess w/my lil sis!!

Earlier today, Kelly Clarkson wrote an extended letter to West, bashing him in every way conceivable. It was great.

Whose side are you on?

As if we couldn't love Kelly Clarkson any more...

The original American Idol woke up this morning and responded to Kanye West's outrageous behavior at last night's MTV Video Music Awards by taking to her official blog.

Kelly summed up our thoughts on the assholic Kanye perfectly, so we'll just let her take it from here...

“Dear Kanye, What happened to you as a child?? Did you not get hugged enough?? I think we’re all just curious as to what would make a grown man go on national television and make a talented artist, let alone teenager, feel like s—. I mean, I’ve seen you do some pretty s—ty things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, asshole ways.

"It’s absolutely fascinating how much I don’t like you. I like everyone. I even like my asshole ex that cheated on me over you... which is pretty odd since I don’t even personally know you.

The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a moon man that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really??

“I was actually nominated in the same category that Taylor won and I was excited for her... so why can’t you be?? I’m not even mad at you for being an asshole... I just pity you because you’re a sad human being."

Amen, sister! Pink was less wordy, but equally vicious toward West. She Tweeted: Kanye west is the biggest piece of s*** on earth. Quote me.

As for Taylor Swift? The 19-year old cutie took the proverbial high road, simply saying: "I don't want to start anything because I had a great night tonight."

We'll start it for you, T-Swizzle. Choose a side in this feud, readers. Whose team are you on?

It was the awards moment of the year, perhaps even the decade:

Kanye West crashed Taylor Swift's heartfelt acceptance speech at last night's MTV Video Music Awards and told the world that Beyonce deserved the trophy for Best Female Video. Some readers are actually referring to the act as racist, but we'll just stick with obscene and disrespectful.

In response to his behavior, Kanye issued the following apology on his blog this morning:

“I’m sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom [Andrea]. I spoke to her mother right after and she said the same thing my mother would’ve said. She is very talented! I like the lyrics about being a cheerleader and she’s in the bleachers!

I’m in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment! Beyonce’s video was the best of this decade!!! I’m sorry to my fans if I let you guys down!!!!! I’m sorry to my friends at MTV. I will apologize to Taylor 2mrw. Welcome to the real world!!!! Everybody wanna booooo me but I’m a fan of real pop culture!!! No disrespect but we watchin’ the show at the cribe right now cause.

I’m still happy for Taylor!!!! Boooyaawww!!!! You are very talented!!!!! I gave my awards to Outkast when they deserved it over me… That’s what it is!!!! I’m not crazy yall, I’m just real. Sorry for that!!! I really feel bad for Taylor and I’m sincerely sorry!!! Much Respect!!!!!”

Kanye West says he's "just real." We agree. He's a real egomaniacal a$$hole! [Photos: Splash News]

Think this apology is sufficient? What else would you have West do in order to make up for his boorish antics?

We'd force the guy to sleep with someone as ugly and annoying as Amber Rose. That will give him a STD teach him a lesson!

Meanwhile, Beyonce showed a lot of class by inviting Swift on stage after the former won the award for Best Video. Watch Taylor's second attempt at an acceptance speech after the jump.

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Wow. Incredibly, Joe Wilson's outcry of "You lie!" in the direction of Barack Obama was not the most inappropriate example of public humilation this week.

At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift defeated Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, and Beyonce to take home the trophy for Best Female Video.

As a visibly humble, appreciative Swift took the stage and began her acceptance speech, Kanye West actually grabbed the microphone from her and declared that Beyonce - with "one of the greatest videos of all-time" - deserved to win.

The camera cut to Beyonce in the audience. She was horrified. Kanye (who drank Hennessy on the red carpet) ran away from the stage like a pathetic little bitch; and Taylor was left alone, embarrassed and speechless.

To the crowd's credit, they stood and applauded Swift, but the damage had been done. Watch the stunning video below and then send in encouragement to Taylor. We love you, girl!

Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift

Was this some sort of stunt? Something Swift may have known about ahead of time, similar to the Bruno/Eminem charade at the MTV Movie Awards? It doesn't appear that way.

You suck, Kanye West.

Taylor Swift was left alone on stage to deal with the ramifications of Kanye West's ridiculously rude, incomprehensibly inappropriate act during the MTV Video Music Awards. Write in and let the world know you're on Taylor's side!