Kanye West's visual for his song "Famous" has been stirring controversy for the last few days, which, as Jimmy Kimmel put it, "is exceptionally Kanye-esque"). The video features the likeness of celebrities from Bill Cosby and Taylor Swift, to Ray J and Donald Trump, as well as Kim Kardashian and Kanye himself—all naked in a huge bed together. Critical reactions from celebrities who were depicted has been coming rapid-fire, and on Monday night Jimmy Kimmel threw his own lighthearted take into the mix.
Kimmel edited in his sidekick on the show, Guillermo, and made a joke asking how Bill Cosby was able to put everyone to sleep, alluding to the comedian's ongoing sexual assault litigation.
Fellow late night host Stephen Colbert also made a spoof video, editing himself in and joking about how awful the room must have smelled:
However, celebrities who were depicted in the video and their loved ones aren't taking the video's release with smiles and punchlines. Lena Dunham, who is good friends with Taylor Swift, harshly criticized the video saying it made her feel "sad and unsafe." In the Facebook post she wrote about the video she added,
[S]eeing a woman I love like Taylor Swift (fuck that one hurt to look at, I couldn't look), a woman I admire like Rihanna or Anna [Wintour], reduced to a pair of waxy breasts made by some special effects guy in the Valley, it makes me feel sad and unsafe and worried for the teenage girls who watch this and may not understand that grainy roving camera as the stuff of snuff films.
Swift has yet to comment on the video, but a source told HollywoodLife that she is "livid and horrified."
Ray J's camp hasn't held back in expressing his anger regarding a figure with his likeness showing up in Kanye's video. Ray J's manager said that Kanye is "a long way from Chicago, he'd better watch his motherfucking mouth."
Based on the celebrity response, the only person who is pleased with Kanye's new video might be Kanye.
