Video: Kanye West’s ‘Monster’

After much delay, the official video for Kanye West’s “Monster” has arrived. Already it’s been roundly attacked for its brutal portrayal of women–a debate for the ages no doubt. Kanye as a black man is definitely playing with some serious taboos, though the hanging white women in the video bring to mind that famous black and white photo of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith being lyched in front of a mob of white men and women who watched or participated in the event. Many years ago, it’s true, but the question of where and who exactly the monster is remains an intriguing question.