Kanye West Says He 'Connects' With George Bush

MC says that after his Taylor Swift/VMA drama, he understands how it feels to be dubbed a racist.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Kanye West
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

Former President George W. Bush has a surprising supporter in his corner: Kanye West.

Five years after the outspoken MC blasted the then head of state for his approach to the Hurricane Katrina rescue effort — which was criticized as sluggish and ineffective — the incident is still a sore spot for the polarizing politician. Bush recently dubbed West's 2005 mid-telethon declaration that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" the "most disgusting moment" in his presidency.

Yeezy said he sympathizes with Bush because he knows what it's like to be publicly branded as a bigot due to the aftermath of busting up Taylor Swift's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech.

"I definitely can understand the way he feels to be accused of being a racist in any way because the same thing happened to me. I got accused of being a racist. With both situations, it was basically a lack of compassion that America saw," West said in an interview with Houston's 97.9 The Box Wednesday (November 3).

"With him, it was a lack of compassion with him not rushing, him not taking the time to rush down to New Orleans. With me, it was a lack of compassion of cutting someone off in their moment. But nonetheless, I think we're all quick to pull a race card in America, and now I'm more open, [due to] the poetic justice that I feel to have went through the same thing that he went. And I really more connect with him just on a humanitarian level because that next morning, the next morning when he felt that, I felt that same thing too [with the Taylor Swift incident]."

In addition to relating to a politician he once dubbed a racist, West congratulated Swift on the instant platinum debut of her latest album, Speak Now, and said he's turned over a new leaf.

"I do think I changed a lot. I do think that I'm more compassionate, I'm more sensitive to people's emotions. I'm just understanding that it's not about me, it's not about just what my opinion is all the time — especially when it's someone else's show," he said.

"I became a better person, I needed that time off. Because a lot of times when people become celebrities, the moment when you don't have to do your own dishes anymore, you don't have that responsibility anymore, a lot of times you lose a level of humanity," he explained. "It's a growing process. I feel like a brand-new artist. I feel like respect is something that's hard to earn and easy to lose, and I feel like I'm on that path to getting all that back right now. "

What do you think about Kanye West's response to George Bush? Let us know in the comments.

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'Hangover 2' Director 'Surprised' At Mel Gibson Cameo Reaction

'I'm talking about the outside world's sort of lack of empathy,' Todd Phillips tells MTV News about uproar over embattled actor.
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

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Mel Gibson won't be nursing any hangovers in Thailand anytime soon, at least not in the currently shooting sequel to "The Hangover." While he was slated to make a cameo as a tattoo artist in "The Hangover 2," Gibson's role was ultimately scrapped due to lack of support from the film's cast and crew.

Director Todd Phillips was an advocate of Gibson's involvement in the movie and although the troubled actor is no longer appearing in the Bangkok-set follow-up, Phillips maintains that he's OK with how the situation turned out. In fact, he's surprised by the public's reaction.

"Honestly, I was surprised," Phillips recently told MTV News. "Regret is the wrong word, but I was surprised in some way by the reaction. I think in that community in Hollywood, we've often seen — and I certainly have empathy for people that have struggled, whether it's alcohol addiction in [Gibson's] case or whatever it may be, there is empathy. I was a little bit surprised by people, and I'm not even talking about our family, the 'Hangover' family. I'm talking about the outside world's sort of lack of empathy."

Phillips said that if he has any regrets about the situation, it's his failure to grasp that there are more eyes on "The Hangover 2" now as a result of the massive success of the first film.

"I've always made comedies, and I think comedies in general tend to fly under the radar," he explained. "So maybe [I regret] not realizing that we're not making a movie that's going to fly under the radar, that three months before we even start shooting it, people are going to weigh in with opinions and tell us how it's not going to be funny or how this isn't a good idea, you know what I mean? When it's like, 'Hey, give us a shot to make the movie, then weigh in.' "

Even without Gibson, Phillips said the movie's story line remains unchanged. And that is because as cameos go, there's a big difference between the part Gibson would have played — taken over now by Liam Neeson — and the guest turn delivered by heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in the first "Hangover."

"It's essentially the same part, because Mel was never playing Mel in the movie in the way that Mike Tyson was playing Mike Tyson," he said. "It was very different. [Gibson] was coming in to add a little bit of weight to the situation that unfolds in Bangkok, so we just needed an actor that brings weight. I think Mel and Liam, and there are probably four other guys in that age range that sort of bring that gravitas."

Do you think Mel Gibson's cameo should have been scrapped? Tell us in the comments.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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