@Walt
All around a great post, respect for that, could easily submit something like that to NY Times OP Ed.
The part about building a "brand", chilled me, because I hear that all the time, often from even women with prestigious degrees and leftist beliefs.....It all comes back to the capitalism though. Word for word, I had a conversation about Kanye and Kardashians with this girl a year ago, who I actually really liked, and I kept saying "I'm talking about their music and message NOT marketing". She couldn't separate the two.
It's quietly horrifying. I don't know who I even want to be around like that, because so many people have become or always were just like that.
I mean, if he's doing it for marketing (which I want to be clear, I don't think is entirely the case).....does that make it ok? The narrative in America is that is does.