A few weeks back, Kanye West premiered his music video for the single “Famous.” There’s a theory going around that Taylor Swift launched The Glorious Tiddlebanging of 2016 to coincide with Kanye’s artistic endeavors because she didn’t want people to pay attention to the neverending back-and-forth between herself and Yeezy. As in, she wanted to change the subject. That didn’t stop Kanye from using Taylor’s image/likeness in the music video. He also used Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Caitlyn Jenner, Amber Rose, Anna Wintour, Ray J, Bill Cosby, Donald Trump and George Bush. As in, he used their likenesses. Because his video – which is now on YouTube in all of its NSFW glory – used high-quality and expensive wax figures for the now-infamous “bed” tableau.
Kanye West’s “Famous” video didn’t only spark controversy – Life & Style magazine has learned, it also created a hefty production bill.
“Kanye paid over $750,000 for the wax figures,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style of the naked celebrity wax look-alikes Kanye featured in his music video “Famous” — that include his wife Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump and Caitlyn Jenner to name a few.
“It took over six months to make them and Kanye was involved in all stages of development of the figures. At one point, the music video shoot was delayed six weeks because Kanye wasn’t happy with how the figures looked.”
“Kanye became obsessed with the anatomy of Caitlyn Jenner’s wax figure,” the source tells Life & Style. “He never consulted Caitlyn, though. He just took the liberty of using her image for the video.”
Dear Kanye: this is why you’re $53 million in debt and counting. Because you blow through $750,000 on spooky, anatomically correct wax figures all for a music video for a song that people don’t even like that much. Also, I am sort of grossed out at the idea of Kanye obsessing over Caitlyn’s wax figure. Of course, that’s no more or less creepy than Kanye wanting the figures in the first place. And where are the figures now???
Also: while it’s true that the video is and was “controversial,” I’m still enjoying the fact that for the most part, celebrities are ignoring Yeezy. Ray J has made some noise about suing, but other than that… no one gives a sh-t.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
I thought he is broke?!
He’s broke because he can’t figure out where the brakes are. Once he’s going, there’s noooooo stopping him.
Gross, on many levels.
Is this the same guy who is begging investors to give him money for his fashion line? Guess that’s not so important anymore.
Kim herself looks like a wax figure, that one was a waste of money!
Really what a waste of money.I guess Kim and her family are supporting this wierdo now.
I dont get why he didnt just use comp grafficks. I also dont get why he made this video in the first place.
I also have some morbid curiosity about where those dolls are now. No way someone would pay that much for something they don’t own, right?! And let’s face it, this is probably as close to sleeping with Swift as he’s going to get
That is so creepy. Wherever they are (I’m sure in some kind of warehouse or storage facility of Kanye and Kim’s) that is a straight up horror movie. Can you imagine being in a room with all of those? Ugh!
Maybe they inhabit Kanye and Kim’s empty house. Kanye can play dolls with them there.
imagine kanye re-enacting scenes with kim and ray-j, with amber, hell, with caitlyn, speaking in their voices. the stuff of nightmares.
I love the idea of the whole ‘tableau’ being their oversized coffee table. Like people go into their house and are like, ‘Ummm… the f*ck?’ And North is over there playing with My Little Ponys off the corner of it and Kim has her feet up on it.
my God Anna!!
That is a really dark pathway you have shown my mind to run down
That poor little girl wearing those hot as hell Doc Martens being carried by those two idiots…smh.
I love the dress and her hair – the shoes do not fit. She’s trying to get down and walk. I can’t imagine carrying a three year old for any length of time. I can only pick up my 3 year old granddaughter when she wants picked up. Most the time, she doesn’t want to even hold my hand.
Egomonoacal or narcissistic personality disorder? Hard to tell. Either way he’s not the genius he believes he is and this ridiculously expensive video for a lame ass song proved it. Just continue to ignore his thirst.
A fool and him money are soon parted.
It must be making him insane that not only has no one sued him, people have more or less already stopped talking about his video.
I agree, this video did not have the impact he wanted. It’s been talked on the internet, but he didn’t create much buzz. I think most people looked at a clip, and yawn, more Kanye being an out of control egomaniac.
Yeah, wasn’t he begging people to sue him over it? His whole life is a publicity stunt now.
The best thing any of the people involved could possibly have done is ignore this nonsense entirely. Collectively they’ve made it nothing. And fair play to them, I’d have found it very hard to stay quiet if I was put in their situation, it was just needlessly vile.
Kanye invested that high amount on one video because was NOT expecting this outcome- he was expecting it to be the zeitgeist of 2016.
Ah, nope. Credit to Taylor Swift for controlling the narrative about herself lately and pulling most attention from Kanye. Now I’m starting to believe she does most things with an ultimate goal/ plan.
Yep, he was out-maneuvered by a pop princess. Instead of seeing headlines about his *masterpiece,* the public is being inundated with photos and puff pieces about Taylor’s new romance. Foiled again, Kanye.
Well, Taylor does have the advantage that she’s not mentally unbalanced…. Makes it easier to think clearly and plan ahead.
He expected Taylor to be furious about it. Ignoring this video is the best thing Taylor has ever done.
You and Grabbyhand nailed it. I’m so happy he got ignored although I think he more than deserved a lawsuit or 7! The lack of think pieces also makes me happy. His misogyny and thirst for attention is transparent and weak. Not artsy and deep.
Oh Kanye… what are we going to do with you? Does he realize he needs to change something or does he blame the public for “not getting” his art? I can’t help but compare him to the other amazing artist out there and specifically, Beyonce and Kendrick. Hell, even J. Cole. They’re doing amazing and authentic work and he’s…. doing this. Do you think Kim is concerned at all?
You do realize that Beyonce has a team of about 15 songwriters working for her AND she stole the “water dance” routine from another artist, right? Beyonce couldn’t produce anything on her own, she’s not talented or original enough.
I don’t think Kim is smart enough about such things to recognize how off the wall he is and how inappropriate the whole idea was. She is not known for depth. She got her picture in the tabloids and that was all she noticed. Maybe if she walks in on him playing with his anatomically correct Taylor Swift doll, she’ll get a little concerned. But maybe not. She’s so empty, it’s sad.
CGI would have been significantly cheaper. He is bankruptcy waiting to happen.
Lets think about what $750k could be used towards besides a naked wax figure of T. Swift
1. New butt for Kim (airfare to brazil included)
2. North’s college fund for when she eventually breaks away and becomes an astrophysicist (my dream for her)
3. Medical bills for when someone finally punches Kanye in the face
4. 459 Destroyed Yeezy Black Wool Sweaters (Season 1 Collection)
5. 41,666 Kylie Lip Kits
6. 75,075 Tidal “premium” subscriptions
LOL at #3
At least Nori can sell those pricey earrings when she makes her great escape. That should pay for her tuition and books until she qualifies for college scholarships and graduate assistantships.
I’d love to see her discover science, too. But she might go into psychology to sort out her dysfunctional childhood and baffling parents.
Bless him. And the collective ‘Meh’ from the world was deafening.
I also think that since Trump usually comments on everything, that Kanye thought that this would put him right in the middle of some big national debate. It’s hilarious that no one cares because being ignored is Kanye and Kim’s worst nightmare. Also, still curious how Anne Wintours feels about all of this.
Unless she knew beforehand, she might still be in a state of shock. If she did know and went along with it – she’s as detached from reality as he is.
The best thing about the Summer of Tiddle is the it cast a huge shadow over Kayne’s tantrum and stupid video. No one cared.
I liked the Famous video a lot more than I thought I would. It made me feel like a disgusting stalker invading people’s privacy, which I’m guessing was the point.
Also I really appreciate how the video depicted its subjects as simply people like the rest of us, stripped of all the status and/or notoriety that they hold. The realdolls in the video seem almost more human than their living counterparts. Which is why it felt so poignant to end the segment with the image of George W. Bush as just a sleeping grandpa.
You can call Kanye a lot of things but stupid he is not.