By Lori Adelman • @ladelman • 13 years ago

The Wednesday Weigh-In: Creative destruction edition

In the video for their first single off the new album “Watch the Throne”, Kanye and Jay-Z take a $350,000 car and cut it to pieces. Then they plop some models in the back and go joy-riding.

The car was on display in New York City this past weekend, and a few friends of mine went to see the thing. They said it was cool to look at (no touching allowed), but I’m more interested in another aspect of the well-received video: the last frame, which declares “The vehicle used in this video will be offered up for auction. Proceeds will be donated towards the East African drought disaster.”

The bidding is rumored to start at $280,000. Is this a creative act charity or one of senseless destruction? This week’s weigh-in centers around creation and destruction:


What do you think of Jay and Ye’s ploy to raise money for the famine in Somalia? And has there ever been a time in your life when you justified destroying something valuable to create something even better?


Disclaimer: While I enjoyed this video, I recognize that there are aspects both of the video and of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collective bodies of work that are problematic, including the fact that the only women in the video are models giggling in the backseat. My intention with this post is to focus on YOUR opinions about charity, creation and destruction, and not necessarily to rehash is-it-or-isn’t-it-sexist arguments.

Brooklyn, NY

Lori Adelman started blogging with Feministing in 2008, and now runs partnerships and strategy as a co-Executive Director. She is also the Director of Youth Engagement at Women Deliver, where she promotes meaningful youth engagement in international development efforts, including through running the award-winning Women Deliver Young Leaders Program. Lori was formerly the Director of Global Communications at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and has also worked at the United Nations Foundation on the Secretary-General's flagship Every Woman Every Child initiative, and at the International Women’s Health Coalition and Human Rights Watch. As a leading voice on women’s rights issues, Lori frequently consults, speaks and publishes on feminism, activism and movement-building. A graduate of Harvard University, Lori has been named to The Root 100 list of the most influential African Americans in the United States, and to Forbes Magazine‘s list of the “30 Under 30” successful mediamakers. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lori Adelman is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Partnerships.

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