Was Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori always an exhibitionist? The consent versus control debate
The Ye-Bianca Censori dynamic continues to get odder. While the near-naked Grammys stint wasn't really all that surprising it has sparked a multi-pronged debate
The 67th Grammy Awards which took place earlier this month had many swoon-worthy red carpet and on-stage moments. All of that however, stood near eclipsed with the very orchestrated and manifold times discomforting moment with the spotlight on Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori. Ye, dressed in his templated all-black casuals stood mum and proud as Bianca turned around to drop her bourgeoning coat only to reveal...well, nearly nothing. The stocking dress left nothing to imagination leading the internet to erupt over complex themes of abuse, consent, control and feminist expression.
Coming to the 'star' of this crumbling multi-pronged debate, Bianca's sense of expression in the public arena has exclusively always been flanked by Ye's authoritative aura with the medium always being her body. Not very many details are known about Bianca's pre-Ye era, except that she was and is the head of architecture at YEEZY and started her romance with the rapper and businessman, shortly after his divorce from Kim Kardashian. Now to see all her public relevance being simply reduce to all that she choses to (not) wear, is understandably taxing to the socially-conscious mind.
While the evolved epitaphs of feminism rightfully lay excessive incentive on women being able to chose how to dress or undress, outside the purview and consequence of the male gaze, Bianca's case is atypical in that her 'presentation' to the public eye almost feels like an experiment on Ye's part, much like a canvas of communication for his bizarre ideas and narrative, that too through a muse who for all practical purposes, comes across as voiceless.
The minimal but still visible back and forth between the two during the Grammys coat-drop, when decoded by body language experts, presents an even more concerning scenario. UK-based body language expert Judi James for one, decodes Bianca's stance prior to the coat-drop as "confident" and "superior", as reported by the Daily Mail. "Her glance up at Kanye before she removed it suggested a flicker of what looked like nerves,” Judi explained. “It looked like nervousness made her break her own posing rule by laughing at one point", she elaborated. Following the coat-drop however, the nerves and a "shift in emotional state" were evident: "Her legs crossed, and the way she placed her hands uncharacteristically awkwardly on her hips hinted at some last-minute anxiety".
How truly on-board, in an uncoerced state of mind Bianca really is with this unbridled message relaying on Ye's part (whatever may be the take away), we will never know. But the Grammys stint for one, sure has left a bad taste for all onlookers, especially considering no one really consented to being exposed to the 'presentation'.