Kanye West has been ripped by critics, but the country music industry should be singing his praises. Performers at the Country Music Awards boot-scooted all over the hip-hop artist during the annual awards show when they should have thanked him for helping vault Taylor Swift to stardom.
Before Kanye stormed the stage during her acceptance speech at the MTV VMA's, Swift was known mostly as that spunky blonde who always hung around tween queen Miley Cyrus. Kanye's actions helped rocket to Swift media darling and rock-star status simultaneously.
The moment is eagerly riffed upon by the likes of Swift herself on shows like "SNL" and her colleagues, as was the case last night. Award show co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood opened the event by rehashing the months-old beef between Kanye and the country pop tart.
In a spoof of the country standard "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," the co-hosts crooned about Kanye's lack of manners: “Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be Kanye,” the duo sang. “Let them pick guitars and drive them old trucks, ‘cause cowboys have manners, they don’t interrupt.”
Still, Swift had the last laugh. She swept the awards show and won the top honor: entertainer of the year. She should have thanked Kanye.
