Kanye West Taylor Swift Incident: Kanye Apologizes on Jay Leno Show; Taylor Opens Up on "The View"

Kanye West appeared on the inaugural episode of "The Jay Leno Show" Monday night, just a day after he ruined Taylor Swift's moment of glory at the 2009 Video Music Awards. He was scheduled to appear. But there was a three-minute segment that was not part of the planned show. Kanye West asked Jay Leno if he could offer Taylor Swift an apology on his show.

The Kanye West / Taylor Swift incident on the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday has now gone from Twitter and blog mode to talk show mode. Taylor Swift showed up to tell all about her big win and how Kanye West rained on her parade. And Kanye West apologized for the third (?) time on The Jay Leno Show. Many are condemning Kanye West and his deplorable antics. Some are lauding him. Some play the middle, stating that Kanye West has a right to his opinion but could have chosen a better moment to voice it and ruining the young girl's moment like that.

But if Kanye West had waited until a more appropriate time, he wouldn't be Kanye West.

What did he do? For the very few who do not know what egregious error of judgment Kanye West made, the attention-mongering rapper jumped up on stage in the middle of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Awards for Best Female Video. West took the microphone from the stunned Swift and yelled, "Taylor, I'm really happy for you. I'll let you finish but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!"

He handed the microphone to Swift and walked away. She was speechless. The audience booed. As she stood there looking vulnerable, almost as if Kanye West had smacked her, the producers at MTV cut Taylor Swift's microphone and went to the next segment. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.

But if Taylor Swift was popular before, she just pulled in a Grand Ole Opry-full of new fans after West's disrespectful interruption of her acceptance speech for winning the Best Female Video award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. West's uncouthness even brought those who were not even fans of Taylor Swift to place expletive-laden tweets on Twitter, scornful derogations on blogs, and outraged live call-ins to radio stations.

For once, it seemed that blacks and whites were in nearly complete harmony on a subject: Kanye West, regardless of his accomplishments, was an undeniable egotist and an incorrigible media whore. Some preferred more as hominem attacks but as the video of what is being called the Kanye West Taylor Swift incident went viral and stayed viral, and even got a shot on "Anderson Cooper 360." Even President Obama called Kanye West a "jackass."

But Kanye West, perhaps catching a glimpse of himself stepping over a line he should not have, went on his blog and apologized to Taylor Swift, to her fans, and to her mother. Later, he apologized again. And then he went on the new "Jay Leno Show" and apologized. Jay introduced Kanye West's apology as a last-minute addition to the show, stating only that Kanye West had asked for a couple minutes to say something.

Jay Leno asked if he had had a rough day. West said, "It's been extremely difficult just dealing with the fact that I hurt someone or took anything away from a talented artist."

Kanye West stumbled through his apology, saying it wasn't "a spectacle," that he realized he had "stepped on" Taylor Swift's emotions, and that it was "just rude." He then said he would like to apologize to her in person.

Jay asked the rapper when he felt or knew was "wrong," that he might have done something he shouldn't have. Kanye West said, "Like...like... As soon as I gave the mike back to her and she didn't keep going..."

This got a laugh from the crowd. West smiled, but it didn't look as if he was sharing in the humor.

Some have derided Kanye West's apology on Leno as damage control but it seemed genuine, especially when Jay asked him what his mother would have thought about what he had done. In probably the most rarest moments ever caught on tape, Kanye West actually looked humbled. He was quiet for a few nearly 20 seconds, looked as if he might actually break down, then said that he had no excuses, that he needed to take some time off for some self-reflection, to perhaps better handle his celebrity status.

As for Taylor Swift, she appeared on "The View" Tuesday. "I think my overall thought process went something like: 'Wow, I can't believe I won... This is awesome... Don't trip and fall... I'm gonna get to thank the fans, this is so cool... Oh, Kanye West is here!'," Swift told the ladies on The View, "'Cool haircut... What are you doing there? And then, Ouch. And then, I guess I'm not gonna be able to thank the fans.' "

Swift told the ladies of The View that at first she was riled. Various media outlets reported that she was in tears backstage after the incident. But five minutes later, she was performing the song that won her Best Female Video live, so she had to pull herself together quickly.

Swift said that she was amazed at all the support she had received since the MTV Music Video Awards incident.

But she still had not heard from the rapper or his camp.

Apparently catching the young country singer on "The View," West called her afterward and apologized. Swift's reps say she accepted the apology.

After the talk show circuit is over, does this mean we're going to see a Kanye West / Taylor Swift duet?

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Sources:

"The Jay Leno Show," NBC Television
"The View," ABC Television
"2009 MTV Video Music Awards," MTV Television