MRC shelved documentary after Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks

• MRC has pulled the plug on a documentary about Kanye West.
• The producer published an open letter denouncing the artist’s language.
•  West’s relationship with CAA has also come to an end.

MRC withdrew a finished documentary about Kanye, in response to the artist Kanye “Ye” West’s recent run of antisemitic remarks.

Earlier today, the producer published an open letter denouncing the artist’s language and criticizing other groups for their lack of action. West’s relationship with CAA has also lately come to an end.

MRC studio execs Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu, and Scott Tenley wrote in the letter that “This morning, after discussion with our filmmakers and distribution partners, we made the decision not to proceed with any distribution for our recently completed documentary about Kanye West,”

We are unable to promote any material that expands his platform. West has recently made headlines for a string of offensive comments he made about the Jewish community, beginning with a now-deleted Tweet, and continuing with contentious appearances on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he made additional unaired remarks that Vice had leaked, and later on Drink Champs and NewsNation’s Cuomo.

The letter rips through antisemitism’s fallacies, focusing on how Western culture has helped to normalize those viewpoints. According to MRC’s statement, the artist is:

“Kanye is a producer and sampler of music. Last week he sampled and remixed a classic tune that has charted for over 3,000 years — the lie that Jews are evil and conspire to control the world for their own gain.

This song was performed acapella in the time of the Pharaohs, Babylon, and Rome, went accoustic with The Spanish Inquisition, and Russia’s Pale of Settlement, and Hitler took the song electric. Kanye has now helped mainstream those beliefs.”

The letter also describes how, despite being a small population in comparison to those bothering the victims in the first place, such lies are used to “punch up” at victims.

Additionally, it urges other companies to disregard the artist, saying, “The silence from leaders and corporations when it comes to Kanye or antisemitism in general is dismaying but not surprising. What is new and sad, is the fear Jews have about speaking out in their own defense.”

Due to West’s language, both his Instagram and Twitter accounts were suspended, but the impact extended beyond the realm of social media.

Antisemitic protestors gathered on the 405 Freeway over the weekend to demonstrate their support for the musician.

It was a sad illustration of the genuine repercussions that antisemitic language can have, as people carried posters endorsing his remarks regarding the Jewish population.

MRC is merely the most recent business to discontinue working on initiatives involving West. Both UTA and the clothing line Balenciaga severed their relations with the artist, and in a statement to his workers on Friday, UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer called for a boycott.

Other business leaders have also denounced West’s remarks, including Ari Emanuel of Endeavor and Bob Gersh of The Gersh Agency. More businesses are anticipated to follow in their footsteps.

Below, you can read the entire open letter from MRC addressing West.

Hollywood financier/producer MRC says it won’t proceed with a Kanye West documentary. pic.twitter.com/cR0FiLDOmT

— Lucas Shaw (@Lucas_Shaw) October 24, 2022

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