Parkinson's disease groups offended by Kanye West lyric
Kanye West has upset some Parkinson Disease groups after one of his lyrics on his latest album "Yeezus" seemed to poke fun at the symptoms experienced by people with the disease.
West raps during "On Sight": "Soon as I pull up and park the Benz / We get this b---- shaking like Parkinson's."
Leslie A. Chambers, president & CEO of the American Parkinson Disease Association, said to CBSNews.com that the organization was alerted to the lyric after a reporter from TMZ asked what it thought of the lyric. Vice president Kathryn Whitford told the website that she found it to be "distasteful and the product of obvious ignorance."
"We still feel it was a disservice to the 1.5 million Parkinson's patients and their caregivers," Chambers said. "It can become extremely debilitating not only because of the physical symptoms, but because of the emotional, psychological and quality of life impact."
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Parkinson's disease is brain disorder caused by a loss of a chemical called dopamine that results in a series of motor system conditions. It affects 1 out of 100 people, making it the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Though we still do not know what causes the disease, a May Neurology article suggested that close proximity to pesticides may boost risk.
Other risk factors include age, genetics, gender (men are more likely to get the disease than women), according to the Mayo Clinic.
While people who have Parkinson's typicall have problems with their motor functions including tremors in their hands, arms, legs, jaw and face, they can also have stiffness in their limbs in trunk and move slowly or have problems with balance or coordination. Other non-motor symptoms -- which often occur decades before motor symptoms develop -- include a loss of sense of smell, constipation, depression or behavior indicative of an REM sleep disorder resulting in vivid dreams.
Exercise can help people with Parkinson's deal with their symptoms. Boxing-inspired fitness classes have helped people relieve stress from having the debilitating disease and improve their fitness. Being active has been shown to slow the decline or progression of the disease.
A study in May in the Annals of Neurology suggested that eating nicotine-containing vegetables like peppers twice to four times weekly may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's by 30 percent.
Steve Ford, chief executive at the British nonprofit Parkinson's U.K., also spoke out against the lyric.
"Kanye West has shown an inexcusable level of stupidity and cruelty towards people living with an incurable condition," he told the Independent. "Life with Parkinson's is difficult enough without becoming fodder for insensitive celebrities who should know better, looking for their next big hit. People with Parkinson's have to cope with intolerable social discrimination on a daily basis -- often to the point where they are afraid to go out in public -- and this sort of thoughtless, callous comment can only serve to make things even worse for them."
Chambers said she hopes that West will connect with her organization so they can educate him about what Parkinson's is and how it affects not only patients lives, but also the people who care for them.
"Typically if anything like this happens, we would like to engage with the person," Chambers said. "It is part of our job to raise awareness and help people get the facts straight."
She said the association is encouraging a conversation with her organization and with West or his representatives, but they have not received a response.
