Current internet climate has me defending a man I never thought I would - Kanye West. For personal reasons, I've never been a fan of Kanye's music nor his figure, but I am abhorred at his treatment recently online and in media.

Kanye West is no stranger to headlines and news stories, after all he is a critically acclaimed artist and producer. Despite "musical genius" often being associated with his name, his current foray into the national spotlight has turned his mental health into a joke.

Kanye's current manifestation of his Bipolar Disorder is being characterized as a manic episode - in which the afflicted suffers from intense energy, impulsivity, and racing thoughts (Mayo Clinic.) It is being reported that Kanye is making subjectively bizarre statements in public and has been tweeting divisive comments, especially regarding his family. Overwhelmingly, the response I've seen online (particularly on Twitter and Facebook) have turned his health crisis into memes and "jokes."

I have seen friends and people I'm close to go through similar episodes, and I can confidently express that it is not a joke, it's not funny, it's not lighthearted - it's scary. It's scary to see someone you personally know struggle, and it should be equally so for our public figures.

So many people look up to Kanye West, and how we treat him in his "lows" is very reflective of how our society regards mental health crises in general. When celebrities reveal mental illnesses or disorders they live with they are labeled as brave, but whenever they manifest symptoms they are ridiculed.

Kanye's episode is putting me in mind of Britney Spear's infamous "breakdown" in 2007 where the pop singer was pictured shaving her head. At the time, Britney was called crazy, neurotic, and... well, far worse adjectives. Today, there are still jokes being circulated about Britney with the #FreeBritney campaign that's been swirling on Twitter and TikTok.

There needs to be a major change in how we respond to health and mental wellness problems our celebrities deal with. In many ways, our celebrities and public figures represent the qualities that we admire and revere in our society. The way we react to their human afflictions reflects what we see as undesirable - despite some of the most desirable people in our country having them too. We can do better, and we need to do better. It starts with each of us in recognizing that celebrities are people who are not immune to illnesses, and deserve to be treated with respect and compassion.