Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 04/06/2012 at 10:09 AM News

The Popdust Files: feuds, kanye west, peta, Theraflu

It’s been a fairly long time now—like, a couple of weeks, at least—since Kanye had himself a nice sparring partner to beef with. Now all of a sudden, we have “Theraflu,” which drops bombs not only on Kris Humphries (you can’t name a song this year that hasn’t dissed that guy) but on that most embattled of social organizations, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “Tell PETA my mink is dragging on the floor,” ‘Yeezy challenges on his cold-medicine jam, and because PETA has an employee on call at all times monitoring for rap disses, they have heard the call-out and have issued their hip-hop nemesis a response, via statement from PETA’s Senior Vice President Dan Mathews.

What’s draggin’ on the floor is Kanye’s reputation as a man with no empathy for animals or human beings…He’s a great musician but doesn’t seem to have the fashion sense to design anything more than caveman costumes. We keep hoping that one day he’ll find his heart and join evolved style icons—including Russell Simmons, Pink, and Natalie Portman—who have dropped animal skins.

Burrrrrn. This isn’t the first time that the two parties have squared off, by the way, as Mathews took shots at ‘Ye a few years back when he and then-GF Amber Rose (my, how times change) were snapped wearing fur during Paris Fashion Week. “Kanye can’t help making himself look like an idiot, whether at an awards show or a fashion show,” PETA’s Mathews then quipped to the Daily Mail. “He and his girlfriend look like pathetic creatures from a shabby roadside zoo.” Boy, we’re getting to be on some real LL Cool J / Kool Moe Dee shit on this one, aren’t we? Can’t wait to see Kanye wearing a live fox or smomething to the VMAs in response.

By the way, the brand Theraflu? Not too pumped about this song either. A rep from the medicine company tells TMZ that “We in no way endorse or approve of the references or use of the image and likeness of Theraflu in this manner.” Right, and Polaroid was soooo pissed when Andre 3000 used them in the best lyrical simile in 21st-century pop. Just be grateful for the exposure, guys.

[Oh No They Didn't!]