Kanye Really Served Sushi Off A Naked Woman For His Birthday

This week, Kanye West marked his 46th birthday with a star-studded soiree, and in true Kanye fashion, he offended a whole bunch of people in the process. The rapper is, once again, under fire after videos and photos posted to Twitter revealed that Ye's party guests spent the evening enjoying sushi off of a woman's nearly-nude body.

In a post-COVID world, the idea of eating food off of human flesh might send a shiver down your spine. However, nyotaimori, the practice of serving sushi on a woman's nude body, has a storied history. Its origins are a bit unclear, but some say it's an ancient Japanese art form that began during Japan's Edo period in the 1600s. It was a peaceful time marked by the indulgence of art and culture, and legend has it that samurai warriors would let loose by visiting geisha houses where nyotaimori was on the menu. It's since become more popular in the Western world than its country of origin, and yet, the Twitter-verse — as it tends to be — is up in arms, as many commenters perceived the nyotaimori at West's party to be misogynistic and objectifying.

In response to Kanye West's decision to have a living, breathing serving tray at his birthday party, one Twitter user wrote, "Treating a human woman like a plate is kinda misogynistic big dog," according to Page Six. "In what WORLD is treating women like objects for male consumption (literally) not misogyny?" another chimed in. "Someone lock him up and book a therapy session for him asap!!" said another.

Twitter isn't the only place where this unique food trend has been rejected on the grounds of poor taste. The practice has been banned in China since 2005, after the government deemed it both unhygienic and indecent. However, precautions are usually taken to ensure that the experience is safe for both diners and models. To avoid skin-to-food contact, the sushi is often placed on banana leaves or another sterile surface that is laid across the model.

Touching the models is also forbidden, and diners are typically required to use chopsticks to keep from grazing the model's skin with their fingers. A Reddit user who claims to be a nyotaimori model confirmed this in a post where she answered questions about her job. She described the gig as "fun" and noted that diners were generally "respectful and polite." It's unclear how many enraged people online have asked the sushi model at Ye's party how she felt about participating.