Kanye West, you evil genius, you.

But then we always knew you were an evil genius, didn’t we?

And last week, I likened you to a “village idiot.”

Forgive me.

Because if the conspiracy theorists are right, you’re more than an evil genius. You’re better than Ashton Kutcher. I mean, punking poor, “unsuspecting” Taylor Swift, propelling her into the country’s conciousness -- beyond her country music and teenybopper fan base.

All the while, raising your own status from fame to infamy.

You single-handedly stole the shine away from the King of Pop and one of the best rappers in the game (who was to close the show in a big way) -- two men you have counted as influences.

Got to admit: When I first heard this could’ve been a stunt, I balked at the notion. One -- you had apparently been drinking. Two -- you are obviously still reeling from the loss of your mother. And, three -- you’re a repeat offender (remember the ’06 EMAs, ’Ye? Good times ...).

But wait a minute.

Doesn’t Swift plan to re-release her latest album soon? And West has an upcoming tour with Lady Gaga to hype, no? (By the way, the tour’s scheduled to stop in Atlanta and Greensboro in December.) 

It stands to reason West would self-promote but he also helped Swift endear herself as America’s newest darling.

“Come on, Linz. Why would ’Ye make a fool of himself to help some teen queen?”

Glad you asked, reader. He wouldn’t.

Look at the last couple of weeks closely.

Tennis phenom Serena Williams berated a defenseless line judge on the court. A little-known Republican congressman plucked himself from obscurity when he called the president a liar. And a rapper thought it was cool to steal a “moment” from a teenager who’d just won her first VMA, so long as he was keeping it real.

These are the stories that grow legs and learn to walk.

Take West.

It’s been going on nine days since his stunt and the water-cooler chatter about it, his Jay Leno appearance, Swift’s “The View” appearance and his subsequent personal apology is just now starting to cool.

TV’s biggest personalities got plently of digs in at the Emmy Awards Sunday -- many threatening to “pull a Kanye” if they lost.

MTV has definitely gotten more mileage (and an “excuse” to re-air the VMAs 50,697 more times this month) from the coverage.

For better or worse, Kanye was Kanye that night.

He was selfish and impulsive and arrogant (and maybe a little tipsy).

In the days following, he was melancholy and pensive and contrite (and quite sober).

Some say it had to be staged.

There’s no way his emotions would have run the gamut in just 24 hours. This is all part of his plot to be the biggest pop star in history.

Possibly.

Unless, the stage-rushing was real. As were the numerous apologies and line on Leno about mourning his mother. Then, what does that make West?

Just another misunderstood genius.