A colleague* sent me a still from Beyoncé’s Black Is King film where black men don the blonde wigs donned by the traditional judiciary. The image is a disturbing one for a plethora of reasons. On one hand, the cognitively dissonant image represents the antithetical relationship the black collective has with the law. On the…
Tag: #beyonce
Black is King, A Black Female Perspective
Beyonce’s Black is King delivers an aesthetically pleasing cultural collage. From waterfalls to regal braiding, the film captures the pure beauty of black people who occupy both central and peripheral spaces in the film. The music also engenders a Pan-Africanist sound that melds the diaspora together in a melody as diverse a the colors of…
Who’s Family? A Black Perspective on Jay-Z’s Family Feud Video
Two common ingredients in contemporary media that aims for modernity are: overwhelming presence of the female body from various racial and ethnic background, and talk of unity Jay Z’s most recent music video for the song “Family Feud” contains both. The video– a theatrical (and costly) representation of a divided family seeking unity through external…
Why Beyonce Had to Have Twins: Black Female Hyper-Sexuality, Hyper-Fertility, and Sexual Objectification
Black female hyper sexuality, a product of global racial conception, remains at the forefront of black female identity. From the welfare mother whose sexuality births what the world labels bastards– babies derived from the hyper sexual loins of black male and female lust, to the black pop star oozing with a hyper sexuality that drips…
The Beyoncé Wax Figure: White-Washing and the Blind Gaze
A wax figure of global star Beyoncé made headlines this week for its supposed white– washing of the talented star. The figure– fair-skinned with a pinkish undertones, small features and the star’s famous long blonde locks, offended many who believed the stature resembled an unknown white woman and not the beloved pop star. The outrage…
Beyonce-A Win For White Supremacy
Following her Grammy speech and performance, superstar Beyonce garnered abundant praise. Beyonce’s grammy performance portrayed Queen Bey in a manner that proved as royal as her title. Beyonce’s look seemed reminiscent of the queens of our indigenous homeland— a connection that did not go unnoticed by spectators. However, Beyonce garnered the most praise for something fans…
Beyonce’s Lemonade-More Sour than Sweet
“Becky with the good hair” shields an ignorant comment with the facade of entertainment–rendering blacks pawns in their own oppression. As pawns, fans overlook this problematic phrasing, and instead focus on unveiling Becky’s identity. In prompting listeners to place a face to the phrase rather than question its relevance, the toxic phrase “good hair” endures celebration rather than the scrutiny it deserves.
Beyonce as Black Conscious?
My consistent criticism of popular culture is its often indifference to contemporary conflict. Admittedly Hollywood offers starlets, singers and others of the same sort a view from the top that all too frequently distances them from reality. Reality, well specifically speaking- black reality observes a prominent presence in Superstar Beyonce’s latest video Formation. While the…
Beyonce and Black Femininity: Personal V. Political
Personal v. Political Perhaps one of the greatest lessons learned during my graduate career, is the difference between feeling politically or personally affected by something. As a black woman, much of the personal is in fact political, but this does not mean that you must refrain from liking something in order to be critical of…
Whispers of a Womanist 