In our world today, the things that we see in the media and on the internet controls some views we have and effects some peoples understanding of the world. We look to people like Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé and listen to their music for entertainment or to make us feel good about ourselves. The unfortunate thing is that the music that we like doesn’t always have the best messages.
In Bell Hook’s essay about “Lemonade,” she says that “Lemonade offers viewers a visual extravaganza—a display of black female bodies that transgresses all boundaries. It’s all about the body, and the body as a commodity. This is certainly not radical or revolutionary. From slavery to the present day, black female bodies, clothed and unclothed, have been bought and sold. What makes this commodification different in Lemonade is intent; its purpose is to seduce, celebrate, and delight—to challenge the ongoing present-day devaluation and dehumanization of the black female body.”
Honestly, when I first read this, I was confused and in disbelief. However, I came to the realization that the perspective is clear. After watching Lemonade, I thought of it as Beyoncé trying to empower black women and she used her lyrics so show a sexy black female who can overcome her hardships and still make her own money and be independent. This is a conversation to have, is it okay for us as women to over-sexualize ourselves? Do we allow media to have its own portrayal of us? If the answers are yes, then we need to show people the power in a female and her body and what makes it beautiful.