After Beyoncé is finished with a long day of dodging paparazzi, taking Blue Ivy to celebrity mommy and me classes and “surfing all of that good good” (whatever that means), she claims to still have a little time left over time in her busy schedule to pencil in being a good ol’ fashioned feminist.
It’s almost impossible to believe that someone like Beyoncé should care, let alone devote time to a cause as tiring as feminism. Blah, “to the left, to the left,” blah, “all the single ladies,” blah, “SURFBOARD.” We get it. Feminists don’t wear makeup, never shave their armpits, and hate men, right? Surely Beyoncé can’t be a feminist… have you seen those pits? Baby-bottom smooth. Her makeup? Flawless. Not to mention the 18 carat, $5 million dollar, blindingly shiny rock sitting pretty on her ring finger.
At face value, Beyoncé Knowles is the epitome of the traditionally “perfect” grown woman: beautiful in a youthful yet sexy way, funny but not too funny, a loving mother, and most importantly— married. This is what we’ve learned from Beyoncé’s time as a public figure: how to be “wifey material.”
That is, until she dropped a surprise album and transformed into “Yoncé.” In the past two years, Beyoncé’s newest era has come to life: she simultaneously represents the loving, whole-hearted mother and wife, and the empowered, confident, sexually charged feminist.
Yoncé is the most famous and undoubtedly important representation of the “modern-day feminist.” In fact, that quote comes directly from the Queen Bey herself. What Yoncé’s admirers don’t see is that this isn’t a “new era,” but a new representation of what she, and every feminist before her, has always stood for. Beyoncé is the spokesperson for the same principles of equality as the 1920s feminist and the 1990s feminist, except she’s pole dancing in a skimpy swimsuit on a stage in front of thousands of people just because she can, and because it works.
She woke up like that: a woman.
Beyoncé has always been associated with empowerment. Whether she’s kicking an ex-boyfriend to the curb or reminding a fool that he should’ve wifed her up when he had the chance, there have been more than a few lines in Beyoncé’s lyrics that prove that she views herself and her audience as powerful. Sadly, I’m not sure that her audience understands her message.
Let’s start with the haters. I’ll pause while you grasp your chest dramatically and ask through wheezes of disbelief, “It’s possible to hate Beyoncé?” Well, duh. She’s an African American female pop singer, not Ben and Jerry’s half-baked ice cream. (Sorry, lactose intolerants. I’m just going to go ahead and assume you love it anyways, regardless of your unfortunate disadvantage.)
In January of 2014, Elite Daily writer Rachel McRady compiled a list of reasons why people hate Beyoncé and after sifting through the bland, uncreative and untrue accusations, like that she lip-syncs, is overrated and had her baby’s name trademarked (okay, that one’s true), I reached the holy trinity of insults: Beyoncé hates men, makes raunchy music, and because of this, is a bad role model.
Well, obviously she hates men. She is a feminist, right? RIGHT? Hopefully, you’ve realized my point here: feminists do not hate men. Sorry guys, I know you’re heartbroken. I’ll forgive you if the pain is too hard for you to keep reading because it gets worse.
You’ll never believe this: feminists do not care about men. For once, men’s feelings are not a concern, let alone a priority.
In the words of Yoncé herself, “don’t get it twisted”—I think men who identify as feminists are great, but that percentage is only 16%, according to a survey in the Huffington Post last April. Unless the album drop in December drastically changed that statistic, sorry dudes. You lose. I have no sympathy for men who don’t identify as feminists because they refuse to be informed about the truth behind the stereotypes. Oh, you don’t believe in equality within the sexes? Did you mean to sound like a douchebag or was that just a bonus? Please try harder.
The next batch of skeptics (a jealous girlfriend whose boyfriend just commented on the opening verse of “Rocket,” and parents after the 2014 Grammys) argue that Beyoncé’s music is simply too raunchy for her to be a feminist and label her as “trashy.” Pause—let me pull up almost any Top 40 song performed by a male. I would include the lyrics here, but I’m afraid I would have to wash my keyboard out with soap afterwards. Now that we’ve seen that this isn’t a matter of Beyoncé’s lyrics being too explicit for 8pm television, but rather an outdated double standard, we can move on to the final offense.
“Beyoncé is a bad role model. I can see her ass! I can’t believe the kids are watching this. Turn that off, Susan!” I’m going to take a wild guess and say that a similar “Drunk In Love” post-Grammy performance conversation went on in multiple households. I understand parents not wanting to expose their kids to sexual behavior. Mine didn’t either, and I turned out almost normal.
What I find rather depressing is the fact that instead of teaching children that whatever Beyoncé wants to do with her body is her choice and shouldn’t negatively affect perceptions of her personality, parents tell their kids that her behavior is “unladylike” and “slutty.” As mothers, sisters, aunts, teachers and women, we should be working to destroy these hurtful words and stereotypes, not give them life in the vocabulary of future generations. Next thing you know, you’re getting a call from school saying that Johnny called Ashley a slut.
Kids say the darndest things. Actually, it’s parents who say the darndest things. Looks like you’re the bad role model here, Susan.
Beyoncé knows her role as an iconic feminist in popular culture. Her haters are clearly confused, but unfortunately they’re not the only ones. I fear that Beyoncé’s “Bey Hive” of loyal followers is no more than just that… followers. I fear for what will happen to the growth of modern feminism if this wave of infatuation with Beyoncé’s fearless sexual freedom and unfiltered expression retrogrades into an admiration for conservative and traditional feminists such as the stone-cold Emma Watson and the power-hungry Hillary Clinton. The only way to stop the invasion of these tyrants clad in expensive business suits and tight ponytails is to stop being followers, and start being feminists.