12/2/2023 0 Comments Beyonce flawless feministThat means not just paying lip service to intersectional analysis, but also embracing the reality that feminist choices vary based on those factors that we don't all share.A Study of the Emergence of Fourth Wave Feminism Through the Lens of Beyoncé’s Career (2008-2016) When we decide that a woman's personal life (however public) is subject to censure because her choices are not our choices, how feminist are we? When we decide that race, class, or life experiences shouldn't matter as much as outside opinions, what message are we sending? Feminism is meant to be inclusive. If Miley's owning her sexuality via appropriation of black women's bodies is feminist, then what is Beyoncé's ownership of her own image? If a CEO's guide to career success can be feminist, then so can an album, a tour, or the daily life of someone who's achievements will only matter to their family. It appeals deeply to the kind of people that express discomfort with the label of feminist while leading lives that are exactly what feminism proclaims women should be able to enjoy. It's a lyrical explanation of what's wrong with assuming that being feminist requires one to follow a script, and not your own heart. Beyoncé's critique of mainstream feminism may be musical, but it is still incisive, valid, and incredibly cogent right now. And it must recognize that individuals will have different needs, wants, and routes to achieving their goals. As we talk about rebranding feminism, about solidarity in feminist circles, even about what issues are feminist, we must remember that the movement seeks to represent people. In a movement that touts the idea of choice, you don't have to agree with someone's choices to respect them or their right to make them.įeminism has never been one size fits all, yet much of the criticism that revolves around entertainers like Beyoncé (or corporate leaders like Sheryl Sandberg) presumes that there is a unilateral guide on how to be the "right" kind of feminist. Yet, she is doing all of those things, and so her focus is on navigating the mundane aspects of life as a complete complex person. Beyoncé is a hardworking career woman, a happily married spouse to a powerful partner, and a loving mother in a climate that tells her that she can be one of those things, maybe two, but certainly not all three. It is working inside and outside your community to achieve your goals, and still being able to connect with the people you love in ways that are good for all of you. There's a reason the narrative that appeals to Beyoncé and so many others is one that draws attention to the reality that being a feminist is more than toeing some imaginary line to please others. But then, no one expects any other feminist message to be unilaterally accepted, do they? Is it a message that will appeal to everyone? No. She's pro-woman without being anti-man, and she wants the world to know that you can be feminist on a personal level without sacrificing emotions, friendships or fun. It simply is a part of her as much as anything else in her life. This album makes it clear that her feminism isn't academic isn't about waves, or labels. It's clear that like a lot of black American women, the mainstream middle class white feminist narratives with which we are so familiar aren't necessarily compatible with Beyoncé's view of herself. In Flawless (a track that leaked as Bow Down over the summer), Beyoncé quotes from author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TedX talk " We should all be feminists", adroitly addressing the idea that she is somehow anti-feminist for not fitting into the boxes others project onto her. Her new album might as well be titled "Having it all, the Beyonce way".
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