People attack artists like Beyoncé for speaking up yet demand that she “read the room.” They want cultural commentary without accountability for the chaos they chase.
this was a good read social media enables millions of people to outsource their activism and political consciousness and community responsibility to celebrities and then they get act like they’re on the frontlines when a celebrity messes up. the vitriol for Beyoncé is specifically rooted in anti Blckness and misogynoir — she’s been giving back where she feels needed since the 90s because her mother taught her the value of tithing at a young age. her charitable actions are unselfish and rooted in her spiritual relationship and people still find the need to dog on her. the Buffalo Bill “controversy” was ridiculous. the whole point of Cowboy Carter was to highlight Black American history in country music and country culture; Beyoncé shone light on a dark part of Black Texan history in that we have been used as unwitting, manipulated agents of the government just like in WWII and Vietnam and Iraq. when we get caught up on moral correctness and how celebrities should model it for us, we lose the ability to understand the nuance of history and how white supremacy has centuries of intercultural, interracial conflict.
The obsession and need some people have for entertainers/celebrities to be political avatars is a nasty piece of celebrity worship. For those entertainers that do speak out on social/political issues, cool. Good for them. I won't offer them endless praise for doing so. They're exceptions to the rule. There are very real activists and organizers on the ground who put in real liberation work everyday without the benefit of millions of admirers giving them superficial pats on the back. They're not rich, they're not famous. They have far more to lose (and often do) by putting themselves out there everyday doing work, all for the love of the people and the desire to see oppressed people free. I could care less what a celebrity has to say (or doesn't say) about politics. What did Malcolm say? What did Huey, Ella, Martin, Garvey, Walter Rodney or Fannie Lou say? What do countless activists, organizers and scholars have to say? Why aren't people tapped into them? Why aren't we seeking their expertise/perspective? The question should always be: "Am I studying, reading and in community with people serious about liberation and developing a concrete analysis of our current situation?". The only thing a celebrity/entertainer can do for me is to entertain me with their unique artistic gifts. If by chance some political messaging is in that, then cool (obviously there is a long history of incredible protest/political art/music), but if not, then that's cool too. No matter how much we enjoy the entertainment an entertainer provides, looking for them to be mouthpieces for our preferred politic is the ultimate stan glaze.
this was a good read social media enables millions of people to outsource their activism and political consciousness and community responsibility to celebrities and then they get act like they’re on the frontlines when a celebrity messes up. the vitriol for Beyoncé is specifically rooted in anti Blckness and misogynoir — she’s been giving back where she feels needed since the 90s because her mother taught her the value of tithing at a young age. her charitable actions are unselfish and rooted in her spiritual relationship and people still find the need to dog on her. the Buffalo Bill “controversy” was ridiculous. the whole point of Cowboy Carter was to highlight Black American history in country music and country culture; Beyoncé shone light on a dark part of Black Texan history in that we have been used as unwitting, manipulated agents of the government just like in WWII and Vietnam and Iraq. when we get caught up on moral correctness and how celebrities should model it for us, we lose the ability to understand the nuance of history and how white supremacy has centuries of intercultural, interracial conflict.
The obsession and need some people have for entertainers/celebrities to be political avatars is a nasty piece of celebrity worship. For those entertainers that do speak out on social/political issues, cool. Good for them. I won't offer them endless praise for doing so. They're exceptions to the rule. There are very real activists and organizers on the ground who put in real liberation work everyday without the benefit of millions of admirers giving them superficial pats on the back. They're not rich, they're not famous. They have far more to lose (and often do) by putting themselves out there everyday doing work, all for the love of the people and the desire to see oppressed people free. I could care less what a celebrity has to say (or doesn't say) about politics. What did Malcolm say? What did Huey, Ella, Martin, Garvey, Walter Rodney or Fannie Lou say? What do countless activists, organizers and scholars have to say? Why aren't people tapped into them? Why aren't we seeking their expertise/perspective? The question should always be: "Am I studying, reading and in community with people serious about liberation and developing a concrete analysis of our current situation?". The only thing a celebrity/entertainer can do for me is to entertain me with their unique artistic gifts. If by chance some political messaging is in that, then cool (obviously there is a long history of incredible protest/political art/music), but if not, then that's cool too. No matter how much we enjoy the entertainment an entertainer provides, looking for them to be mouthpieces for our preferred politic is the ultimate stan glaze.
ohhh this was a great read! thank you!