I think it's fairly interesting, as the bottom video points out, that Beyonce's lyrics are really just lies. Women don't run the world at all, considering mass rates of murder and sexual violence against women, sex trafficking, and rampant inequality. But is there any power to Beyonce saying that there is? If you were a young girl watching this video would you feel like you run the world. Or would you feel like you could run the world if you were Beyonce (in Africa, dancing raunchily, wearing lady gaga fashion, and blonde wigs). Yet, there are some full-figured dancers in the video which may suggest Beyonce's embracing of different body types, and a re-figuring of the usual women we see in videos, with perfect proportions. But I do think it's always worth returning to Shawna's point--that these videos are often marketed towards young women. Would this empower a young woman? Or would it make her think that power is sexuality, power is being able to grind and thrust, power is have long, flowing, BLONDE locks (it's also telling that Beyonce often wears blonde weaves). I think I'm really interested in the effects this could have on a young girl, on future feminists, that is. Also, what do you make of the African imagery? How does this compare to the videos we've been watching all week?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
So wait, who exactly runs the world?
I think it's fairly interesting, as the bottom video points out, that Beyonce's lyrics are really just lies. Women don't run the world at all, considering mass rates of murder and sexual violence against women, sex trafficking, and rampant inequality. But is there any power to Beyonce saying that there is? If you were a young girl watching this video would you feel like you run the world. Or would you feel like you could run the world if you were Beyonce (in Africa, dancing raunchily, wearing lady gaga fashion, and blonde wigs). Yet, there are some full-figured dancers in the video which may suggest Beyonce's embracing of different body types, and a re-figuring of the usual women we see in videos, with perfect proportions. But I do think it's always worth returning to Shawna's point--that these videos are often marketed towards young women. Would this empower a young woman? Or would it make her think that power is sexuality, power is being able to grind and thrust, power is have long, flowing, BLONDE locks (it's also telling that Beyonce often wears blonde weaves). I think I'm really interested in the effects this could have on a young girl, on future feminists, that is. Also, what do you make of the African imagery? How does this compare to the videos we've been watching all week?
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Keyana, this is great. I like that you challenged Beyonce and put up that response video. I think that you make the better point and easily prove Beyonce wrong. Women do not run the world. Not at all. I honestly don't think that this video would be empowering either. I think that if she wanted to portray (or attempt to) women running the world she should do it in a completely different fashion. I just don't think this video makes sense overall.
ReplyDeleteI mostly agree with the response video. I've read about embedded feminism (or maybe it's enlightened feminism), but basically there's this notion that society has already achieved gender equality, or at least that women aren't oppressed anymore simply because some have entered the workforce. In TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, women are shown as important doctors, clearly advanced in the sciences and even harnessing power in the workplace. But is that a reality? How often do we see that? Instead, we are led to believe that women have already reached this level of equality, and that it's even attainable. So yes, I do think that when young girls hear this song, they may feel empowered at the moment, dancing in their rooms and singing along. However, reality will be a rude awakening. Clearly, and especially supported by the response video, women haven't escaped oppression and there's still a long way to go. I think that unfortunately, the empowerment girls feel while listening to this song can't stand up to the reality they will face. The empowerment that Beyonce evokes is fleeting, and certainly isn't fixing the problem. The video still explicitly focuses on Beyonce's body and beauty, and I think escaping the pressure of objectification is a huge part of women's liberation. As for the African imagery, I see it as a return to "authenticity" or something, which is somehow empowering.
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