http://thehigherlearning.com/2016/02/19/dear-black-america-please-stop-giving-beyonce-a-pass-on-formation/

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

1. Don't instruct me how I should feel about art.
2. When did Beyonce claim this is a political statement?
3. How you going to tell other people how to do their art. Either you dig it or you don't. Don't tell an artist or an entertainer what there art should be.
4. How you going to be dismissive of what you state they'be done for the moment. Did a documentary, bail BLM protesters out of jail and donated 1.5M to BLM, that all sounds pretty substantial and I gaurantee more than what the writer has done.
5. And how are you going to diss for being late to the party then list all she had done before the superbowl?
6. How you going to diss two lines of the song because it "conveniently glosses over the history of colorism that’s baked into Creole identity." How was she suppose to address all that in two lines of a song? One of the dumber critiques in this piece.
7. And the whole thing about Beyonce using the footage without permission is just wrong. I would have fact checked that before publishing because they got too many lawyers to do something so stupid.

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/06/beyonce-formation-music-video-that-beat



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

***
I'm tryna be better off, not better than...

now that black activism is in the headlines, all of the sudden she's 'conscious', etc...

and TBH, I would expect ALOT of people have had an awakening since BLM became active

the rest, again, I didn't read the whole thing

started to sound like a dissertation on the historical context of some of the language, imagery, etc...

ehh

we know what she meant w/o the history lesson

I actually expected more of this post K.

I am interested in the hit dogs, but the think pieces...yawn...miss me with that

and the video has problematic politics.

..that's basically it.

what she did wasn't revolutionary but damn. give her credit for saying SOMETHING.

i heard a story about somebody asking michael jordan to speak out in favor of a democrat running for office against a racist republican in north carolina where MJ is held in high regard. they said jordan refused and explained the refusal by saying something about republicans buying sneakers too.

not sure how true the story is but i believed it (still do, even though i haven't properly fact-checked it) because it seems like some shit he would say/do.

anyway

we live in a time where the jordans of the world have all these eyes on them and they have the chance to influence millions and they don't say or do anything.

beyonce said something. she did something. and for me that counts for something...



***
I'm tryna be better off, not better than...

That's not insignificant. I'm not really the type to question when someone gets on board with a movement like BLM. Better late than never.

The craziest and most significant thing about the whole thing to me is the fact that the movement is big enough that an artist like Beyonce can get on board and show support in a public space, and still get paid off of it. BLM/Civil Rights is at a point in this country where the biggest pop stars can show public support. For better or worse it's going mainstream, which has to be the ultimate goal.

The writer can pick Formation apart all he wants, and as a song/video, it's not perfect, but sheeit... put it in context and look at the big picture.

The think-piecer wants to inject what they want into the song. Write your own damn song if you want to talk about something else.

This part is especially dumb. Beyonce has one simple line about her heritage. This think-piecer instead wishes she squeezed a dissertation about her heritage into a 4 minute song.
Dude says it "....conveniently glosses over the history of colorism..." lol. Of course it does. It's a song not a conference presentation.


“My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana / You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama”

→ Beyoncé reppin’ her Southern roots while alluding to a bit of black history (“bama” was a slang term used to describe working class blacks during the Great Migration) — I can dig it. However, this section also conveniently glosses over the history of colorism that’s baked into Creole identity. Here’s a great explanation from Yaba Blay, a black writer and professor from New Orleans:

“Having grown up black-Black (read: dark-skinned) in colorstruck New Awlins, hearing someone, particularly a woman, make a distinction between Creole and “Negro” is deeply triggering. This isn’t just for me but for many New Orleanians.

For generations, Creoles—people descended from a cultural/racial mixture of African, French, Spanish and/or Native American people—have distinguished themselves racially from “regular Negroes.” In New Orleans, phenotype—namely “pretty color and good hair”—translates to (relative) power.

In this context, people who are light skinned, with non-kinky hair and the ability to claim a Creole heritage have had access to educational, occupational, social and political opportunities that darker skinned, kinkier-haired, non-Creole folks have been denied. In many ways, among those of us who are not Creole and whose skin is dark brown, the claiming of a Creole identity is read as rejection. And I’m not just talking about history books or critical race theory. I’m talking about on-the-ground, real-life experiences.”

And you can use this song as the split.

Even if the shit is a callous cash grab, it gets the message out there so who gives a fuck.

Not like there hasn't been some revolutionaries out who first joined up because of someone they were dating/had a crush on

http://youtu.be/iU_A2FzcuQ0

Your welcome

was weak sauce IMO. video was cool. i think if she made a concept all the way through then it would seem like something even more. we shall see, but i expected this because Hollywood and that industry is so racist and it happens to everybody eventually.

and video..

I guess its a statement to how void current music is of real socio/political commentary that they are acting like Beyoncé is friggin Fela Kuti because of one song...a video...and some costumes on some back up dancers...

People are honestly just stupid right now....

it's Beyoncé.... really??

I don't get it...

the imagery in the video isn't super powerful...it's a clever commentary..it's effective.... but I mean it's not a Public Enemy or NWA video...

She's saying I'm Black...and Black people are getting fukked with right now... She's not even saying it in a mean way...lol..

in the context of Black social commentary in the Arts..... I mean it was Beyoncé... it was Beyoncé's version of that, and it was cool....the song bangs....

People who have a problem with that..honestly...... they suspect to me. You got another agenda going on if yo azz got to act like Beyoncé or what she's saying is threat to anything..


over analyzing Beyoncé's lyrics is just too much...her lyrics aren't supposed to be deep or subliminal or controversial ...she not even coherent sometimes... I mean I'm dissing her, but her shit ain't supposed to warrant linguistic analysis...lol...

AT THE DAMN SUPER BOWL....im not a big fan of hers but she gets much respect for that

I thought they were exaggerating



I guess somebody would take shots no matter what direction she goes tho