(Attractive, sexually-available) Girls run the world.
by Fairy Cake
Oh hai Beyonce. You didn’t get the memo about Girl Power then?
‘Cause I mean, it’s very nice that you’ve taken the time to write a song that acknowledges women are capable of extraordinary things. Like educating themselves and running businesses and rearing children. But I’m a little bit confused as to why you are preaching all this shit in 7 inch heels and a bra. While being pelted by water cannons. Or writhing in sand in a peep-hole catsuit like some kind of porn python.
And why does your crew consist only of a bunch of made-up chicks in suspenders with their legs in the air?
Your video is such a pathetic, run-of-the-mill example of the Male Gaze that all that punch-the-air female representation you’re peddling just doesn’t cut it. I’m not saying that a woman can’t be physically attractive and provocatively dressed and still be empowered and successful. But can we have some other options over hur please? Thanks.
Apparently it is a now a requirement at the UN to know five languages and wear suspenders.
oo – hadn’t seen this before – such a MIA/Gaga pastiche!
do your own stuff gal!
I don’t agree with this at all!?
How can you criticise a pop star for dressing provocatively when they’re leading such an image-obsessed industry. It would be hard to take a powerful politician or businesswoman seriously if she dressed like this, but I don’t think it’s fair to undermine Beyonce’s work when all she’s really doing is wearing the uniform of HER industry, and looking good doing it.
Maybe it is a little hypocritical for her to be promoting female empowerment at the same time… wait. No it’s not. I can’t think of many women more powerful. We should be praising her for spreading the idea of girls running the world. Don’t know about you but I’d really like that.
Instead of covering up our bodies and moaning about sexism, why not use them as weapons to stun people into being our slaves. Is what I think she’s trying to say.
Beyonce is living proof that we can be beautiful and powerful at the same time!
@Emily…
That’s all well and good. But what if you’re not beautiful? Or comfortable with taking your clothes off? Or able to rule others with your body? What option do you have then? That was what I was getting at… it would be nice to have other options, but every popstar going who has a song like this seems to equate sexuality with power. That’s not in itself a bad thing, but it’s problematic when there are no other images.
@Emily – dude, what?? You honestly can’t think of a woman more “powerful” than Beyonce?? For serious?? What exactly is Beyonce powerful at? She doesn’t even write her own songs!! A man does that. She doesn’t even choose her own clothes, duke! A man does that too.
But okay, lets put that to one side for a moment and acknowledge that yes, Beyonce is a pop star and not Germaine Greer. However, once you get into air-punching, women’s lib territory (which I think this ham-fisted MIA rip sort of intends to do) you can’t square her “message” with the fact that her fame, success and “power” is inextricably linked to the fact that she is maximum wet dream material for the impotent white male misogynists who run the music industry. She seems to be saying “women run the world because men want to fuck us so bad”
Emily, that is NOT running the world.
And I don’t buy the whole “image-obsessed industry” bit either – look at Lady Gaga – she uses her sexual identity in an expressive, subversive and artistic way, not commodifying it in such a transparent, apologetic, cynical sham as this.
PS – If I tried to use my body as a weapon to stun people into being my slaves I would be either sectioned or arrested. Or………………THE GREATEST LESBIAN OF ALL TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME
Totally with Fairy Cake on this one. Videos like this are exactly why Third Wave feminism ground to a halt – genuine sex positive attitudes and a more enlightened view of individual choice were reappropriated by consumerism as a way of pandering to men.
There are totally other images/videos/people/ideas/music! You can’t ask someone to represent all femininity and empowerment. And projecting one opinion doesn’t cancel out all of the other opinions that exist and have merit in the world, or even opinions that you might have. And I think as far as Beyonce goes, she’s not doing a bad job at being a powerful woman.
p.s. http://themostcake.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/simple-post-thumbnails/timthumb.php?src=/wp-content/thumbnails/15697.jpg&w=200&h=150&zc=1&ft=jpg !!!!!
You’re right and there really should be an alternative, but we can’t pretend Beyonce or any of her contemporaries would get as much attention if they dressed sensibly (though she has done masculine* and looked amazing). I’m not saying she’s right, and certainly not that you’re wrong but I kinda feel like actions sometimes speak louder… Instead of cultivating this image for selfish reasons she’s giving back. You can’t do a lot better than trying to fix America’s child obesity; these kids respect her because of her talent, certainly, but also her attitude and the way she looks. It’s the whole package.
It’s like saying Lady Gaga’s amazing gay rights campaigning is undermined by her looking a bit ridiculous. She’s not a conventionally attractive woman but through dressing and acting provocatively, like Beyonce, she and her fans believe she’s beautiful. If anything it helps the issue by drawing attention to her!
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmP5CBiFigo
I can’t find the one of Miss GG naked waving her legs in the air with a close up on her vulva, but you get the idea…at least the production values are better these days I guess. But seriously, how do you challenge the horrifically misogynistic lyrics of Byonce’s male counterparts and still get noticed? I’m not sure I agree with her methods, but not sure I know of an alternative either. There’s of course the sense of parody, but there are still the beauty shots of her looking doe eyed into the lens with moist parted lips which I don’t think are particularly ironic. If you compare it to actors, I think it’s interesting, there are a lot of beautiful (all in their own way) successful women out there, that don’t feel the need to make themselves appear sexually available to promote what they do. Of course there’s an endless list of comparing like for like, but I do think it is particularly virulent in the music industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH2eyftdBac
WHY can’t pretty girls be feminists too!
Stop being so negative and taking this too seriously, pop music’s about having fun. I like this video, it’s not harming anyone!
Okay. I’m posting once more than I’m out. Really nice to see so many people are debating this. What I was saying is not that …
- pretty girls can’t be feminists (@lucy, where did you get that one from beb? ;))
- feminists have to wear dowdy clothing to be ‘feminists’
- that acting in this way is not empowering for some women
I actually said in my post :
“I’m not saying that a woman can’t be physically attractive and provocatively dressed and still be empowered and successful.” Just to clear that up.
But, I do think it’s a shame Beyonce produced a song the acknowledges that women are wonderful, empowered, strong creatures, then makes a video that panders to a really narrow idea of what empowerment looks like.
I guess I’m just a bit exhausted with seeing this message of empowerment coupled solely with female sexuality all the time, especially since, in many cases, the core audience is very young women. Though I think Odille put it far more articulately than I could.
For starters none of you know shit about music this isnt a MIA cover/rip off its a mojor laazer sample and its terrible. But aside from that you need to climb fown off your feminist high horse and see this for what it really is… A MUSIC VIDEO!!
Yes she is spreading the message of girl power and all that jazz but why does that mean she has to do it wearing a sack AND just because she does it looking well fit have you taken this to mean that she expects everyone to do it. Germaine Greer is doing a cracking job of spreading the message dressed like an officer worker all by herself!!
She is beyonce, She is sexy, she is powerful in her market and lets all just face it once and for all sex sells and there is nothing we can do to change it!!
This is a tricky one. I totally get what FC is getting at but I must admit the thought didn’t even cross my mind until I read this, it just washed over me like any other pop song, without meat meaning or agenda. But maybe my judgement is clouded because I find Beyonce ridiculously sexy, and rather like the idea of running the world by her side wearing not much at all… But that’s not the point at hand. She’s in a no win situation, whatever she does with a song such as this. I agree the song/video combination is an oxymoron. It’s maybe best not to look to pop stars to challenge the male gaze as that’s essentially what the industry is built on, frustrating as it is. I hasten to add here I mean the ‘pop’ music industry not music industry in general. Or perhaps that’s just what we should be wanting pop stars to do….
I suggest you all watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p72UqyVPj54
Pretty much calls out all the shit in Beyonce’s song/video pretty expertly, and explains why its damaging.
That video is soooo good! Thank you Cakey McCake! xxxx
I think this song says everything about Beyonce’s contribution to feminism. Truly woeful. Seriously. http://youtu.be/QczgvUDskk0
hello.
I agree with fairy cake.
Also, it’s a really crap song.
Nevermind…
having said that, I do quite like beyone… but why can’t she just be a powerful woman, as she is, and not go around shouting about it. Won’t true feminsim be when we don’t have to make an issue out of it anymore. We’re all just people and equal… and the war of the sexes is over.
maybe i’m an idealist ;)