The Piece About Why You Should Love Beyoncé
The moment I came upon this post, which is originally published on huffingtonpost.com, and I decided to publish it here, as I drafted it, I knew I was looking for trouble, poking at all them Beyoncé haters we have on this blog (lol). But who cares? Abegi, Queen Bey rules, and here’s the reason why y’all should bow down! 😀
*
You should love Beyoncé. Yeah, that’s right. I said you should love Beyoncé. You shouldn’t love her because she’s beautiful. You don’t even need to like her music. You should love Beyoncé, because she’s a black woman at the top of her game. We need it.
I’ve been a proud member of the BeyHive for some time now. Sometimes, I’ve purposely annoyed friends and colleagues alike with my passion for all things Beyoncé. Often, I’m pushed to defend just why I’m such a big fan. Queen Bey celebrated a birthday on Thursday. Lots of her fans offered shout-outs on social media, but as usual, I noticed plenty of Beyoncé haters trying to crash the party. It got me thinking: Aside from actually enjoying her music, exactly why am I on the Beyoncé brand bandwagon?
The reason: Beyoncé fills an important role in our culture.
We live in a world where black women are often told we’re not enough. Society is obsessed with our hair. It can still be a struggle for us to find the right shade of makeup at the drug store. We’re apparently less likely to get married. We’re more likely to die from breast cancer. The list of daunting stats pertaining to us really goes on and on. These are the messages about black women the mainstream media pushes out most of the time. In 2014, some big television networks still need public pressure to put black women on the air. Remember all the hype about finally casting a black woman on Saturday Night Live? Seriously. Why did it take all that? Let’s not even talk about what went down with Pam Oliver at Fox Sports.
Beyoncé is a black woman adored by millions around the world for her talent. She didn’t rise to fame on a reality show. She did it the old fashioned way. She earned it through hard work. She’s a black woman who dropped an album, went on tour and dominated the awards show circuit all within the past year. She’s a black woman with control over content and her own creativity. She has power. The kind of influence that rivals Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.
This is a part of the American dream black women are too often shut out of, even those in Beyoncé’s same industry. Black women who work hard should be recognized and paid top dollar for their talents. Beyoncé has reached the pinnacle of such. Sure, most of us won’t make Beyoncé money, but that’s not the point. The reality is according to U.S. Census Bureau data, African-American women earn just 70 cents for every dollar paid to men, and just 64 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. If Beyoncé’s celebrity can inspire any of us to push past those barriers, I’m going to rock with her.
Now sure, some of you are thinking but she’s an entertainer. An entertainer who dances around scantily clad at that. She also wears weaves and is a light-skinned black woman. Things the mainstream may accept with greater ease. It doesn’t matter. She’s still a black woman who has reached a level success that needs to be seen. Anytime a black woman is valued on a level like Beyoncé is, it’s a win for us all.
Beyoncé has also managed to maintain quite a bit of moral dignity in a business that makes it difficult. She got married first, then had a baby. We’ve never seen a leaked sex tape from her. Aside from Jay Z and Solange’s elevator-gate, Beyoncé’s never been a celeb caught up in any serious public nuisances. She’s represented pretty darn well.
On the real though, I’m using “love” a bit loosely here. You don’t need be an obsessive Beyoncé fan. You don’t need to go download all her music. Just recognize black female excellence for what it is. Beyoncé is that.
About author
You might also like
Morning Humour III: Heartbreaking Photo Of The Day
*dabbing at my teary eyes* That shii is just heartbreaking… I just can’t deal.
10 Reasons Why We’re In Love With Justin Trudeau
Justin Trudeau’s popularity as a world leader is well-documented. So is the Canadian PM’s dazzling smile. Plus his perfect, perfect hair. But mostly, he’s famous for his progressive views. The
Tyson Anthony’s ‘About Him’ Is A Book I Didn’t See Coming
I first watched the web series. I was intrigued by the near-X-rated sex scenes, but that was about the only good thing about it. The series is currently in its
43 Comments
façade
November 27, 06:28Queen Bey #IfYouAintTalkingBeyonceYouTalkingNonsense #ProudlyABeyHive biko all em haters should read n receive wisdom
Pink Panther
November 27, 06:28Hehehehee! Dont provoke them, facade.
façade
November 27, 11:37Biko they can eat their hearts out
Peak
November 27, 06:55The hilarity of this crap of a post is that Beyonce is being compared to Kim K. Like for really? Oshi!
“We’ve never seen a leaked sex tape from her.”
“She didn’t rise to fame on a reality show. ”
I mean seriously of all people?. Other than being a fantastic business woman with incredible work ethics and a “great performer”, beyonce hasn’t done anything outstanding. There tons of black women who laboured, paved the way, and paid the price for her to get to where she is. So who ever wrote this shit, has way to much dopamine running in her/brains.
Mandy
November 27, 06:58I knew Peak would be the first dissenter to pounce faster than it takes ISIS to stone a gay man to death.
Peak
November 27, 07:18Lol, Mandy, I swear you Hives make it soooooo easy to dislike this girl. I have her case file on standby. She is good, I love her work, but she ain’t all that. I got off her train after her 3rd album. Y’all make her sound like she is the biggest thing since slice bread.
The Hives should save all the hype, smokes and mirrors tricks for casual music listeners who don’t know better.
Pink Panther
November 27, 07:44Well at least she’s a bigger thing since slice bread than some other performers I know.
Max
November 27, 07:08I mean, I love Beyoncé and all, but this was just irrelevant IMO.
Jaden
November 27, 07:15Mtcheeeew… Beyonce this Beyonce that. Can’t we just talk issues that is pounding the hell outta our asses? Biko… Next!
bruno
November 27, 07:52erm… which issues are pounding your ass? ??
Dick Advocate
November 27, 07:28Okay I think this BeyHive issh is getting.. (What’s that word again from Aunty TDC) yea! Alittle Too brown.
Yea she should be respected and all but to talk about her like she contributed something meaningful to the black community. It’s a little in excess.
After this, I’m no longer contributing to this madness called Beyoncé obsession.
Is she in the top 10 most influential women alive? I doubt.
I rest my case.
Pink Panther
November 27, 07:46You doubt and then you rested your case? Lol. Hunnay, you rest your case only after you’ve made a factual conclusion.
ken
November 27, 07:54I hate Beyonce Knowles. But I like Beyonce’s music and performance.
Reason for the hate: Beyonce Knowles is secretly a strictly conservative texan republican – translation- she secretly hates gays!
façade
November 27, 16:42She’s secretly a strict conservative texan Republican, Seriously? What next, u gonna write ur own expose on Bey?
Pink Panther
November 27, 16:46Heheheheee. Hold on to your pearls, facade. It’s going to be a shocker.
ken
November 27, 19:38Yo best bliv!
Sinnex
November 27, 07:58Mchewwwwwwwwwww……
…can’t believe I wasted 3 minutes of my time on this piece of crap.
ambivalentone
November 27, 08:01“we’ve never seen a sex-tape or scandal….YET” We said that about Whitney (God rest her soul) and look at how that turned out. Abegeee. She’s good. Leave it at that
Masked Man
November 27, 08:16Beyonce fan.
But this was crap. Jumbo sized crap.
Taylor Swift and Adele are fastly becoming the newest queens.
Peak
November 27, 08:35Point of correction, they are Queens, “Not fastly becoming”. Although they have the white privilege card working in their favour.
Masked Man
November 27, 10:08Fair enough.
posh6666
November 27, 08:54Pinkie do u mind with these Beyonce news?i believe this blog is all things gay,sharing of experience,lessons and gaining some knowledge.Pls we know some of you are die hard beyhives but you really dont need to suffocate us with her news,at the end of the day she’s a woman not a lesbian or whatever so i really dont get the lesson this post teaches us abeg rest.
Dickson Clement
November 27, 09:03I am not a Beyonce fan but I value hardwork and excellence! I believe the Ladie has got that. I don’t think she is representing the black culture in any way! Being black does not in any way equate to representing black! Micheal Jackson is black too! Talk about Maya angelou, Lupita Nyongo, Viola Davis, Oprah! Then I can understand the black representation! The Non-conformists! Beyonce is an individual with a powerful work ethic and excellence, but she is white washed and has tried effortlessly to imitate them white folks!
Duke
November 27, 09:13I am going to jump on the bandwagon on this one, Beyonce is queen! Even before I got to know she is like the female goddess for many gay men (feel free to scratch your name out), I loved her! I just did! She is not perfect, sometimes I hate how she is over hyped, but BEY is queen. Hate it or love it, her paycheck will keep hitting the roof.
Chizzie
November 27, 09:25Haii! Alu oo! This post is a joke in many ways not only because of its irrelevance but its content which is arguably one of the most farcical things I have ever read.
Saying we should love Beyonce because she’s such a good representation of a “black” woman? Girl?
Let’s pretend this were an American blog where the issue of race is important, with a large american audience and I were an American and presumably an African American woman. Would I honestly see Beyonce as a true representation of a black woman?
She’s light skinned, even more light skinned than the average non biracial African American. Sometimes she’s borderline white
Her wigs and weaves are all Caucasian in nature, not kinky and coarse like typical African hair. She doesn’t ever rock braids.
She dyes her hair blonde, and her wigs and weaves are mostly blonde. African Americans and all ppl of Sub Saharan African descent cannot have blonde hair
She clearly isn’t a fan of her natural African hair. As most fans have never seen her on it.
She doesn’t come across as embracing the black features she was born with, and relies on Caucasian aesthetic to look beautiful. Even her foundation is always 2 shades lighter
There’s absolutely nothing typically black abt her. Solangé is a better representation of black culture than Beyonce is
There are legit reasons to like Beyonce, for starters she is a phenomenal entertainer and a role model to all skin bleachers world wide. But saying one should like her cause she represents black culture, is a strong black woman bla bla bla black this and that, that’s a load of crap
Max
November 27, 11:03In her early destiny’s child days, I didn’t even know she was black. Let me not even talk about her over exposed photos which always aim to make her lighter. The only black thing she’s ever done was rubbing charcoal on her face to show she’s back for some silly campaign going on then( she’s just a show woman).
Honestly @PP ever since I met you, you’ve constantly given me more reasons to hate Beyoncé instead of loving her. Your posts aren’t helping. And this is coming from a DIE HARD fan.
Pink Panther
November 27, 14:25*rolling eyes* Abegi, shift!
#Chestnut
November 27, 09:45Na wah o! The hate is real! These kdians want to drag Bey by her edges lol
Nightwing
November 27, 10:15Can’t get provoked, I’m all about the music care less for anything else, make is song I like I love you the same I love all other singers.
Jon Snow
November 27, 10:21*insert an eyeroll here**
Can you beyhive just take your Beyonce worship to church of Bey??? She is just an entertainer at best.
Her being a black woman is not enough. All that fame and power, yet what meaningful impacts has she done with that for the so called black community (and her largely gay fan base)???
**sprays insecticide**
Nonsense and Condiments!!!
bashir
November 27, 12:13Nice piece pp, bey shud be loved, and being light skinned is not a crime against black Hood, and about her hair, we shud ask sister shonda why she didn’t portrait the ever powerful Olivia N annalise with the so called Afro & natural hair? ….we preach about self love and embracing whatever it is that makes us happy and in one of those Gay-moment we are quick to judge a lady for being too light skinned and wearing blond hair!…..Smh
Still don’t see why anyone wud wanna hate that sweet lady!
Keredim
November 27, 12:40It will take awhile, before we can rid ourselves of the “White is good” mentality. The damage that colonialism and slavery has made on our psyche that makes us reach for skin- lightening creams and pray for resources to pay for a nose job.
You will find that Shonda is trying to helping us achieve that – not just by casting black women in roles that traditionally would be seen for white actresses, but by allowing Annalise take off her wig frequently to show her real hair. ☺️
Peak
November 27, 12:51Hmmmm Keredim! I saw it! It’s very missable, but I saw it. Kentinew
Keredim
November 27, 13:06Saw gini????
Hian, Biko kwa!!????????????
Tobby
November 27, 12:14Black black black bla bla bla bla bla
Dickson Clement
November 27, 13:43@P.P If we are to love Beyonce, it will be because she is working hard at her craft, but then we should love Taylor Swift, Adele, Gaga,Riri, and my girl Christina Aguilera! They are good too! Appealing to our skin tone and creating this black sentiments is not a point when Beyonce is mentioned!
bashir
November 27, 17:37And I believe bey don’t go to bed with her wig on too, …..and what about olivia and her beautiful bouncing hair? annalise do it for office and court and bey do it for stage and camera …
tarter
November 28, 09:1130 hating kdians won’t stop over 50million crazy loving fans,so keep hating.. nobody cares!! hehe
Pink Panther
November 28, 09:37Preach, tarter!
Chizzie
November 28, 21:56*Sprays sniper*
iamcoy
November 28, 12:27Very shallow
KingBey
November 29, 09:57Bow down bitches ! Yes……You heard me. Bow down !!! Quit hating. You never gonna be like her. #Beyhiver
Pink Panther
November 29, 10:41LOL! I’ve being waiting for you, KingBey! 😀