What’s Wrong With Perfection? Charlamagne Tha God Defends Jay Z And Beyoncé’s On The Run Tour
Are we so used to mediocrity nowadays that we have been reduced to criticizing people for actually being great? I asked myself this question when I read an article on Vice’s music blog, Noisey, written by Jeff Rosenthal, titled “Beyoncé and Jay Z’s tour Is So Good It’s Bad.” Well, I don’t think that’s the actual title, but whoever runs Vice.com’s Twitter account sent the link out in a tweet with that caption. When you click the link, the title you get is actually, “Flawless, For Better Or Worst: Coming To Terms With The Painful Perfection That Is The On The Run Tour.”
Noisey makes the statement that in this show, there’s no room for error, which can be boring. No, my brother, that’s the lame ass world we live in nowadays. It’s a world in which everyone is so busy looking for what’s wrong we don’t appreciate what’s right.
Are you upset that there were no headlines? That Solange didn’t pop up and swing on Hov again? That Beyoncé didn’t fall? That Matthew Knowles wasn’t in the crowd with one of his alleged baby mama’s? If no dirt happens, how about you just report on what a great show it was? The article goes on to say that the fog was perfect, the lights were perfect, and so is their marriage. I have to ask: why does this bother you?
In no way am I saying that Jay Z and Beyoncé are beyond criticism—no one is—but what type of world do we live in when we critique them both for being focused? The article states, “She’s trained her eyes not to blink, staring straight ahead as if the whole show is a photo shoot. There are no breaks for her face, it’s always working.” Really? In this ADD world,
we’re upset because someone is really, really focused? Is this where we are in 2014? We need to applaud people for being focused, especially when we live in a time where people either lack focus or focus on the wrong things, just like this article.
The writer feels like there was a personal disconnect between the artist and us, the audience. It’s almost like he’s saying Beyoncé and Jay Z are so perfect that he can’t relate. Maybe I think too highly of myself, but I connect well with greatness. When I see people striving for perfection, and executing flawlessly, it inspires me to do the same. I would never encourage someone to dim their light because their shine is blinding me. I would just put some shades on.
The most telling point of this article is here: “The most interesting moment happens near the end when a highlight reel of home movies rolls, finally showing bits and pieces of their private lives: Jay Z co-piloting a private jet, Beyoncé getting the IV tattoo on her finger, Blue growing up before our eyes, learning to walk, sashaying in front of the mirror. It shows that they’re–if not in the same universe–at least on the same planet.” Sounds to me like Jeff is more interested in a Carter reality show than a Carter performance.
Yes, Noisey, Jay Z and Beyoncé are humans. Humans that have found their gifts and worked on their dreams relentlessly to the point that it seems as if they are excruciatingly perfect. Such greatness should be applauded and should serve as a reminder that we all can be that great at whatever it is we have been chosen to do. Maya Angelou said it best: “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” And to elaborate on this, nor should you dim your light simply because it’s shining in peoples’ eyes.
I’ll end this the way I started it, because maybe now you have an answer. Are we so used to mediocrity nowadays that we are actually criticizing people for being great?
Sad day we are in if so. Peace. —Charlamagne Tha God
Read Full Article:
http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2014/07/c...jay-editorial/
I love Charlamagne
