Beyoncé backlash grows: "I'm tired of #BlackLivesMatter."
Backlash to Beyonce's Super Bowl performance continues to grow.
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Five days after Beyoncé’s Super Bowl half-time show in which dancers were clad in Black Panther inspired costumes and one dancer held up a "Justice 4 Mario Woods" sign, the controversy continues to grow. There’s an anti-Beyoncé protest rally in front of the NFL headquarters planned for Feb. 16, a Boycott Beyonce sign-up page, and a social media hashtag #boycottBeyonce that people are using when addressing the performance -- from both sides of the issue.
So has hers turned out to be most controversial half-time show ever?
Professor Noliwe Rooks, Director of Graduate Studies at Cornell University, says Beyoncé’s performance put a spotlight on the heightened racial tensions in the U.S.
“Black women around the country, on both social media and in mainstream publications have rushed to praise the video and the artist for affirming the political moment of Black Lives Mattering. On the other are pickets and boycotts and rage, mostly by whites. What this moment tells us is that as much as we might wish differently, race often still functions as a hard and fast dividing line."
But urban youth Minister Patrick D. Hampton, who created the Boycott Beyoncé page, believes the focus should be on the challenges at-risk youths face in the streets.
“I'm tired of BlackLivesMatter. I'm tired of the New Black Panthers, I'm tired of seeing black women on TV twerking,” Hampton said. “I'm tired of the racial division.”
“If BlackLivesMatter, why isn't Beyoncé and these rappers addressing thug brutality like they address police,” he said. “The Super Bowl was supposed to be a time to escape all of the nonsense but Beyoncé just ripped open another wound and America is responding.”
Do you think this is the most controversial halftime show ever? What about the boycott creator?
Do you agree with urban youth Minister Patrick D. Hampton? Are you of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign?
Frankly, I'm just glad Beyoncé finally has one iconic moment. She will be remembered for this. This is her only iconic moment and her only controversial moment, too—not involving "taking" from other artistic sources. And at least this controversial moment meant something and wasn't contrived just for attention like other music artists do. You know who they are.
"Thug brutality" is poor word choice. The Beyonce backlash is poor form. People are pressed that she highlighted the BlackLivesMatter issue? Get the f*ck over it. Racial tension exists, police brutality exists, and what better way to spark discussion than to make a global statement that leaves the privileged and the ignorant indefinitely pressed until her next move.
Frankly, I'm just glad Beyoncé finally has one iconic moment. She will be remembered for this. This is her only iconic moment and her only controversial moment, too—not involving "taking" from other artistic sources. And at least this controversial moment meant something and wasn't contrived just for attention like other music artists. You know who they are.
, but it works in her favor.