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BY TAMARA WINFREY HARRIS ILLUSTRATIONS RYIRANA DOUER

What do our perceptions of Bejonce'sfeminism say about us?

Who run the world? If entertainment domination is the litmus test, then all hail Queen Bey. Beyoncé. She who, in the last few months alone, whipped her golden lace-front and shook her booty fiercely enough to zap the power in the Superdome (electrical relay device, bah!); produced, directed, and starred in Life Is Buta Dream, HBO's most-watched documentary in nearly a decade; and launched the Mrs. Carter Show—the must-see concert of the summer.

Beyoncé's success would seem to offer many reasons But some pundits are hesitant to award the for feminists to cheer. The performer has enjoyed singer feminist laurels. For instance, Anne Helen record-breaking career success and has taken con- Petersen, writer for the blog Celebrity Gossip, trol of a multimillion-dollar empire in a male-run Academic Style (and Bitch contributor), says, industry, while being frank about gender inequities "What bothers me—what causes such profound and the sacrifices required of women. She employs ambivalence—is the way in which [Beyoncé has] an all-woman band of ace musicians—the Sugar been held up as an exemplar of female power and, Mamas—that she formed to give girls more musical by extension, become a de facto feminist icon.... role models. And she speaks passionately about the Beyoncé is powerful. F-cking powerful. And that, power of female relationships. in truth, is what concerns me."

SUMMER.13 I ISSUE NO.59 bítCh I 29 Petersen says the singer's lyrical feminism In a January 2013 Guardian article titled "Beyoncé: Being Photographed in Your swings between fantasy ("Run the World [Girls]") Underwear Doesn't Help Feminism," writer Hadley Freeman blasts the singer for posing and "bemoaning and satirizing men's inability to in the February issue of GQ "nearly naked in seven photos, including one on the cover in commit to monogamous relationships" ("Single which she is wearing a pair of tiny knickers and a man's shirt so cropped that her breasts Ladies"). The writer also accuses Beyoncé of are visible." performing for the male gaze and admits, in Of course, in that very same issue of GQ, Beyoncé makes several statements about comments to the post, to feeling "grossed out" gender inequity—the sort not often showcased in men's magazines. Among them: "Let's

The judgment of how Bejonce expresses her womanhood is emblematic of the way women in the public eye are routinely picked apart—in particular, if s a dem- onstration of the conflicting pressures on black women and the complicated way our bodies and relationships are policed.

by the "Mrs. Garter" tour name. And Petersen is face it, money gives men the power to run the show. It gives men the power to define surely not alone in her displeasure. value. They define what's sexy. And men define what's feminine. It's ridiculous." Turns out, booty shaking and stamping your That Beyoncé speaks the language of feminism so publicly is even more notable in husband's last name on a product of your own a climate where high-profile mainstream female entertainers often explicitly reject the creativity makes a lot of folks question your femi- very word. Katy Perry, while accepting a Woman of the Year Award from Billboard, an- nist values. (Beyoncé recently told Vogue LiJCthat nounced that she is not a feminist (but she believes in the "power of women"). And when though the word "can be extreme...I guess I am asked by The Daily Beast if she is a feminist, Taylor Swift offered, "I don't really think a modern-day feminist. I believe in equality.") about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me Some of the equivocation is no doubt caused by up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life." Beyoncé's slick, pop-princess brand. It is diffi- A popular star willing to talk about gender inequity, as Beyoncé has, is depressingly cult to square the singer's mainstream packag- rare. But Freeman insists ñashes of underboob and feminist critique don't mix. Petersen ing with subversion of conventional and sexist concurs, calling the thigh-baring, lace-meets-leather outfit Beyoncé wore during her views of gender. But ultimately, the policing of Super Bowl XLVII halftime show an "outfit that basically taught my lesson on the way feminist cred is the real moral contradiction. that the male gaze objectifies and fetishizes the otherwise powerful female body." A And the judgment of how Beyoncé expresses her commenter on Jezebel summed up the charge: "That's pretty much the Beyoncé contra- womanhood is emblematic of the way women diction right there. Lip service for female fans, fan service for the guys." in the public eye are routinely picked apart—in These appraisals are perplexing amid a wave of feminist ideology rooted in the idea particular, it's a demonstration of the conflicting that women own their bodies. It is the feminism of SlutWalk, the anti-rape movement pressures on black women and the complicated that proclaims a skimpy skirt does not equal a desire for male attention or sexual way our bodies and relationships are policed. availability. Why, then, are cultural critics like Freeman and Petersen convinced that

30 I bitch FEMINIST RESPONSE TO POP CULTURE when Beyoncé pops a leather-clad pelvis on stage, Through a career that has included crotch- it is solely for the benefit of men? Why do others grabbing, nudity, BDSM, Marilyn Monroe think her acknowledgment of how patriarchy fetishizing, and a 1992 book devoted to sex. influences our understanding of what's sexy is Madonna has been viewed as a feminist mere "lip service".' provocateur, pushing the boundaries of accept- Dr. Sarah Jackson, a race and media scholar at able femininity. But Beyoncé's use of her body Boston's Northeastern University, says, "The idea is criticized as thoughtless and without value that Beyoncé being sexy is only her performing for beyond male titillation, providing a modern male viewers assumes that embracing sexuality example ofthe age-old racist juxtaposition of isn't also for women." Jackson adds that the criti- animalistic black sexuality vs. controlled, inten- cism also ignores "the limited choices available tional, and civilized white sexuality. to women in the entertainment industry and the And then there's the fact that some cultural limited ways Beyoncé is allowed to express her critics are adding to this dissection of Beyoncé's sexuality, because of her gender and her race." feminism through commentary on her relation- Her confounding mainstream persona, Jackson ship with husband Shawn Knowles-Carter, a.k.a. points out, is one key to the entertainer's success hip hop mogul Jay-Z. During an interview with as a black artist. "You don't see black versions of Oprah Winfrey before the Life Is But a Dream pre- Lady Gaga crossing over to the extent that Beyoncé miere, Beyoncé spoke passionately about her part- has or reaching her levels of success. Black artists ner of more than a decade, saying, "I would not be rarely have the same privilege of not conforming the woman I am if I did not go home to that man." to dominant image expectations." This comment prompted Dodai Stewart at Jezebel Solange, Beyoncé's sister, who has gone for a to write, "Wouldn't you like to believe she'd be natural-haired, boho, less sexified approach to amazing whether or not she went home to a man? her music, remains a niche artist, as do Erykah (She would be.) It's a much better message when Badu, Janelle Monáe, and Shingai Shoniwa ofthe she talks about how powerful she is as a woman Noisettes, like so many black female artists before and what a woman can do—without mentioning them. Grace Jones, Joan Armatrading, Tracy Mr. Carter." Chapman, Meshell Ndegeocello—talented all, but Surely a woman can be powerful and simulta- quirky black girls, especially androgynous ones, neously admit that her marriage is profound and don't sell pop music, perform at the Super Bowl, life altering. Beyoncé did not pronounce herself or get starring roles in Hollywood films. useless without marriage. On the contrary, she has Black women (and girls) have also historically said she was in no rush to marry the man she met battled the stereotype of innate and uncontrolled at 18. "I feel like you have to get to know yourself, lasciviousness, which may explain why Beyoncé's know what you want, spend some time by yourself sexuality is viewed differently from that of white and be proud of who you are before you can share artists like Madonna, who is lauded for perform- that with someone else." ing in very similar ways. Being a feminist in the public eye should not A Seattle Times review of a recent Madonna tour require remaining aloof about relationships, stop praises the artist for "rocking us as a feminist including those with men who have helped shape icon" and applauds the singer for her brazen sexu- who you are. We don't require this of men. None ality: "stripping down to a bra, then pulling her other than Bey and Jay's bestie, President Barack pants down below a thong and baring her cheeks Obama, made a very similar claim about his spouse to the Key [Arena]." Even the Guardian's Freeman, post-2008 election: "I would not be standing here in an ode to Like a Prayer, the writer's favorite tonight without the unyielding support of my best album, speaks longingly about Madonna's midriff- friend for the last 16 years...Michelle Obama." baring '80s fashion and the video to the title track, Feminist media activist Jamia Wilson says, "I which "featured a woman named Madonna appar- think that it's just hard for people to really grasp ently giving a blow job to a black Jesus." what it's like to be extremely powerful but also

SUMMER.13 I ISSUE NO.59 I 31 vulnerable. Black women, in particular, are rampant black female singleness. And men like comedian-turned-relationship guru Steve characterized as singularly strong figures. How Harvey are making bank explaining to single black women what they surely must be doing can you be the mule of the world for everybody, wrong (see "111 Advised," no. 56). And what they are doing wrong is understood to be not but also have somebody carry you when you need conforming to traditional ideas of femininity and not mothering in the "right" way (i.e., too them to?" often being unmarried "baby mamas" rather than married mommies). More problematic to some is the name of Be- Black women are, it seems, damned if we do and damned if we don't. Our collective yoncé's world tour—the Mrs. Carter Show. Jane singleness, independence, and unsanctioned mothering are an affront to mainstream Martinson of the Guardian wrote in a February womanhood. But a high-profile married black woman who uses her husband's name (if 2013 op-ed, "There is almost something subver- only for purposes of showbiz) or admits the influence her male partner has had on her sive about waiting until the strongest moment life is an affront to feminism. of your career, which is where Beyoncé finds Wilson says that in the context of pathologized black womanhood and black relation- herself now, to do away with the infamous glossy ships, Beyoncé and the Knowles-Carter clan "counter a narrative about our families that mononym in favour of a second name your own has been defined by the media for too long about what our families must look like and how husband doesn't even use." they're comprised." Black women's sexuality and our roles as mothers and partners have In a recent Slate article titled "Who Run the been treated as public issues as far back as slavery, even as family life for most citizens World? Husbands?" Aisha Harris wonders, "as a has been viewed as a private matter. Our nation's "peculiar institution" treated human woman who has earned enough clout to inspire beings—black human beings—as property. And so, black women's partnering—when and dance crazes, earn lucrative (if controversial) whom we partnered with and the offspring of those unions—were at the very foundation advertising deals, and perform for the U.S. presi- of the American economy. According to Jackson, "People would talk about black women's dent on multiple occasions, one can't help but sexuality in polite company like they would talk about race horses foaling calves." wonder why she felt the need to evoke the name Like critiques of her sexed-up performances, response to Beyoncé's recent pregnancy of her beau in her solo world tour." illustrates that black female bodies remain fodder for public gossip. Even with the devotion If a woman loses feminist bona fides by of mainstream media (especially the entertainment and gossip genres) to monitoring becoming Mrs. So-and-So, someone best tell female celebrities' sexuality, "baby bumps," and engagement rocks, the speculation the 86 percent of American women who take about Beyoncé's womb stands apart as truly bizarre. Almost as soon as the singer their husbands' names at marriage. If there is revealed her pregnancy at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, there was conjecture— any woman not in danger of being subsumed by amplified by a televised interview in which the singer's dress folded "suspiciously" a man's identity—no matter her last name—it around her middle—that it was all a ruse to cover for the use of a surrogate. is Beyoncé. In fact, the singer's married name The HBO documentary, which chronicled her pregnancy, failed to quiet the delibera- is not "Mrs. Carter." She and her husband tion. Gawker writer Rich Juzwiak proclaimed, "Beyoncé has never been less convincing combined their names to create the hyphenate about the veracity of her pregnancy than she was in her own movie.... We never see a "Knowles-Carter." full, clear shot of Beyoncé's pregnant, swanlike body. Instead it's presented in pieces, ow- "This man, who has made a living—an ing to the limitations of her Mac webcam. When her body is shown in full, it's in grainy, extremely good one—perpetuating hyper- black-and-white footage in which her face is shadowed." There is, in this assessment, a masculinity, patriarchal masculinity, took the disturbing assumption of ownership over Beyoncé's body. Why won't this woman display last name of the woman he married," Jackson her naked body on television to prove to the world that she carried a baby in her uterus? says. "That in itself to me, says something about The conversation surrounding Beyoncé feels like assessing a prize thoroughbred gender in their relationship and the respect that rather than observing a human woman, and it is dismaying when so-called feminist exists there." discourse contributes to that. Feminism is about challenging structural inequalities in Beyoncé's race, once again, complicates the society, but the criticism of Beyoncé as a feminist figure smacks of hating the player and discussion. She is criticized for toying with the ignoring the game, to twist an old phrase. traditional "Mrs." moniker at a time of relentless "Beyoncé has no role in reinforcing or creating sexist structures," says Jackson. "De- public hand-wringing about black women being spite the privilege of celebrity, she is subject to the same limitations other women are. In half as likely to marry as white women. ABC News some ways, she is constrained even more, because she has to always be conscious about actually convened a panel to weigh in on "Why her image. It seems odd to critique her instead of the larger structure that creates the Can't a Successful Black Woman Find a Man?" boundaries and limitations under which she exists." CNN has aired segments exploring whether the Beyoncé exacts considerable control over her public image. (And she wrested that con- black church or single motherhood is to blame for trol from her own father.) GQ revealed that she has an on-staff videographer and photog-

32 I bitch FEMINIST RESPONSE TO POP CULTURE rapher documenting most every move. The singer, say 'I'm not crazy about that decision, but this or rather, her "people," famously requested that decision was amazing.'" Buzzfeed remove some images from a slide show of Juggling the personal with the political isn't the performer's "fiercest" Super Bowl moments. (It easy in a biased society. We are, even the most dili- seems that the Queen was looking less than serene gent of us, influenced by gender, race, and other in a few shots.) Beyoncé's public life, from the re- identities. And we make personal and professional veal of her pregnancy to the first photos of daughter decisions based on a variety of needs and pres- Blue Ivy's face, appears choreographed. And while sures. Judging each other without acknowledg- many critics view that control as merely mercenary, ing these influences is uncharitable at best and it is well worth noting that this level of power is an dishonest at worst. A tiny top and a traditional achievement in an industry where "suits" retain marriage should not be enough to strip a woman significant control over "créatives." otherwise committed to gender equality ofthe

A quest for perfection may not resutt in raw realness, but it just might keep a sister on top in a society plagued by biases.

Beyoncé's attention to her image may well be feminist mantle. If we all had pundits assessing her way of moving within the boundaries and lim- our actions against a feminist litmus test, I reckon itations of gender and race that Jackson mentions. not even Gloria Steinem and bell hooks would pass In GQ, Beyoncé noted, "I try to perfect myself" A muster. Women must be allowed their humanity quest for perfection may not result in raw realness, and complexity. Even self-proclaimed feminists. but it just might keep a sister on top in a society Even Queen Beys. ~ still plagued with biases. The dogged criticism ofthe way Beyoncé chooses to live out her feminism must add to the wWf rej; ll(u-ri.i's work on race and pressure of being a famous woman of color. But gender and their intersection with pop culture celebrity brings with it scrutiny. More problem- and politics has appeared in Ms., Bitch, the Guard- atic is that many challenges to Beyoncé's status ian, Huffington Post, Newsweek, and Psychology as a feminist role model make perfection the Today. She is senior editor at Racialicious and is work- enemy ofthe good for all women concerned with ing on her first book, an exploration of black women equality, positioning feminism as nigh impos- and marriage. sible to everyday women who can imagine being scrutinized for making the same choices Beyoncé has made. Samhita Mukhopadhyay, executive editor of the popular blog Feministing, says, "[Beyoncé] is not allowed to be groundbreaking and traditional. She has to be Supermom or super hot stuff or super feminist. There isn't enough flexibility for her to just be who she is and for us to be able to

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