English 161 March 27, 2017 Literature Review In the present decades unlike the past, the word feminist’ has become a title to brand anyone who talks and writes about the feminine sex. After all the term is dynamic and it is always discussed and conferenced by both sexes in media and even the internet. Hence, the effect has taken its toll and feminism is now just knowing about and believing it, that all are equal but not taking any measures and fight to it. However being a feminist means being an activist of the feminine sex- not that the men sex is to be hated-by believing and having a stand for it that all the sexes are the same and equal in all categorical grounds. This will bring the diverse sex to one ideology and make each and every one a feminist, who understands what he/she is up for.
The authors main goal is to establish that the Lemonade album was dedicated to a specific audience, black women. Sydney Gore author of “Lemonade’ Is A Love Letter From Beyonce To Black Women” believes that Beyonce dedicated this body of art to black women due to the way she narrates the struggle of black women. Struggles like fighting for equality, being viewed as a sexual objects and the fact that no help is given to the female. In the visual aspect of Lemonade a Southern gothic theme is presented as it is set in the deep South, that is more or less what black feminism is visualized in our minds. Beyonce tries to artistically show what it means to go about life dealing with depression, heartbreak, and anger. A major stick in the mud like the author mentioned was infidelity, although the point of the album wasn’t directly to point out the struggle within her marriage, it was to force everyone to accept the truthwe are all flawed human beings.
Her solution to all of this is trying to encourage women to believe in themselves and to keep hope alive, trying to create an environment to “protect black women”. In this article, “Beyonce and Lemonade’ are giving these feminist scholars so much to debate” the author, Caitlin Gibson is trying to figure out whether Beyonce is pushing her progress or is just marketing her brand?Beyonce’s visual album, “Lemonade” portraits black womanhood, infidelity and redemption. Feminist activists bell hooks and Janet Mock shared conflicting views about its portrayal of women. Bell hook’s believes Beyonce “utterly aestheticized” the presentation of the female body/form by simply showing beautiful black women does not create well-being for them. While author Janet Mock followed by arguing that Beyonce and any woman should be taken seriously no matter how she presents herself.
The argument within would be that women should be free to present themselves without suffering accusations that their sexuality is harmful. This article compared different authors opinions on Beyonce’s visual album in relation to women. Elle Hunt author of the article “Beyonce’s Lemonade album explained, from beginner to ‘Beyhive'” talks aboutBeyoncetelling Vogueshe “guesses” she is a feminist because she “believes in equality”. A year later, she performed at the MTV Music awards in front of “FEMINIST” in lights. To follow, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk established Beyonce’s credentials as a public feminist, due to her Super bowl Halftime Show when she sang about her “negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils”, flanked by dancers wearing Black Panther berets, concluding with a Black Power salute – signalled a newly politicised chapter of her career.
I believe Beyonce knew that appearing this way in her performance would cause a lot of commotion and rumors about her being a feminist figure so she must be okay with such label. Kinitra Brooks, an associate professor of English at the University of Texas at San Antonio who specializes in black feminist theory believes:”Beyonce is working out for herself what she thinks feminism is. Her working that out publicly and working through those certain ideas, it appeals to a lot of people” and encourages them to examine their own practice of feminism, although, “it also fails to appeal to a lot of people and pushes back (at) what they believe feminism to be. ” I can partially agree that Beyonce’s Lemonade album is trying to appeal to “a lot of people” the reasons because, it seems like she is focusing more on the black struggles women face. Although others may agree that:”Lemonadeis giving us thoughts of resistance going into this moment that we’re in, to really push us through. ” says Quita Tinsley, Feministing writer and activist.
Author Stephanie Trefzger, who wrote the “ALBUM REVIEW: Lemonade’ – Beyonce”positively spoke about the way Beyonce portrayed her life as a women in the album Lemonade which gave for many women to connect to specifically black women. Within the album Beyonce based some songs about her marriage and the way she tried to stay throughout the bad moments, followed by the way she thrive to show she will be respected. She uses her power and influence to draw attention to issues of race and gender in an unapologetic way. In the video album, she samples activist Malcolm X when he declares, “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.
” Men are mostly absent from the video, both visually and emotionally. In their place are a large group of black women and girls forming a front of solidarity and sisterhood. Among them are tennis star Serena Williams, the young actresses Quvenzhane Wallis and Amandla Stenberg, as well as the actress/singer Zendaya. Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin and Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, are also featured. Some people are not going to like this display of power, although this album is for black women and while other people can identify with things discussed in the album, we have to realize that this was not made specifically for everyone. At the end of my research on the pop artist Beyonce, I believe the reasons why she presents herself as a feminist is to simply attract more of the female audience and to try to guide them into feeling positive about themselves, presenting a world where men are not in dominance.
Work Cited Gore, Sydney. “‘Lemonade’ Is A Love Letter From Beyonce To Black Women. “‘Lemonade’ Is A Love Letter From Beyonce To Black Women. N.
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11 Apr. 2017. Gibson, Caitlin. “Beyonce and Lemonade’ are giving these feminist scholars so much to debate.
“The Washington Post. WP Company, 11 May 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
Trefzger, Stephanie. “ALBUM REVIEW: Lemonade’ – Beyonce. “Niner Times. N.
p. , 24 Apr. 2016. Web.
11 Apr. 2017. Hunt, Elle. “Beyonce’s Lemonade album explained, from beginner to ‘Beyhive'”The Guardian.
Guardian News and Media, 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Apr.
2017. Quarshie, Mabinty. “Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ album but a sip of her evolving feminist story. “USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 24 Feb. 2017.
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