Awesome project! I really like how you have integrated the images, video, and text of the songs into your creative website. Your history of feminism is great and I enjoy how you highlight the ways that feminism has become more inclusive and nuanced throughout the waves. The annotated video is very cool especially paired with your analysis of the lyrics.
The message I received was that Beyonce is a feminist and that “Single Ladies” can be viewed a a female empowerment song. Although she talks about “putting a ring on it,” she has taken control of her body and her desires which are a part of Anaconda feminism. Furthermore, the music video sans the male presence helps highlight the three strong and powerful women dancing.
Something to think about is how has Beyonce’s music changed over the course of her musical history? If you think it has changed, how does this effect her feminist evolution? I don’t know enough of her music but think this would be interesting to explore.
The website came out looking incredible! Your breakdown of the waves of feminism was really thorough and effective, and all your digital moves (the annotated video, the lyrics slides, the audio player, etc) were well integrated and amplified your argument. The message I received was that even Beyonce’s more seemingly “indulgent”/romantic fling type of songs like “Single Ladies” should be taken at more than face value, and that feminism as a whole has evolved to comfortably include female sexuality and women’s ownership of that sexuality. As for things to think about, you mentioned briefly at the end of your essay “Lemonade,” which I think could factor into a new but connected discussion of 3rd wave feminism- that of the traditionally disenfranchised black woman specifically.
I love the way that you combined your creative and critical pieces in the website. I think it’s especially effective considering how your project discusses Beyonce’s intersectionality and the website takes full advantage of the intersectionality of text, video, image, and sound. I also love how you were able to incorporate visuals throughout the text, like the pictures of the authors you cited. I found it to be very engaging and helpful. It was a good choice.
What I really got from y’all’s project was that the feminism that Beyonce and Nicki Minaj stand for is all about choice. That being sexy or performing for “the male gaze” is still ok as long as the woman is in charge of making her own choices. This type of feminism that Beyonce stands for relies so much upon personal identity and acceptance of one’s identity which is where the intersectionality of being both black and female comes into play.
Similar to what Katie mentioned as something to ponder, I’ve found that Beyonce’s music has definitely evolved over the course of her career and that her more recent inclusion of social activism within her music is something that is both highly celebrated and criticized. Does political participation within music make Beyonce more feminist? Is it still feminist to write just about love or are there levels within feminism that can say that taking full control of one’s own voice and body and asserting a potentially controversial opinion is more admirable than simply writing about men?
I am blown away by your brilliant, captivating, thought-provoking multimedia essay. You have most certainly turned me not just into a Beyonce fan, but into a feminist critic and fan of her work! I love the way your enthusiasm motivated your exploration of the history of feminism and your analysis of her lyrics and video. Much as Beyonce exploits visual media to her advantage, you’ve used Atavist to the fullest extent I’ve seen, combining audio, video, Gifs, and best of all—annotated video to deliver a compelling, energetic, and persuasive argument.
I love your writing when you use your powerful personal voices, so I’m disappointed when I encounter a thesis statement in passive voice with a dangling modifier:
By reframing the definition and image of the modern feminist, it is evident that Beyoncé is a positive feminist role model.
Look at how much more powerful (and Beyonceesque) your prose is when you assume an active voice:
We argue [that the] use of the erotic as a mechanism for empowerment and sexual equality is a new dimension of feminism being explored in pop culture.
One of the most important insights I gained was from your discussion of how anaconda feminism response to the historic hypersexualization of the female body—especially the black female body. As you explain, “One of the images black women fight in the US is the image of the jezebel, whore, hoochie, or the sexually aggressive ‘other.’” In the Harlem Renaissance—the first era when African American women asserted themselves en masse—black women tended to fight this stereotype by repressing their own sexuality. But to repress sexuality actually may authorize the power of the stereotype. Today’s black feminists are reclaiming their sexuality, much in the way gay men have reclaimed “queer.” Just as gay men said “we’re here and we’re queer,” black women are saying, “we’re here and we’re sexy.”
You offer a persuasive defense of Beyonce but are less effective in representing the criticisms of her. You frequently refer to the feminist critics who attack her, but never cite any specific arguments, e.g.:
“First, let us begin with the words. Feminists frown upon ‘Single Ladies,’ claiming the song encourages women to strive for marriage. However, through a careful reading of the song, ‘Single Ladies’ is not portraying that message. Saying that ‘Single Ladies’ is anti-feminist focuses solely on the line, ‘If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it.’ However, there is so much more to the song that that one line.”
Who are these feminists? If I were to critique the song, it wouldn’t be simply on the grounds thatit encourages girls to strive for marriage, but because the song reduces the female body to an “it,” appearing to grant all power, agency, and choice to the man who claims ownership (or neglects to). But as you point out, the video of the song asserts female agency in a number of ways, most notably the defiant, strong dancing. I think you could push your analysis of her armored glove further. It’s not merely “her own bling,” but something that evokes a suit of armor (male association), a chastity belt (female association), and suggests a dominatrix. It also calls to mind Michael Jackson’s single glove, putting her in a tradition of gender bending, culture dominating African-American musicians. She’s got a ring on it, too—but clearly doesn’t need “you” to put it there! I also think there’s a difference between Beyonce’s feminism and Minaj’s “anaconda feminism,” which seems to go further in exploiting both primitivist and hypersexualized images than Beyonce. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that, and I’ll be following Beyonce’s career with much more interest now that you’ve given me so much to think about!
Hey Luke and Summer,
Awesome project! I really like how you have integrated the images, video, and text of the songs into your creative website. Your history of feminism is great and I enjoy how you highlight the ways that feminism has become more inclusive and nuanced throughout the waves. The annotated video is very cool especially paired with your analysis of the lyrics.
The message I received was that Beyonce is a feminist and that “Single Ladies” can be viewed a a female empowerment song. Although she talks about “putting a ring on it,” she has taken control of her body and her desires which are a part of Anaconda feminism. Furthermore, the music video sans the male presence helps highlight the three strong and powerful women dancing.
Something to think about is how has Beyonce’s music changed over the course of her musical history? If you think it has changed, how does this effect her feminist evolution? I don’t know enough of her music but think this would be interesting to explore.
Hi Summer & Luke!
The website came out looking incredible! Your breakdown of the waves of feminism was really thorough and effective, and all your digital moves (the annotated video, the lyrics slides, the audio player, etc) were well integrated and amplified your argument. The message I received was that even Beyonce’s more seemingly “indulgent”/romantic fling type of songs like “Single Ladies” should be taken at more than face value, and that feminism as a whole has evolved to comfortably include female sexuality and women’s ownership of that sexuality. As for things to think about, you mentioned briefly at the end of your essay “Lemonade,” which I think could factor into a new but connected discussion of 3rd wave feminism- that of the traditionally disenfranchised black woman specifically.
Great job!!
Hi Summer and Luke,
I love the way that you combined your creative and critical pieces in the website. I think it’s especially effective considering how your project discusses Beyonce’s intersectionality and the website takes full advantage of the intersectionality of text, video, image, and sound. I also love how you were able to incorporate visuals throughout the text, like the pictures of the authors you cited. I found it to be very engaging and helpful. It was a good choice.
What I really got from y’all’s project was that the feminism that Beyonce and Nicki Minaj stand for is all about choice. That being sexy or performing for “the male gaze” is still ok as long as the woman is in charge of making her own choices. This type of feminism that Beyonce stands for relies so much upon personal identity and acceptance of one’s identity which is where the intersectionality of being both black and female comes into play.
Similar to what Katie mentioned as something to ponder, I’ve found that Beyonce’s music has definitely evolved over the course of her career and that her more recent inclusion of social activism within her music is something that is both highly celebrated and criticized. Does political participation within music make Beyonce more feminist? Is it still feminist to write just about love or are there levels within feminism that can say that taking full control of one’s own voice and body and asserting a potentially controversial opinion is more admirable than simply writing about men?
I am blown away by your brilliant, captivating, thought-provoking multimedia essay. You have most certainly turned me not just into a Beyonce fan, but into a feminist critic and fan of her work! I love the way your enthusiasm motivated your exploration of the history of feminism and your analysis of her lyrics and video. Much as Beyonce exploits visual media to her advantage, you’ve used Atavist to the fullest extent I’ve seen, combining audio, video, Gifs, and best of all—annotated video to deliver a compelling, energetic, and persuasive argument.
I love your writing when you use your powerful personal voices, so I’m disappointed when I encounter a thesis statement in passive voice with a dangling modifier:
By reframing the definition and image of the modern feminist, it is evident that Beyoncé is a positive feminist role model.
Look at how much more powerful (and Beyonceesque) your prose is when you assume an active voice:
We argue [that the] use of the erotic as a mechanism for empowerment and sexual equality is a new dimension of feminism being explored in pop culture.
One of the most important insights I gained was from your discussion of how anaconda feminism response to the historic hypersexualization of the female body—especially the black female body. As you explain, “One of the images black women fight in the US is the image of the jezebel, whore, hoochie, or the sexually aggressive ‘other.’” In the Harlem Renaissance—the first era when African American women asserted themselves en masse—black women tended to fight this stereotype by repressing their own sexuality. But to repress sexuality actually may authorize the power of the stereotype. Today’s black feminists are reclaiming their sexuality, much in the way gay men have reclaimed “queer.” Just as gay men said “we’re here and we’re queer,” black women are saying, “we’re here and we’re sexy.”
You offer a persuasive defense of Beyonce but are less effective in representing the criticisms of her. You frequently refer to the feminist critics who attack her, but never cite any specific arguments, e.g.:
“First, let us begin with the words. Feminists frown upon ‘Single Ladies,’ claiming the song encourages women to strive for marriage. However, through a careful reading of the song, ‘Single Ladies’ is not portraying that message. Saying that ‘Single Ladies’ is anti-feminist focuses solely on the line, ‘If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it.’ However, there is so much more to the song that that one line.”
Who are these feminists? If I were to critique the song, it wouldn’t be simply on the grounds thatit encourages girls to strive for marriage, but because the song reduces the female body to an “it,” appearing to grant all power, agency, and choice to the man who claims ownership (or neglects to). But as you point out, the video of the song asserts female agency in a number of ways, most notably the defiant, strong dancing. I think you could push your analysis of her armored glove further. It’s not merely “her own bling,” but something that evokes a suit of armor (male association), a chastity belt (female association), and suggests a dominatrix. It also calls to mind Michael Jackson’s single glove, putting her in a tradition of gender bending, culture dominating African-American musicians. She’s got a ring on it, too—but clearly doesn’t need “you” to put it there! I also think there’s a difference between Beyonce’s feminism and Minaj’s “anaconda feminism,” which seems to go further in exploiting both primitivist and hypersexualized images than Beyonce. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that, and I’ll be following Beyonce’s career with much more interest now that you’ve given me so much to think about!