the merits and de-merits of divadom
Beyonce tells us, quite simply, in her newest release, what it means to be a diva, in a new, revamped (and extremely prone to getting stuck in your head) definition of the word: "A diva is female version of a hustler (of a hustler, of a hustler)."
Keep playing until it's gotten good and stuck in your head. Yes, click again. Okay. Now you've reached the sort of continuous loops of "of a hustler, of a hustler" going through your head like that currently inhabiting my brainwaves right now. Play it again, if you're not quite there. Ready? (of a hustler, of a hustler)
On the one hand, I'm thrilled to see Beyonce, (sasha) fierce as ever, being tough and not taking any shit. Score! She's an Independent Woman (in spirit) again, this time with hips that wiggle out of their sockets! (Feminism just keeps on getting cooler and cooler.)
Except, this 'empowerment' sits just a little funky with me. It's the same theme articulated in her "Like a Boy" ballad (meh), where she talks about how she could treat women not-so-nicely if she were a boy. Yeah, you could. But I wouldn't exactly call that an go-getter song for women. And, it's slow tempo suggested that it wasn't.
Not this song. We're supposed to feel all revved up by it-- and, based on the beat, I do. "Whooo! Look at me! I'm a female version of a hustler! WOOT! Sisterhood!" (of a hustler, of a hustler)
Uh. Sorta. Why do we want to be like... pimps? These are the people we're looking at as our empowerment icons? I want to be strong, sure-- but more Gloria Steinem than, you know, the guy hustling around the prostitutes. Or even a man with several girlfriends. Or even any man whose cup runneth over of masculinity (wow, that's dirty) and doesn't treat women with respect.
Yet, I know even from personal experience, it's so hardened into us--yes, women--to feel empowered when we're treating other women with less respect. If a domineering lesbian treats me "like a boy" would, I'm guessing that she's feeling stronger, not weaker. (This is the subject of a chapter of Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs, where she talks about "bois" who treat more femme lesbians pretty shittily.) If I treat women like easy lays, then I'm not offering them the respect. And yet would I still feel more empowered? While I'm putting down women, I'm feeling my personal girl-power and toughness skyrocket? I'd go with a definite yes. But at the same time: uh, well, R.I.P, Sisterhood.
I guess what I'm saying is all is good for Beyonce crooning her way into female-hustlerdom and making us feel kickass and empowered and fuzzy warm shit, etc. But when you feel empowered because you feel like a hustler, aka someone putting other women down, we probably would all feel more like the divas we should be if the framework, altogether, could be reworked. Because, all in all, a diva being a female version of a hustler is nice. But would it hurt us to dream a little bigger?
Click to viewKeep playing until it's gotten good and stuck in your head. Yes, click again. Okay. Now you've reached the sort of continuous loops of "of a hustler, of a hustler" going through your head like that currently inhabiting my brainwaves right now. Play it again, if you're not quite there. Ready? (of a hustler, of a hustler)
On the one hand, I'm thrilled to see Beyonce, (sasha) fierce as ever, being tough and not taking any shit. Score! She's an Independent Woman (in spirit) again, this time with hips that wiggle out of their sockets! (Feminism just keeps on getting cooler and cooler.)
Except, this 'empowerment' sits just a little funky with me. It's the same theme articulated in her "Like a Boy" ballad (meh), where she talks about how she could treat women not-so-nicely if she were a boy. Yeah, you could. But I wouldn't exactly call that an go-getter song for women. And, it's slow tempo suggested that it wasn't.
Not this song. We're supposed to feel all revved up by it-- and, based on the beat, I do. "Whooo! Look at me! I'm a female version of a hustler! WOOT! Sisterhood!" (of a hustler, of a hustler)
Uh. Sorta. Why do we want to be like... pimps? These are the people we're looking at as our empowerment icons? I want to be strong, sure-- but more Gloria Steinem than, you know, the guy hustling around the prostitutes. Or even a man with several girlfriends. Or even any man whose cup runneth over of masculinity (wow, that's dirty) and doesn't treat women with respect.
Yet, I know even from personal experience, it's so hardened into us--yes, women--to feel empowered when we're treating other women with less respect. If a domineering lesbian treats me "like a boy" would, I'm guessing that she's feeling stronger, not weaker. (This is the subject of a chapter of Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs, where she talks about "bois" who treat more femme lesbians pretty shittily.) If I treat women like easy lays, then I'm not offering them the respect. And yet would I still feel more empowered? While I'm putting down women, I'm feeling my personal girl-power and toughness skyrocket? I'd go with a definite yes. But at the same time: uh, well, R.I.P, Sisterhood.
I guess what I'm saying is all is good for Beyonce crooning her way into female-hustlerdom and making us feel kickass and empowered and fuzzy warm shit, etc. But when you feel empowered because you feel like a hustler, aka someone putting other women down, we probably would all feel more like the divas we should be if the framework, altogether, could be reworked. Because, all in all, a diva being a female version of a hustler is nice. But would it hurt us to dream a little bigger?