Beyonce has let me down again

[deessedusoleil]

I try and tell myself that music does not have to be about ethics.  It’s ok to listen to cheesy R&B pop if you want to and it doesn’t have to mean that you necessarily support the beliefs of that group or that you think that you like them for any kind of artistic integrity.  Sometimes it’s just about liking the music and turning a blind eye to

Comments

STORE

[damsgard]

I am waiting for the big releace of the the walmart store called STORE. It will be after they demolish all of the lonley chains out there and the owner of Walmart will sit on his throne of slave labors and say " welcome to store where you have to come for all your shopping needs" on that day I will weep for humanity.

Re: STORE

[deessedusoleil]

Have you talked to Vas and Debbie about that?

Vas has a rant where he talks about the phenomenon where you can buy a gallon of milk, a DVD player, a new fall wardrobe, a riffle, get your oil changed, get your hair done, your picture taken and your eyes examened all at the same location.

It's not the grocery store or the drug store anymore.
It's STORE.

Re: STORE

[mt_f4nb0y]

Points of order, if I may

Re: STORE

[deessedusoleil]

you can soap box all you want here, boy, you know that. :)

I can't even remember the last time I set foot in a Wal-Mart much less the last time I bought anything. I'm just trying to show that I practice what I preach and I put my money where my mouth is. If I don't believe in something they don't get my dollar. Which is my conflict with Destiny's Child. I don't want to support them if they support WM and McD's but I'm really guiltily addicted to their music and I wish I could just separate the music from the ethics.

Actually, I remember precisely the last time I was in Wal-Mart. It was to buy an $8 Destiny's Child Fan Pack DVD last Christmas that was only being sold exclusively in Wal-Marts. So I guess that signifies that they've had a pre-existing business relationship with the company but it still makes me judge them.

[a_new_low]

You say she has enough money, but remember she has to pay for her:
designer clothes
bling
luxury cars
mortgage on her mansion
upcoming wedding to Jay-Z
hairdresser
make-up artist
body-guards
limo driver
manager
producers
pr rep
personal trainer
nutritionist
manicurist
plane tickets
five-star hotel presidential sweets
several vacations a year
occasional charities

Money goes very quickly when you live the life she does.

[deessedusoleil]

Yeah, that would be mansions, plural. She has one in Miami and one in NYC, I think. They've also got the family home in Houston, TX.

That's the kind of thing where you've got to learn how to prioritize. She could do all of the above in moderation and cut out this Wal-Mart craziness.

[a_new_low]

Whoops. *suites*, not "sweets".

Just to name a few.

[deessedusoleil]

a lot of that designer clothing is given to her by all the designers who want to promote their clothing by having her wear it.

I'm pretty sure that Dolce and Gabbana sponsored and provided all of her costume changes for her solo tour in 2004. She alone had around 12 outfits for that show, not including her dancers.

[brine_wings]

good points all around.
i concur wholeheartedly.

[deessedusoleil]

I was accused of being classist with the whole issue. Someone told me that I have a problem with Wal-Mart but that I wouldn't have a problem if she was doing endorsements for Versace and that I'm just being snobby about it and I had to think about that.

I don't see it as not liking Wal-Mart's class as much as it is not agreeing with Wal-Mart's ethics.

Do you think it's classist of me to be ok with some endorsements but not others?

[brine_wings]

Hmm... that's actually a very interesting debate. I guess for me to have an outright opinion on that issue I would have to research Versace's ethics and ways of doing business. I know they are an upper class company, but I don't think I would characterize them as being a monopoly like Wal-mart.

Basically, I wouldn't say your opinion has to apply to any other issue beyond this one. It's not cool with you that Beyonce is endorsing a huge, power-hungry, world-monopolizing, unethical company (and it's not cool with me either), but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be cool with you if she endorsed Planned Parenthood, or another non-profit woman-friendly, all around awesome organization. That's not upper class. Therefore, I don't believe you're being classist.

[yvonneism]

i know i know...i was pissed too...ugh.
i want to say...."well maybe she doesn't...know...about..." and then I'm like "how can you not know?!"

especially if you're business savvy, of course, you're going to research the company that you're promoting/representing.

but then you also have to take in the consideration that she might be trying to show people that she's "still down to earth" in that sort of "ooh, yeah girl, you know i got it at walmart!" or "of course i still eat mcdonald's guys!"

i think it's all bullshit. if i were a celebrity, you'd be proud of me, rachel, i promise.

[deessedusoleil]

I've heard that kind of argument, too, with people saying that at least she's keeping it real and endorsing companies that her fans can afford rather than being the "it" girl for Louis Vitton or Gucci when she knows that none of us will ever be able to afford that kind of product.

It's like I said before, it's about the Wal-Mart ethics and not about being classist against a cheaper store like that.

don't get me wrong now!

[yvonneism]

i still don't think that the "down to earth" image that she could possibly be trying to portray should mean supporting walmart or mcdonald's. i was just pointing out that that's how people think, and well, i just can't conclude that they are inherently evil lol :)

Re: don't get me wrong now!

[deessedusoleil]

I'm trying to think of who I would want her to endorse for.

Like Target would be a step up from Wal-Mart but that would still be "down to earth". I would say K-Mart but Martha's taking over over there and they're going bandrupt anyway.

What about Starbucks? Starbucks pays decent wages, they offer soy milk and organic milk options. They offer domestic partner benefits to their employees. They are EVERYWHERE. They have internet hook-ups and are safe havens for college kids. And Magic Johnson has his own *Bucks, doesn't he?

That's my new campaign. To get Beyonce to start endorsing for Starbucks.