In Honor of the 2010 Grammies: Beyonce Knowles; reaffirms or reverses roles of gender and racial stereotypes?

Cross Posted at WomenUndefined.

Watch this video of Beyonce Knowles performing her hit song “If I Were A Boy” at the 2010 Grammy Awards. What do you see? An overtly sexual puppet, propped up and hung from strings controlled by wealthy, predominantly white, corporate executives? A packaged sexual object , bought and sold for the financial gain of a select few?
Or do you see an empowered woman, self made and confident? A Woman well aware of the allure and power of her unique sexuality, a woman in complete control of her faculties and possessing of enough confidence to re-define old notions of black sexuality and femininity-using them to achieve ultimate success and power?

She has sold millions of records, won countless awards and starred in Oscar winning movies. Beyonce Knowles has achieved in the past twelve years such wild success and critical acclaim in part by appealing both to women with her brand of “Bills, Bills, Bills,”-“bootylicious”-“To the Left”, fierce and confident womanhood, and men when she shakes her ass and croons about love lost or “bonnie and clyde” . Indeed, it is her combination of confident independence and oozing sexuality that make her so popular with just about everyone.
Just as her musical allure differs in sharp contrast, so does her onstage persona differ from her “real” self. In candid moments, Beyonce appears soft spoke, unassuming, confident and intelligent. She appears to posses a keen intellect and cognizant of her own allure. When in public, she is often photographed deferring attention to her husband, music mogul Jay Z- a person she rarely even admits knowing personally, despite clear evidence the two are actually married. A woman in complete control of her life.

On stage she could not be any more different, performing suggestive dance routines, singing forcefully with confidence and sass, traits not readily apparent in her more “real” moments. Beyonce’s on-stage alter ego is so different in fact, she named her Sasha, (Sasha Fierce!). The contrast between her onstage persona and her “real” self, mirrors that of her hyper sexualized routines or manufactured sexual appeal and her lyric’s message of strength, independence, and girl power.

The Paradox that is Beyonce Knowles opens up an interesting debate: is the use of sexuality in her dance routines, her lyrics and costume preferences reinforcing stereotypes of gender and race, further reaffirming that women of color are hyper-sexual creatures?1 Or is she playing upon these stereotypes and using them to her advantage, thus removing the power they once had upon women (specifically women of color)? 2
Historians and Sociologists alike would agree that the hyper-sexual on stage act is reminiscent of the historical gender and racial constructs that for years and in some instances still, portray women of color to be hyper sexualized creatures (animals) useful only as a means to a fairly simple end: the production of more slaves. Many people argue that women of color have battled especially oppressive and dehumanizing stereotypes, the likes of which no one else in our society, have had to endure. Considering this, to see Beyonce sing with such soul of the pride in being a strong, black woman, all the while performing in the most sexually explicit manner acceptable on mainstream television, is to some disheartening at least and to many, very offensive. Her shameless and self-indulgent sexual dance routines and lyrics seemingly tear down previous work to remove the historical gender constructs and racial stereotypes, and even works to create new and equally as damaging stereotypes of women.

However, one can consider Beyonce’s performances from an alternate perspective. By examining her use of the exact stereotypes historically constructed to dehumanize, oppress and suppress women of color, as her main manner in achieving success; it appears a reversal of sorts has occurred , the power of the stereotypes , gender and racial constructs now belong in the hands of Beyonce, not the other way around. She has readily displayed the difference between her more “real” self and her “stage” self, revealing that she is fully aware of the power she has. For Beyonce has strategically used both her intelligence, shrewd business practices, independent and hardworking drive, feminine strength, and her unique sexuality to become one the most recognizable figures in pop culture.

Exactly which message Beyonce conveys, I don’t know. There are serious concerns that I think have much merit, that suggest Beyonce’s performances (as well as others of course) not only reaffirm old stereotypes and norms of African American women , but create new norms; specifically regarding the ever increasing beauty expectations and standards that our media saturated society imposes. But once again from the alternate perspective, there is real worth to be found in Beyonce’s ability to become successful in part because she has reversed the roles of the historical gender and racial stereotypes. This is especially important because she is a woman, and most importantly a woman of color.

The duplicity seen in Beyonce’s candid personality and her on-stage persona, and the contradiction between her sexual routines and independent-woman lyrics have worked together to bring Beyonce enormous success. Perhaps the contradictions in Beyonce’ personal and professional lives come together in some sort of coalescence; the result of which reveals both a reaffirmation of age old notions of black sexuality and the strategic use of the same stereotypes to attain wealth, success and power. For a women, there is truly something unique and powerful about that.
-Sophia | Twitter: @sophiabiabia
1, 2: Black Sexual Politics; African Americans, Gender, And the New Racism by Patricia Hill Collins.