I lack the energy--at the present time-- to do a full "In Defense of Beyonce'" post, though as the writing around this album gets more ridiculous by the day, I'm sure I'll be inspired to string something together out of sheer frustration soon.
In the meantime, I need to say this:
Ya'll do realize that the Ike Turner/ ANNA Mae reference that Jay Z spits on "Drunk in Love" isn't condoning domestic abuse, right?... Um, right?
He's drunk talking ish to his wife who has been talking ish to him:
Hold up, stumble all in the house tryna backup all that mouth/ That you had all in the car, talking ’bout you the baddest bitch thus far/ Talking ’bout you be repping that 3rd, wanna see all that shit I heard
And by the middle of the verse, he too is talking ish about what he's going to do to her sexually, and most important WITH HER CONSENT:
Know I sling Clint Eastwood, hope you can handle this curve.../ Catch a charge I might, beat the box up like Mike/ In ’97 I bite, I’m Ike, Turner, turn up/ Baby no I don’t play, now eat the cake, Anna Mae/ Said, “Eat the cake, Anna Mae!”
I mean, she's drunk-giggling in the background as he talks DRUNK ISH on a song called "Drunk in Love" in a video where they are appear to be pissy drunk. And if his wife is fine with him essentially talking about beating the p**** up, then who are we to object here?
Is an Ike Turner allusion the best choice? God, no. But in context, there's nothing to see here, folks. Drunk people saying drunk words to each other— he even says "I'm nice", ie white boy wasted— right before they "surfboard" doesn't need a dissertation.
Also, I know drunk Beyonce is a little jarring for some folks (this means you).
Some gems from a HuffPo piece, "How Did Beyonce' Go From Tina Turner to "Anna Mae?" (Note the corrected title. It was originally "Annie Mae"):
I must admit that this latest release, "Drunk in Love," is incredibly disturbing.
To go from independent woman -- in control of her destiny, demanding respect and embodying girl power -- to describing herself as a drunk, profane woman willing to let her man kick a misogynistic, abusive verse is so disheartening.
And this:
My God, it's as if she turned back the clock 50 years in one moment.
Really? Beyonce has set all of womankind back now? Because "Cater to You" didn't? But this here does?
And this:
What was she thinking? To go from the uplifting love song, "Love on Top" to this?
"I been drinking... I get so filthy...Eat the cake Anna Mae..."
And finally this:
We are witnessing a sad development in the body of work of this icon. She sold millions as a class act. Why go down this road? Let's hope that at some point the self-respecting, empowered and empowering Beyonce will rise again.
Until then, who will raise a standard for black girls and women to look up to in the entertainment industry. Badly done, Mrs. Carter. Badly done!
#Womp.
Look, nothing gets hits like writing anything whatsoever about Beyonce', but some folk are reeeeeeachingin the critiques of this song.
This "sad development" is breaking sales records. And for like the first time ever, I'm actually feeling a Beyonce' album. (Looks out window to spot flying pigs.)
Ya'll gotta let Bey be here. At 32 if she wants to get drunk and then be "filthy" with her husband, that's her adult and wifely right to do and her prerogative to sing about because she's a "Grown Woman."
I wish everyone reading all the same in your relationships and marriages and they will be better for it.
If you've never been silly and inappropriate with your man-- sober or not-- and you two don't have wild stories that you can never share with others, I'm questioning your love.
You don't have to tell me or anyone else about it. But you should be doing it.
That is all... for now.