My Hellcat Dreamgirl...
What up Sellouts*!
I’m Marley, Soldout’s newest official contributor. You may know me from online chats such as SALEM and videos such as Melissa Fucking Auf der Maur. I’m a writer, editor, and burlesque performer and I like music with a beat that tells a story. And other stuff, too... you'll find out soon enough.
And, much like I love a good short story, I love a good, well-executed short film. Today that basically means the music video. A good music video that really works with a song and an artist is hard to find.
Which is why I’m seriously crushing on the vid for Beyonce’s “Why Don’t You Love Me.”
First of all, the song itself, simple and sweet and sassy and shit, y’all, why DON’T you love her? It's from 2008's I am... Sasha Fierce so, it's not new, and and wasn't not new, nor t super dancey but I’d probably sing along if I heard it in the grocery store. On its own, it’s decent, but with video...shoooot.
But this isn’t just a four-minute dress-up party for Bey; she’s approaching interesting territory. Why?
Beyonce co-wrote the song and co-directed the video indidn’t even tell the kids who produced the song for her that she was doing a video ... typical independent woman ballsy stuff from the gal who brought us Ring the Alarm and the Basic-Instinct-esque video for that and girl knows how to tell a story (those mascara tears… killin’ me, Bey). But most importantly, she did her research.
Or maybe it was handed to her. Since she started working in film Beyonce’s always played a 1960’s woman. From Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers the Gold Member,Diana-Ross-clone Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, and Etta James in Cadillac Records, she’s impressed us with her ability to play every different genre of sassy and powerful black woman in a time when challenging expectations was borderline dangerous. That's why blacksploitation was, y'know, a thing.
So back to the video. It starts with a nod to the safe and predictable Betty, that is, B. B. Homemaker, and then a lil Dreamgirls-esque 60’s outfits and posing and pouting … and then Mrs Jay Z takes it one step further and embodies the 60’s hellcat pin-up, Bettie Page, complete with the goofy burlesquey dancing.
Look at timestamp 1:18ish… Beyonce totally did that! Oh ma gaw, so cute! BB Page isn't a stripper but she gets the idea. Bettie's even better known as a dominatrix pin-up and Beyonce wants to play with a whip, too!
Shoot, Beyonce with a whip? *fans self* I approve of Bey crossing racial lines whenever she can and ...to play a hellcat pinup? Meow!
So why is this more than just a little fun with costumes? Beyonce is today’s sassy, powerful black woman. I don’t need to give you the background (leading Destiny’s Child at 17, going solo at 24, film roles, Independent Woman, All the Single Ladies…) but I’m pretty sure she’d kick your ass with a smile and buy your entire family with money left over for a penthouse in DUMBO.
With this video she’s showing us how far the idea of a powerful woman has come. None of the women are being vicitimized, they're just doing their thing and being amazing and strong and in-charge. And if you dont fucking love them...that's your problem because they are so damn easy to love. It’s a little bit of a joke, this playing dress up, showing what we used to think of as a dangerous woman, with a wink (Black Bettie Page has a whip OMG!) and reminding us who the fuck she is, and what a powerful, dangerous Ring-the-fuckin-Alarm hellcat woman is now. Homage to the past and hello to the future.
Nice work Beyons.
PS Can I borrow your outfit? Um, all of them?
*Readers of Soldout Music are Sellouts. You heard it here first.
Marley
Reader Comments (1)
I agree with everything you said... except when you said Beyonce impressed us with her acting, I thinks she's a terrible actor.