Beyonce has recently found herself in the middle of some heated controversy, and some people commenting on the situation have pointed out that the singer is somewhat out of her element in this situation, as the whole thing has its roots in certain political and social issues. It all started with a performance delivered by Beyonce at the Super Bowl, which was charged with statements about police brutality.
The event sparked serious outrage and divided people in two general camps, those who supported Beyonce and those claiming that she had no place making such comments, especially since she used such a major platform for exposure to deliver the message in the first place.
For many people, the Super Bowl is an event that brings fun and entertainment and it shouldn’t be mixed with political activism. This is one of the main arguments on the anti-Beyonce side of things, and interestingly enough, it looks like even some people who didn’t have any strong political opinions have stepped forward to express their disappointment.
Or at least that’s the impression one would get by following online discussions. In reality though, the number of people willing to speak out against Beyonce has turned out to be significantly lower. Recently, an attempt to organize a protest against the singer ended up in failure as almost nobody showed up, and reports indicate that there was actually stronger attendance by pro-Beyonce supporters who had organized their own counter-protest.
According to reports on the situation, the few people who did show up to protest Beyonce’s recent behavior were apparently surprised that they were the only ones. Some did take the opportunity to express their views and explain their side of the situation better, reiterating their stance that Beyonce should use her popularity to promote peace and understanding, not to incite conflict.
Of course, as usual in these situations, plenty of arguments can be made on both sides. Some have pointed out that as someone with such a large following of fans, Beyonce actually has a responsibility to be outspoken about serious issues in our society. In this regard, she did what she had to do when she came up on that stage, although there are also opinions that she could have delivered her message in a different way.
In any case, the prevailing voices in this discussion right now seem bewildered at the idea of protesting an entertainer. According to those opinions, Beyonce is not going to change her opinion just because a group of people disagrees with her. Even more when one considers that these people are probably mostly unrelated to her fan base, so she has nothing to lose by continuing to speak in ways that make them uncomfortable.
One thing is certain right now though – we have not seen the end of the major argument about police behavior. The statement by Beyonce was, according to many, just a sign that this is a hot topic that deserves more attention right now, and she will most likely not be the only one to express a more outspoken view on the situation.
Are we going to see more celebrities utilizing their popularity to speak up on the situation? The backlash against Beyonce might have made some a bit more reluctant to be so outspoken now, but on the other hand, seeing the lack of activity in the protests against her is probably a good sign that nothing bad could come out from expressing those views at the moment.