Beyoncé Is Now the Subject of a College Course: Awesome or Awful?

The reason I chose my "lovely little picture" was because it had five women on it and I was too lazy to post five different pictures. And my point wasn't about race it was about gender. But since you brought up the topic of race, as a young black woman you should be especially appalled at the stereotypes Beyonce enforces in the same manner (and for the same reasons) I am absolutely appalled, to the point of vomiting in my mouth, at Madonna and Paris Hilton.

If you want to hold a black woman up on a pedestal and admire her, there are plenty far more worthy then Beyonce! Here is a short list of Black women that I truly admire and look up to.

Dorothy McClendon
Ruth Ella Moore
Dale Emeagwali
Roger Arliner Young
Marie Maynard Daly
Shirley Ann Jackson
Katherine G. Johnson
Mary Styles Harris
Madame C.J. Walker
Sister Mary S. Deconge
Annie Easley
Evelyn Boyd Granville
Katherine G. Johnson
Annie Easley
Marguerite Thomas Williams
Rebecca Cole
Elizabeth Crumpler
Mae C. Jemison

I'm not saying Beyonce doesn't have influence over people in your demographic. What I am saying is she shouldn't!

If I want to become the best person I can be, I don't admire and idol worship the lowest common denominator or the least significant person (significant being defined as contributing something beneficial to society). I admire those who have done great things and those who have contributed to making society better. I admire people like those on the above list!

I agree with your statement, "...our place in society has been GREATLY affected by the things Beyonce has done." Except I would add that the affect has been *negative*.

Why do people, regardless of race, admire pop stars and athletes instead of Physicists like Shirley Ann Jackson or Katherine G. Johnson, or Mathematicians like Sister Mary S. Deconge
Annie Easley, Evelyn Boyd Granville or Katherine G. Johnson? Because deep down they feel they are not smart enough and therefore feel dissimilar to those people. They see those people as aberrations instead of realizing they too hold that same potential. People in general lack the self-esteem to realize they can be something significant. Therefore, they idol worship and make popular the stupid and ridiculous (like Beyonce, Madonna and Paris Hilton) in order to hide their own insecurities.

Claiming Beyonce, as a black woman, is something to be admired while ignoring black women who have done exceptional things does a disservice to all black women. It continues the stereotype that black women can only achieve by selling sex and giving guys hard-ons.

If you want to greatly effect the place of black women in society for the better, celebrate, appreciate and own the rich history of black women in the sciences and don't allow a single young black girl to believe the lie that she is not smart enough to be successful, achieve and contribute to the sciences, a lie which Beyonce propagates through her selling of sex.

You cannot tell me that Beyonce would still be popular if she was 400 pounds and homely. Point being, Beyonce sells sex and that is her message to black women ~ to achieve you need to sell sex. And that, by the way, is the same message just about every female pop star sends.

VVVV~~~Admire Mae Jemison and not Beyonce~~~VVV

Why shouldn't she? Just because you choose not to acknowledge contemporary music as an art form doesn't mean we all have to ignore it, not to I consider anyone greater or lesser than others in this case, or worship them.

I happen to think she is an incredible role model, and, although I am currently double majoring in Computer Science and Computer Engineering in college, I see no reason that artists, even contemporary, can't be revered for what they do. Regardless of what she contributed to society in the physical form, or how much you value artistic contributions to society, especially the lack of appreciation on soda head for modern music, [Ooh, Mozart just wrote some notes done, big whoop-dee-doo], she has affected the standards, wages, and placement of black women in contemporary times.

Also, in no way am I ignoring those other incredible women! What I'm saying is that, you can't just ask the ENTIRETY of society to ignore and denounce her because you personally feel that art and music doesn't count. Beyonce is a happily married woman who chooses to wear what she pleases. I admire who I wish, and will not be deterred from doing so by someone on the internet, because I grew up looking at strong, level headed women who aren't influenced, like, I don't know, Beyonce, and decided to let myself choose to guide my own life, not let my life's income determine my life's outcome, and be strong, fearless, and become empowered.

I see little reason other than your own personal bias that she can't be included along with those other women.