I wrote a Facebook post earlier that was a bit forward, so I decided to explain myself further in a blog post. It said: "Beyonce is not an idol or a role model. Yes, she's an amazing singer, but she objectifies herself as a sex object. I want to be known for my heart and my love for Jesus, not for my body or my ability to shake my booty."
Let's unpack this a little bit, starting from the beginning. Beyonce is not an idol. No human being can ever be perfect, no matter how awesome he or she may seem. Having idols in general is against God's clear words. Many times, we idolize human beings by saying, "I want to be just like them" and trying to emulate their actions. This is not right. We should be striving to imitate Jesus because He alone is perfect. The second part of that sentence is that she is not a role model. This one is hard to explain. I understand that she is better than many celebrities in that she gives back to society and tries to raise money for those in need. I know that she gave money and started a foundation for Hurricane Katrina victims. I know she's given money to food banks. I know she releases songs for charity. I know she is seen as a very strong, very powerful woman. I get that. I also know that she goes on stage to perform in very tight, very little clothing. I know one of her big hits is called, "Bootylicious". I know she pops and dances in such a way that I hope no children are in the room when I see it. Do you really want teenage girls watching this and trying to model that? Is that the prototype of an ideal woman that we should be reaching for?
"She's an amazing singer." Yes. No one can argue with that.
"She objectifies herself as a sex object." This is done based on the clothes she wears and the attention she draws. I've learned enough about modesty over the years to know that the way to dress modestly and to help my male peers stay away from temptation is not to wear short, tight clothes. I never want to be a stumbling block to anyone, especially with something as controllable as my outfit.
Let's be clear here. I AM NOT judging Beyonce, her character, or her unique qualities. I am simply stating that I do not want to be compared to her as a woman. I want people to see my heart for Jesus when they look at me. I don't want their first thoughts to be, "wow, look at that bod," but, "wow, she seems to radiate. I wonder why." Granted, I want my future husband to think I'm attractive, but that's a completely separate issue. There's no reason why my desire right now should be to make people stop and stare at me because I'm showing everything I've got.
I hope this explanation has teased out my Facebook post a little more. Once again, I'm not saying anything bad about Beyonce as a person. I'm saying that it's time that women see their value as women, not as sex objects.
Let's unpack this a little bit, starting from the beginning. Beyonce is not an idol. No human being can ever be perfect, no matter how awesome he or she may seem. Having idols in general is against God's clear words. Many times, we idolize human beings by saying, "I want to be just like them" and trying to emulate their actions. This is not right. We should be striving to imitate Jesus because He alone is perfect. The second part of that sentence is that she is not a role model. This one is hard to explain. I understand that she is better than many celebrities in that she gives back to society and tries to raise money for those in need. I know that she gave money and started a foundation for Hurricane Katrina victims. I know she's given money to food banks. I know she releases songs for charity. I know she is seen as a very strong, very powerful woman. I get that. I also know that she goes on stage to perform in very tight, very little clothing. I know one of her big hits is called, "Bootylicious". I know she pops and dances in such a way that I hope no children are in the room when I see it. Do you really want teenage girls watching this and trying to model that? Is that the prototype of an ideal woman that we should be reaching for?
"She's an amazing singer." Yes. No one can argue with that.
"She objectifies herself as a sex object." This is done based on the clothes she wears and the attention she draws. I've learned enough about modesty over the years to know that the way to dress modestly and to help my male peers stay away from temptation is not to wear short, tight clothes. I never want to be a stumbling block to anyone, especially with something as controllable as my outfit.
Let's be clear here. I AM NOT judging Beyonce, her character, or her unique qualities. I am simply stating that I do not want to be compared to her as a woman. I want people to see my heart for Jesus when they look at me. I don't want their first thoughts to be, "wow, look at that bod," but, "wow, she seems to radiate. I wonder why." Granted, I want my future husband to think I'm attractive, but that's a completely separate issue. There's no reason why my desire right now should be to make people stop and stare at me because I'm showing everything I've got.
I hope this explanation has teased out my Facebook post a little more. Once again, I'm not saying anything bad about Beyonce as a person. I'm saying that it's time that women see their value as women, not as sex objects.
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