I have a confession to make: I LOVE BEYONCE. That’s right, I
said it. What do I like about her, let’s see… everything! It’s her sexy dance
moves, the upbeat rhythms and witty lyrics to her songs, and her captivating performances
that put her on another level of divadom. I even love the sexy outfits (even though I
think they’d much rather be fit for a private bedroom setting). Oh yeah, if I
hear a Beyoncé song off in
the distance, inside my head I’m shaking and gyrating!
But if
you know me even slightly, right now you have the confused look on your face. I
often use her specifically as an example of everything us as women should not be. Especially black women.
Especially Muslim women. I loathe the Youtube videos of little black girls
wearing blonde wigs shaking their little booties to the Beyoncé beat. I detest
the notion that it’s okay for parents to let their children idolize these
performers who have nothing to offer young girls except self-loathing and
premature sexuality.
We have
to be careful. While I confess to liking a little Beyoncé while I’m at the gym or
cleaning the house, I also have to realize she is not a suitable role model for
me or my impressionable two little girls. Ever heard the saying, “garbage in,
garbage out.” It’s so true! Playing grotesque music as well as showing inappropriate
television programming is detrimental to say the least.
This
post is not about bashing Beyoncé, but it is about taking control of the media
in our lives. Media is everywhere. Even if you have no television, most likely
you have a computer or a smartphone. Youtube.com is one of the most influential
media sources in our lives today. For instance, how easy it is to go from
watching a religious lecture to a risqué belly dancing
contest? Only a couple clicks….
Imagine
having a wonderful family who is God-conscience, values education, and practices
good morals. Who could ask for anything more? But then one day for dinner you
invite over a guest who is extremely attractive and charming, but they are
dressed half-naked and cuss and are disrespectful; then they seductively whisper
in your children’s ears that everything you have taught them is complete
hogwash. Can you imagine a houseguest saying this at your dining-room table, “All
I want for my birthday is a BIG BOOTY HO!” sigh… yes those are actual lyrics in
a very popular song. How is this different than playing it on the radio or
television?
Nowadays,
you don’t even need cable to be subjected to sex, drugs, and foul language. There
are advertisements for alcohol on the sides of city buses! Bottom line - We
have to be proactive. We are in a war against commercialism, consumerism and an
over-sexed culture: a culture that tells us being free means getting drunk and being
sexually promiscuous: demeaning ourselves though scandalous dress and behavior.
We are in a war to save our families and the stakes are high!
Saving
ourselves and our families from the negativity will be no easy task. And guess
what? No matter what we do – short of building a shack in the woods – we can’t
dodge all of it. So what do we do? We medicate. What’s our medication? Spending
quality time with our children and spouses, you know, an old fashioned walk
around the block or board game. We gotta put good stuff in to get good stuff out.
Read a book. Read one that will nourish your mind and your spirit, like these: TheHoly Qur’an, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergenceof Science and Spirituality by the Dalai Lama.
And one
more thing: Don’t underestimate children, they comprehend and are far more
aware than we think, even from infancy.
