Hard out here for who?

I've been thinking about the impacts of this music video as well. I'm torn because I like the idea that a new piece of work in the music industry is shaking things up. However, I also find it troubling that Allen's back up dancers, most of whom appear to be black women of color, are objectified throughout the entire video. This objectification is impossible to escape as viewers are subjected to close-up and exaggerated shots of an African American woman's butt as she twerks, to name just one example. I do believe that Allen was genuine when she stated in a disclamer that she was colorblind when choosing the dancers for her video and that she chose them based on ability. However, her ignorance when it comes to the objectification of black women through twerking and by white people (including women) while they are promoting their own rights, reminds me of the bell hooks reading we discussed recently. In her writing, hooks talks about a history of feminism that has mainstreamed white feminists fighting to be equal with men at the cost of opressing women of color. Instead of fighting sexism, many of these women unintentionally became sexist themselves. I fear this is what has happened to Allen. It's a shame that Allen's attempt at "encouraging women to be independent and get through barriers that are set in front of them solely because of their gender" is pretty much ruined (at least for viewers like me) because of her neglectful attitude towards intersectional feminism. Like you Faith, I find Allen's internalization of the word "bitch(es)" to be bordeline, as well as the juxtaposition of her body to those of her backup dancers. And though I can find excuses for both, for example Allen has stated that she's covered up in the music video due to body insecurity, her exclusion of feminists of color is harder for me to get past. I have been a fan of Allen's and supported her as an artist for many years now. I hope that both the backlash and acclaim that her song and video have garnered can become learning experiences for both her and her viewers.