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Beyonce’s “Becky” Decoding

Decoding Beyonce's "Becky"

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Beyonce’s “Becky”

Decoding

Pop-Culture Meets Classic Black Literature Ashan R. Hampton arhampton

•Referring to the classic phrase, “When life hands you lemons, make

lemonade.”

•Beyonce released a new album titled, “Lemonade” on Saturday, April 23 during a one-hour visual album presentation on HBO.

:: What You Need to Know ::

• Her hard-core fans called the “Bee-Hive” have accused two women of being the adulterous “Becky” Beyonce refers to in her music.

•Many fans and critics speculate that Beyonce’s provocative lyrics confirm rumors of her husband Jay-Z’s infidelity.

:: What You Need to Know ::

:: Alleged Mistresses::

Rachel Roy, Fashion Designer Rita Ora, Singer

Both posted classless

visual responses on social media.

Song Lyric “Sorry”

“He better call Becky with the good hair.”

“Becky” refers to a white woman.

:: ? ::

Why?

“Cane” (1923) by Jean Toomer In the titular short story, “Becky” is a disgraced white woman, with two negro sons, who lives in isolation between two communities separated physically by railroad tracks and ideologically by race: the blacks and the whites. Therefore, when white women enter interracial relationships (with Black men), they are referred to as “Becky,” in this author’s opinion.

Yes, he was considered a Negro.

Class Writing Assignment

• Read Toomer’s “Becky.” • How does Becky’s treatment relate

to the social media bashing of the alleged mistresses?

• How does race inform or fuel the emotional response to Beyonce’s insinuations of adultery?

• Why was Sir-Mix-a-Lot’s use of “Becky” in “Baby Got Back” not as incendiary as Beyonce’s usage?

Beyonce’s Becky: Pop-Culture Meets Classic Literature

:: About the Author:: Ashan R. Hampton has worked as an English instructor in higher education for several years, most notably at Morehouse College. She produces and teaches original writing and grammar courses for global audiences. She is the owner and principal editor of Easy Edits Writing and E-learning Services, which specializes in helping students and professionals produce error-free documents. Ashan is also a published author and has recently released two unique grammar books: "Practical Grammar Essentials" and "Urban Grammar Quick Fixes." Visit the websites below for more information on these titles.

www.easyedits.net www.urbangrammar.online

arhampton

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