Emotional Analysis: Beyoncé's 'Formation'
In 2016, Beyoncé released a provocative music video for her song “Formation” which portrays her rightful and unapologetic attitude towards her womanhood and blackness. She released the video just 24 hours before her Super Bowl performance—a usually entertaining moment during the event which she revised to contain an important political message on the systematic racism of which black people and women are forced to abide by. Her music video is an intersectional exploration into the systematic oppression of women and black people. I will be conducting a rhetorical analysis of the “Formation” video beginning with chosen locations, continuing to an analysis of stylistic decisions, and finally discussing the significance of her lyrics. Despite
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The mansion (though not a slave plantation as it is depicted) has a clear purpose in the video and, in some ways, since it is not a plantation home there is an underlying message that even though slavery is no longer present in the country racism still exists but is dressed up differently. This mansion, which is not a slave plantation home, is dressed up to look like one. There is a mask of acceptance in our society, and by using a home, which is not a slave plantation house, viewers are exposed to the idea that racism still exists but is disguised. In this way, she understands that times have progressed because slave plantations are no longer running, but she is arguing that there is a systematic oppression, which must be fought against. There is still the possibility of reverting back if we do not keep progressing …show more content…
I would argue that this is due to the same reason that the producers chose to repaint images of white plantation owners to show the black women as the masters in the situation. Beyoncé is showing that she is not allowing societal standards to impact the way that she lives her life but understands that oppression still occurs. She is both oppressed but also represents an “other” in her race and sex as she has been able to rise above the systematic oppression. This rise, though, was not without help and this video is acknowledging through the Black Panthers that this help came from other black women and, especially as shown in the clip of the beauty parlor, they are still struggling under current cultural
The mansion (though not a slave plantation as it is depicted) has a clear purpose in the video and, in some ways, since it is not a plantation home there is an underlying message that even though slavery is no longer present in the country racism still exists but is dressed up differently. This mansion, which is not a slave plantation home, is dressed up to look like one. There is a mask of acceptance in our society, and by using a home, which is not a slave plantation house, viewers are exposed to the idea that racism still exists but is disguised. In this way, she understands that times have progressed because slave plantations are no longer running, but she is arguing that there is a systematic oppression, which must be fought against. There is still the possibility of reverting back if we do not keep progressing …show more content…
I would argue that this is due to the same reason that the producers chose to repaint images of white plantation owners to show the black women as the masters in the situation. Beyoncé is showing that she is not allowing societal standards to impact the way that she lives her life but understands that oppression still occurs. She is both oppressed but also represents an “other” in her race and sex as she has been able to rise above the systematic oppression. This rise, though, was not without help and this video is acknowledging through the Black Panthers that this help came from other black women and, especially as shown in the clip of the beauty parlor, they are still struggling under current cultural