As we discussed earlier this week, Amy Schumer decided to do a parody or a spoof or whatever you want to call it of Beyonce’s “Formation” video. Many people struggled to really explain why Amy’s video felt so wrong, why it felt so uncomfortable. For me, I was offended because the “Formation” video – much like Bey’s entire Lemonade album and film – is a celebration of black womanhood and a conversation very specific to the African-American experience. To see Amy Schumer literally appropriate a black-woman-anthem like “Formation” felt extremely wrong. It felt like an all-white theater troupe decided to stage their version of The Color Purple, you know? While there are many white allies within and around the African-American community, can we all agree that Amy Schumer has proven time and time again that she is not an ally, in way, shape or form?
In any case, there was a well-deserved backlash against Schumer’s parody video and now Amy has decided to talk about why she did it (womanity!) and why it’s not a parody (because she says so). In an essay called “Information About My ‘Formation’” posted on Medium, Amy writes:
Saying I love Beyoncé’s album “Lemonade” is a huge understatement. I believe it is one of the greatest pieces of art of our time. While we were shooting our movie in Hawaii this summer we were all crazy for the album and also for Hillary Clinton. We would rush back to our televisions or phones to watch a stream of CNN to see the convention and watch Hillary and Michelle and so many extraordinary women speak. All of the women on set were bonded together from this music and from the election simultaneously. It was such a powerful time.
I love how in the lyrics of “Formation” Beyoncé is telling us to get in formation. And also I like to think she is telling us ladies to get information. I did not mean to detract any of the meaning from the video. I am of course horrified and sickened by the events that are addressed throughout that video and didn’t see this as minimizing that and still don’t. It was a way to celebrate bringing us all together. To fight for what we all want. And to do it together.
“Lemonade” brought us all together. We listened to the album and danced every day, always making everyone feel better no matter what we were going through. We were so into it that we learned the dance to “Formation.” It got us through this summer. Meredith, my stunt double even got a “Lemonade” tattoo because of how real and meaningful it was to her, to us. We would use each location we shot at and do a part of the song. To have Goldie Hawn dancing with Wanda Sykes and Joan Cusack and Raven Goodwin and all the female writers and producers and crew from all over the world doing this together felt very powerful and right.
It was NEVER a parody. It was just us women celebrating each other. The video Beyoncé made was so moving and I wouldn’t ever make fun of that. There is absolutely no way to. I make fun of myself a few times in the video as I do in everything I am a part of. I loved every second of working with those women to make this thing that lifted us up.
If you watched it and it made you feel anything other than good, please know that was not my intention. The movie we made is fun and the women in it are strong and want to help each other. That’s what it was about for me. Of course I had Beyoncé and Jay Z’s approval. They released it on Tidal exclusively for the first 24 hours.
You have every right to feel however you feel about the video and me but I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. Use whatever hashtag you like. My mission is to continue to work as hard as I can to empower women and make them laugh and feel better and I won’t let anything stop me. #strongertogether #alllove
To me, this is the biggest problem: “I am of course horrified and sickened by the events that are addressed throughout that video and didn’t see this as minimizing that and still don’t.” While she’s leaving it open for other people to interpret her meaning at our will, this is the part that infuriates me. So, you’re horrified and sickened by police violence against people of color. You’re horrified by the fact that the American government left the African-American community to fend for themselves in the middle of one of the largest natural disasters in history. You’re so horrified and sickened that you thought it would be cute and funny to appropriate the most superficial aspects of the video and you fully expected everyone to say “Oh, how cute, girl power!” And no, “I was moved by Michelle Obama’s speech!” is not an excuse for any of this. And hashtagging #alllove feels very… All Lives Matter in this situation.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I am from a country that is pretty much all white, so there are many things about racial struggle I have yet to learn and understand, and even I get why she was wrong. How can she not get this? How? Or does she get it and just doesn’t care?
She’s missing the humility gene like most narcissistic people. None so blind as those who won’t see. As Nicole says below, she won’t ever get it and it’s a waste of time to wonder why. Honestly.
This exactly. She’s so full of her own shit.
Hey Amy: if your intention was to uplift people and make them laugh but your video actually had the OPPOSITE effect then maybe YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG.
It might be time for Schumer to go away for a bit and fine tune her comedic skills because whatever she’s doing isn’t working.
And here is the real thing, Kitten…
What WAS uplifting, and I might add, enlightening, was reading the comments on here in the wake of the release of Lemonade. I have little-to-no interest in Beyonce. Her style of music isn’t what I listen to. She doesn’t make me want to dance. I don’t go much for performers-as-brands generally.
But then along came Lemonade, which not only spoke to thousands of women, but also unleashed them and gave them a platform and a voice, which they used and which I got to read and learn from. So I might well not dance to Formation but I am now its eternal fan.
Quite how this silly person thought a childish and diminishing karaoke of it could even approach being in any way a worthwhile tribute is beyond me. It wasn’t fit to lick the boots of 99% of the comments here.
But, like I say, she’ll never get it. So I’ll ignore her and carry on reading here. Far more productive and enjoyable.
Yep, Nicole and Sixer said it perfectly: she doesn’t get it. Heck, even in Schumer’s own response she makes it clear that she doesn’t get it: “…didn’t see this as minimizing that and still don’t.”
I’ll admit that when Formation / Lemonade first came out I didn’t fully understand all of the issues it was addressing, but I then read about it and listened to the songs more closely, and now I would like to think that I have a better understanding of what Beyoncé was saying, and how important it really is. Whereas Amy Schumer doesn’t seem to care beyond what it does to her brand and her reputation.
I cannot stand her and I’ve read about her only here… 😀
She will never get it and Locke, I’m from a country like yours, where POC were not frequently seen around until a few years ago and I can get why this is offensive.
Amy just wanted attention. And she got it.
I do not think making spoofs is bad, no matter what is the topic. People from Charlie Hebdo died for that freedom, for a chance to bring satire into anything. But this is not right, cos its done poorly. It is just pointless.
The fact that she apologized made it even worse, she does not understand satire, nor comedy, not to mention why this made an impact to black people.
Jeez, some of these HW morons make me feel ashamed I was born white.
She doesn’t get it and she never will. Next
She’s making it worse. She needs to stop talking.
Agreed! Could she be more self absorbed! Geez!
Why would Bey & Jay give their blessing on this? It was try hard and cringe worthy.
gets Tidal back in the news and maybe they hate her and gave her this to dig her own grave.
If they (Beyonce and Jay-Z) felt about Lemonade the way the author of this article (and so many other people on the internet) felt about it, but still approved this video just to get Tidal in the news…that’s kinda off-brand and makes me think ‘do they really care about the stuff they’re singing about, or are they just hitting the hot topic buttons to make money and not giving interviews so they don’t have to talk about their decisions…?’…I don’t know anymore. I never have with Beyonce. We all want to believe she is genuine…
I love Beyonce, seriously can go on and on about how awesome she has been all these years, but I also think she lives in a bubble and doesn’t even realize it…I have no idea why she would align herself with Schumer at all, much less let her use her Formation song (especially if the meaning of the song was supposed to be political and powerful for what has been happening in 2016) to lip-sync and dance in a dirty t-shirt…
If I were them, I’d be thinking “free press and the b*tch hangs herself here: win/win.”
That’s what I thought too, they’re laughing at her
And why is Goldie Hawn not getting any hate?
Joan and Wanda hurt even more than Goldie.
Wow. She truly is awful.
Schumer: sit down, shut up and LISTEEEEEEN.
OMFG, woman– what is wrong with you?
Amy has always been overrated. She’s always gotten a pass for being casually racist and sexist. I’m ready for her 15 minutes to be up
Her 15 minutes passed days ago. The more she tries the more true colors are coming through
always interesting to see how people make everything worse with their “apologies”.
Go Kaiser! *clapclapclap* Thank you for this post!
That’s a long-ass rant but there is no statement in there that shows she understood the problem. I’m not even sure she understands Lemonade. Beyoncé discusses, highlights, and celebrates all manner of issues on the album but one of the main themes that connects all of it is black womanhood. Schumer blabs about “ladies” and fighting for what we “all” want but she just doesn’t understand that you can’t erase the part about being black when you talk about Lemonade or Formation. When you do that you end up with this pile of garbage.
Btw, it wasn’t a parody? Then what in fresh hell was it??? As a comedian she might want to Wiki that sh*t and re-watch her own damn video. Her last paragraph is so tone deaf and downright dumb, I want someone to slap her.
That was the thought i had in my mind the entire time i was reading her thinkpiece defence – Amy Schumer NEVER understood Lemonade beyond the “catchy dance hooks” and quotable lyrics. She never will and after all the conversation around why her “parody” was terribly offensive, i don’t even think she wants to understand. She’s comfortable with the status quo and being able to dance to her favorite songs, regardless of its meaning and importance.
Basically, i’m not surprised that Amy Schumer is a myopic ~feminist~ who only cares about herself. Also, will it stop her if enough of us tell her that she doesn’t make women feel good about themselves nor do we laugh along with her when she makes her so-called jokes? Coz i cannot be the only one.
Either she isn’t smart enough to get why her video is offensive, or she doesn’t care that it is. I’m not sure which is worse.
I’m not a fan of Amy Schumer and her style of comedy and wish she would just go away already.
The bigger problem here is the inability to admit fault and wrong doing. Which is where 25% of this country is at unfortunately and they’re a ball and chain holding the rest of the country back from progress.
If you have to write a long-ass missive about what the hell you just presented to the public, you probably messed up. She’s so tone deaf and unfunny.
And even with all that rambling she doesn’t explain WHAT this video is supposed to be. And what it adds to the world. It’s not funny. It’s not insightful. It’s not moving or beautiful.
The secondhand embarrassment I get from this brat is becoming unbearable!
The most mind-boggling part of this is that she seems to think Formation is about her because she is a woman. Like she didn’t listen to the lyrics at all. Or like she refuses to acknowledge that she has any privilege whatsoever.
This ignorant brat.
Right, She co-opted something that was not hers, that was not meant for her and tried to make it about her and *girl power*.
It’s maddening because it’s another case of typical white feminism. It’s also why I dislike Schumer so much: because she and Lena perpetuate and sustain the type of feminism that many of us actively eschew.
Meanwhile, feminism has the most powerful advocate of the 21st century in a black woman, Michelle Obama.
This is incredibly relevant to me because we (white women) have historically fought for our own advancement and equality without acknowledging and supporting the very different experience that black women have faced. In the past, there was no reciprocity between white feminism and black women.
Now that we are at a stage where black women have a strong, powerful, and prominent voice that is wholly and distinctly their own and not stifled by white feminism, we want a piece of that. We want black women to do the hard part, to take the risks, to do the advocating while we claim it for ourselves.
It’s gross and embarrassing and I want no part of it yet as a white woman, it IS our problem.
Honestly that’s what pissed me off the most about her essay, she really thinks Lemonade was for ALL woman. Can everyone enjoy it? Absolutely. But it is for black women by black women, plain and simple.
Plus, the irony of someone like Amy saying “us” when she has proved time and time again she’s only here for people who look like her, is just the icing on the s**t cake that is her personality.
You know, that is the first time someone articulates what I’ve been struggling with in the back of my mind for a while: “In the past, there was no reciprocity between white feminism and black women.
Now that we are at a stage where black women have a strong, powerful, and prominent voice that is wholly and distinctly their own and not stifled by white feminism, we want a piece of that.” WORD, Kitten. I do think it is our problem because it would actually be ridiculously anti-feminist to just stand by and not say or do something. That is my biggest problem with the “Don’t criticize women” type feminism. Yeah, listen, Amy Schumer laid a tone deaf turd and she needs to be told. I do believe intersectional feminism is the way to go but black women (and minority women in general) have very different issues to fight for. We need to accept and support that and not view it as either just part of our own agenda or, even worse, an attack on ourselves. It’s not. And it doesn’t have to be one big lovefest movement. It’s okay to fight and disagree as long as everyone is heard and respected.
I don’t have much to add except YES to these comments. I wish I could up vote the hell out of these comments.
She also doesn’t seem to realize that her “not going anywhere ” isn’t up to her. The general public can make her disappear in a poof of indifference.
SOOO self absorbed! ‘It got us through the summer’, err it’s an anthem for black women to get them through their lives!!! And ‘get you through’what exactly? Shooting a film?
Just because Formation is a call for political participation doesn’t equal an endorsement of Hilary Clinton either, there are just so many things wrong with schumers non-apology
yeah mentioning Clinton was sooo forced.
America. The land of the snowflake and home of the butthurt.
First impression of AS-unbearable. What I think now-I was right. My god, go away and never come back.
Seconded!!
I am going to get attacked for the first part of my statement but here’s my thing and the teacher in me is speaking right now: I’ve always side eyed white celebrities who are air heads and have no clue what they’re doing when it comes to stuff like this (think Blake Lively’s Oakland Booty from earlier in the year) because I genuinely do not think they’re trying to be harmful I tend to just leave it at that. They just don’t get it and I think if someone sat them down and explained it, they would start to understand. At least that’s my hope especially if I can tell that they don’t understand what they did wrong.
BUT
Amy Schumer? Amy knows exactly what she’s doing. She knows how offensive she’s being. Clearly she is well aware of the issues considering the fact that she’s addressing the backlash….so she’s seen what the issues are but the thing with Amy is that she just doesn’t care. She’s a racist pig and she tries to hide behind her feminism brand…no more. Someone higher up needs to call her out and put her in her place. Because enough is enough. Her feminism brand only works for her. It’s not even just white woman…it’s only brought up when it benefits her specifically. She makes me sick.
In regards to the first part of my statement…another example is Chris Hemsworth. I just saw his Instagram post apologizing about him wearing a Native American costume last year….and you can just tell that when it happened he didn’t understand what he did wrong but that now he does.
Whereas Amy just continues to be racist…and this is what we see from her. Imagine how she is in private.
I saw Hemsworth’s post too. A proper apology showing some humility.
You’re right: you won’t get it from Schumer.
I can’t stand Beyonce and I don’t think her music is ‘art’ but Amy is so full of sh*t. She’s either a complete troll or clueless moran and in any case she isn’t funny.
I don’t care for Beyoncé because it seems like she is only black when it suits her agenda/album sales. She doesn’t have a problem with magazines making her appear white, she flashes these illuminati symbols while performing (I guess she’s trying to allude that her and jay Z, who puts illuminati symbols on his clothes, are part of this or something). She talks about possession and this split personality (which I think she ditched because people thought she was nutjob), she and jay z lie about their age. She wants to seem like this musical genius but Lemonade had 72 different song writers. She’s so manufactured it’s hilarious to me that people idolize her. She is detached from reality and the truth of it is, is that she is clueless about any kind of “struggle” and has been for years. I don’t think she even cares if jay z cheats, it’s fuel for the next song and gets her fans riled up. She was known before marrying Jay Z but Jay Z shot her and destiny’s child into the spotlight.
Oh Amy, thank you SO so much for clarifying why your video is not offensive, in your tone-deaf pointless rant. I can sleep well now, knowing you feel good about what you did.
GIRL, TAKE SEVERAL SEATS.
Goldie Hawn, I am disappointed.
So It falls to Me for the second time this week to just say F*CK THIS CHICK ALRIGHT ALREADY! … I’m cancelling any and All subscriptions to her and her Ilk! *dumps in the same trash bin where her Buddy Lena currently stays
This whole “getting approval from beyonce and jayz” thing sort of makes me think…did they “give approval” to show how horrible this actually is?
Bear with me as I attempt to explain this….if you’re going to be that polarizing, idgaf comedian, as she tries to pretend she is with her sex jokes, her standup, her references to being overweight, sleeping around, etc. (her words not mine btw)…you have to OWN it. I’m definitely not verbalizing this as clearly as it is in my head, but she tries to be Miss Rebel IDGAF until someone even *slightly* shades her, like the Glamour Magazine Real Women debacle….and then she shrivels to the ground in word salads, social gaffes, clearly hurt feelings etc. It kinda reminds me of those D list celebrities that post provocative selfies then get angry when someone says something negative.
I guess in short, you gotta own your obnoxiousness if that is your thing. She shows how truly weak she is by her rebuttals and insecurity.
I totally agree, she seems to be in a provoke then retreat cycle, which to me seems to speak to being more interested in getting her name said than what is being said.
There’s an element of this, the provocative/apology tour that seems like an oft-used political ploy (favored by people like the Clintons). Call it dog-whistling or the Southern stratagy or whatever, it kind of seems ms. Amy is trying to reach out to those totally-not-racist racists. And unequivocally yucky if true.
I completely get where you’re coming from and that’s what I detest about her too. An even better example of that is Ricky Gervais. He tweets a joke, and then he tweets 56 explanations of how we’re all stupid for being offended, and retweets about 240 people agreeing with him. At least Schumer is explaining herself in a way that’s more clueless that condescending. Gervais acts like people are stupid for not understanding his rebellious, smart humor.
As someone who has been a dancer and musician in the past, I think I am more flexible on appropriation in that particular realm (not stealing or mocking, but covers, being influence by etc) than in other instances. But she is a comedian, not an artist. This is not an homage, and even if it were, this is just such an inappropriate song for someone white to touch.
I like watching dance videos on YouTube. I’ve seen a lot of white and Asian dance groups dancing to Formation and never found it offensive. In this case, Amy is clearly mocking it, despite what she says.
I’ve also seen some great dances to Formation… I think it’s clear tho that they are fans of Beyonce whereas (and maybe it’s because I expect Amy’s brand of comedy to be kind of judgy) Amy doesn’t.
I sometimes struggle to see the Amy-type comedians as sincere.
Amy is a fan of Beyoncé though. It’s obviously not quite a tribute in that it doesn’t straight up show off Amy’s talent singing or dancing. But since it’s not LOL funny it’s not a parody either. There are amazing parodies (of other pop songs ) on YouTube and this is nothing like them. From what I understand watching Amy on YouTube this formation video is half making fun of white people looking silly loving formation, half honestly showing the joy everyone gets from it. I didn’t enjoy it at all (even though I like the song and video and like Amy’s stuff at least a lot of it) but I can appreciate that she attempted to do something not quite in the tribute or parody category. It’s exhausting to hear everyone assuming it’s an unfunny parody. I also appreciate that them wearing the Texas bama shirts is upsetting, I take that as part of the joke, the joke is only making fun of white people trying to be part of it. That’s my honest impression. I feel people are too hard on her COMPARED TO make comedians.
It is just a goofy video she made, I will save my outrage for something that warrants it and happily go on with my day.
Yep, I agree.
You should listen/read the lyrics to Formation. and watch the original video, too. Is it worth outrage? Nah, but it’s worth discussion. She is out of line, given context. And the discussion of that disconnect is worth so much. Just people noticing is something.
Trouble is, “discussion” often means internet outrage and shutting any exchange of ideas DOWN. For me it worth remembering that Jay Z chose to back this vid and release on Tidal. It’s worth remembering that brilliant and meaningful though it is, Lemonade is a commercial product, intended for mass consumption – that includes Amy Schumer. Schumer is clueless, insensitive and I don’t find her amusing, but who is the more important artist here, her or Beyonce? Even Schumer knows the answer to that one.
Amy should add 30 seconds of bowing down to the Queen.
At least…
I don’t think it was a parody video because it wasn’t funny. It was just pointless and dumb. It served no purpose at all – it didn’t add comedy, it didn’t comment on the issues, it didn’t do anything. It was pointless. And what’s more, it took away the powerful imagery from the original video but didn’t add anything so it was just pointless.
here is a very telling article:
http://www.theestablishment.co/2016/10/28/yes-amy-schumer-is-racist-and-so-is-her-executive-producer/