37-year-old Beth Ryder has recently spent a fair amount of time expressing her ruminations on pop icon Beyoncé Knowles. Despite how poorly thought-out her opinions may be, she truly believes her take on the superstar is worth sharing with both friends and family.
“I just don’t get what the big deal is about any of her songs,” says Ryder. ” I get being proud of who you are, but then I hear it when I go out and it just doesn’t click with me.”
While Ryder’s friends have attempted to explain that the song wasn’t meant for her, a 37-year-old Midwestern white woman, Ryder was adamant that Beyoncé’s work just isn’t doing it for her.
“I just think it’s a little pretentious to shoot a video in the Louvre,” adds Ryder, as nobody seemed to be listening. “Don’t get me wrong, it looks great, but what’s the point of it? Is she just showing off how rich and important they are by renting out the space?”
Her friends have done their very best to explain.
“Beth is trying her best but she needs to be more aware of the cultural context of Beyoncé work,” says an acquaintance, Aleca Junior. “Beyoncé shooting in the Louvre and continuously making herself the central goddess figure in Western Art is radical.”
“Black women worldwide find power in Beyoncé’s success,” says coworker Rina Parker. “Just because you, a woman in her late 30s from Cleveland, don’t get it doesn’t mean it’s not significant or incredible.”
Still, Ryder’s opinions on Beyoncé dominate her friend group’s conversations.
“I’m allowed to have my take on Beyoncé,” says Ryder. “Furthermore, I’m allowed to say what I think all the time even when no one is asking and no one cares.”
At press time, Ryder was reached for comment.
“An artist that I’d like to see more of? Taylor Swift. Now her stuff, that just speaks to women, everywhere.”
