Supplemental Post # 6: Response to Lemonade

Jimmy Kimmel said it best. "Beyonce took Jay-Z's lemons and squeezed really hard and made lemonade."

While Beyonce is probably the first artist to drop a surprise album, then one-up herself by dropping a visual album on an HBO Special, she's certainly not the first artist to devote an album (or a large portion of an album) to her significant other's infidelity and/or divorce. Though it seems she's not planning to divorce Jay-Z? Idk. She's the queen and can do whatever she wants.

But I have to admit, Beyonce's response to her husband's alleged infidelity is extreme. When Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey got divorced, the world was treated to a party on roller skates and a mopey, sappy soul, respectively. Okay, so maybe they're not huge stars, but Chris Martin gave us "Ghost Stories," Jt gave us "Justified," and Adele, oh Adele, you've given us so much. Although Taylor Swift frequently sings about her breakups, at least we all have fun trying to guess who her break up song is about. 

My question is, why do these celebrities expect us to care about their angst, relationships, break-ups, and woe-is-me music? Well for some of them, like Adele and Beyonce, it's because it's so compelling and entertaining we just can't look away. Beyonce has even punctuated her music by making it visual. Entirely visual. Not only to we hear her pain and frustration, but we see it. And seeing is believing. 

Why do we care? I guess it depends on how attached you are to the image your star of choice has portrayed. I really couldn't care less about Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. I had a lot of fun watching Adele slay whatever idiot broke her heart. I was all for her. I will always support the infinitely more talented Justin Timberlake over Britney Spears. But really, Justin Timberlake doesn't need my support. And nor does Beyonce. 

I think she speaks for all women who have put up with this shit and establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with, in a way most women can't. Who the hell cheats on Beyonce? Jay-Z officially has 100 problems. He's an idiot, and the world has been given a great gift as a result.