Can You Spot Why People Think This Amy Schumer Parody of a Beyoncé Song Is Racist?
Pop quiz! Watch this video and try to see what is prompting so many people to label Amy Schumer a racist.
Did you guess that people are calling Schumer racist because she parodied Beyoncé‘s video for a song that condemns police brutality and celebrates her blackness by dancing around with some other white women like Goldie Hawn and Joan Cusack? Did you guess they’re calling her racist because she didn’t change any lyrics like “My daddy Alabama / Mama Louisiana / You mix that negro with that Creole / Make a Texas Bama”? Did you guess they’re calling her racist because she assumed putting Wanda Sykes in the video would shield her from accusations of racism?
No matter which of those you guessed, you’re right.
Schumer — who faced criticism just last week when her jokes about Donald Trump caused 200 people to walk out of one of her comedy shows — parodied a very serious song by…not parodying it at all. She didn’t change the words. The gag sincerely seems to be that she’s a white lady dancing to the song that is controversial because of its overtly racial themes.
And that’s why people are so upset.
i refuse to watch white racist amy schumer parody a beyonce song about black femmes standing up to white supremacy. nope.
— z a h i r a (@bad_dominicana) October 24, 2016
Actual footage of me watching a dirty Amy Schumer gyrate to Beyoncé and call it comedy… then Wanda showed up. #AmySchumerGottaGoParty pic.twitter.com/gUVXmSpvfE
— Alaina GE (@LainaDAZE) October 24, 2016
Me trying to figure out the point of that Amy Schumer Formation video. pic.twitter.com/p4lwPHxRKM
— Travon Free (@Travon) October 25, 2016
amy schumer made a parody of formation, a song about black women empowerment, with other white women and yall still like her?? no logic
— #1 kimberly hater (@apunkgrl) October 24, 2016
Why this racist, ignorant, white feminist is never held accountable for anything problematic she says is beyond me #AmySchumerGottaGoParty
— ✵Rama✵ (@commieecat) October 24, 2016
Interestingly enough, the parody premiered on Tidal, which is Jay-z‘s exclusive streaming service. That implies Bey gave it the a-ok, so some fans aren’t as angry as they would be otherwise.
If Beyoncé is fine with Amy Schumer parodying “Formation”, then I’m not gonna get involved (no matter how awful I find it.)
— Black. Queer. God. (@Adamant_Yves) October 24, 2016
Anyway, did you pass the pop quiz or what?
[image: screengrab]
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