Beyonce Being Beyonce, Yonce or plain stupid?

February 13th-15th 2015 was the annual All-Star Weekend, filled with basketball, parties and celebs. This year Beyoncé appeared, but aside from adoration from her many vans, the living R&B icon also received some controversial feedback on her outfit.

Here's what she wore to one of the games that weekend:


So many people such as myself automatically jumped to the conclusion that Beyoncé was walking around with a blackface on her coat. Blackface is an offensive theatre tactic used primarily in the 19th century by white people to perpetuate their stereotypes of black people. With grease for black skin, extremely huge lips and exaggerated wide eyes, this blackface was a dehumanizing portrayal of black culture. With that, it is of no surprise many black folks were confused and offended by Beyoncé's debut of this coat.

What's even more suspicious about this coat is that the designer, Scooter LaForge, a white male who when hit with the criticisms of this fashion piece simply replied it could be a clown...

...

Well one question LaForge: so is it a clown? It could be a sambo too, which would make a better comparison to the piece since there is no white paint or red nose which are common features on a clown face. Various outlets in America provide room for racism that is continually pardoned; this may or may not be the case here. However LaForge and Beyoncé have been pretty quiet about clearing the air with all the speculation about the intent of the coat and person rocking it. Whatever it is on LaForge's part, is of less concern to me. I'm more confused and interested as to the Queen of the Beyhive's logic behind her fashion choice that evening.

Is Beyoncé trying to make a new "nigga"? Post Civil Rights the much more derogatory version of this word was to be buried and never used again, but Rap culture adopted the word that is now a term of endearment. Most who lived through the movement still shudder at the word and the fact that black youth say it. The shock seems to be sedating, so is there a new oppressive archetype black people can reincarnate into "something positive"? Is Beyoncé leading the way into making blackface a reinvented symbol as "nigga" continually is?

Or is she being a self hater and demeaning herself and people?

Or is she just stupid? Did blackface even occur to her at glace of this clothing piece? Maybe she just saw a coat that makes a statement. We would all know if she would respond to the critics; but with Beyoncé, silence tends to be her best answer. With whatever is the truth behind all this, it is good to know that people will raise their suspicions to offensive and racists happenings, even in the fashion industry. This should hold fashion designers to a new sense of consciousness and hopefully sensitivity.