From Bandannas to Berets: A Critical Analysis of Beyoncé’s …

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From Bandannas to Berets: A Critical Analysis of Beyoncé’s “Formation”
Music Video

by

Kesha Shalyn James

A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
Auburn University
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of
Master of Arts in Communication

Auburn, Alabama
August 5, 2017

Keywords: Beyoncé, Formation, Black women, Black music,
Black culture, media representations

Copyright 2017 by Kesha Shalyn James

Approved by

Susan L. Brinson, Chair, Professor of Communication & Journalism
George Plasketes, Professor of Communication & Journalism
Kevin Smith, Associate Professor of Communication & Journalism

Abstract

The release of Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video as well as her debut

performance of the song at the 2016 Super Bowl has incited debate and controversy

across the United States. While some feel empowered and prideful, others are angered

and outraged by the lyrical and visual messages Beyoncé communicates in this mediated

text. Applying a critical/cultural studies perspective lens, this study explains how

Beyoncé challenges the sexist and racist dominant ideology in the United States.

Critically analyzing the visual and lyrical composition of “Formation,” this analysis

interrogates the messages of both race and gender as well as the representation of Black

Women. The findings indicate a direct challenge to white androcentric power as the

visuals and lyrics re-appropriate stereotypical images of Black Women, thus

demonstrating Black Women’s power and dominance in society. The implications of

explaining the ways in which Beyoncé communicates what and how it means to be a

Black Woman in “Formation” inform and explain the social, political, and economic

reality of Black Women in the United States today, as mediated texts re-present everyday

reality.

ii

Acknowledgments

To begin, I thank Dr. Brinson, my Committee Chair, for her constant guidance,
encouragement, and assistance in the construction, research, and editing process of this
project. Whether it was the weekly meetings, countless emails, or occasional phone calls,
I am sincerely grateful for her dedication and support not just as a professor, but also a
mentor and friend. It was an honor to work with someone who I not only admire and
respect, but someone who challenged me intellectually to grow and transform my
thought. Through this transformation, I realized my true passions in life as well as
understand how I can help to create and influence change and for that, I am truly
thankful.

Additionally, I would like to thank my family. It is practically impossible to

convey the amount of gratitude I have for each of you, but the relationships, knowledge,
and love I receive from you gives me the confidence to pursue my goals. To my mother,
Sandy James, whose constant support I relied on to complete this project. Throughout
this process, my mother listened to ideas and written excerpts, heard my anger and
outrage about the injustice of marginalized groups, and uplifted me with numerous pep
talks. Thank you for always being in my corner, and I am truly thankful and appreciative
of your unconditional love, advice, and friendship. And to my two sisters in formation
alongside me, Nikki and Lexy. I thank you for your love, support, and enthusiasm
throughout this process. You both inspire and motivate me daily, and I am deeply
thankful for our sister bonds and friendship.

Lastly, I thank the Black Women, the Black community, and all those considered

“Other” in the United States. Thank you for your struggle, for your strength and
determination, for your unique culture, and for your continuous effort to celebrate your
individuality and identity. Whether it was from my observations, friendships,
conversations, or research, you all truly inspired, empowered, and motivated me to
continue in this year long process.

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Table of Contents

Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii

Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii

List of Images ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… vi

Giving Them Something to Talk About: Expressing the Voices of the Marginalized …………….. 1

Resistin’ and Representin’: Race and Gender Context of the United States ………………………….. 7

Race and Hurricane Katrina ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 7

Race and Black Lives Matter Movement……………………………………………………………………. 15

Media Representations of Black Women …………………………………………………………………… 24

Black Women and Music Videos ……………………………………………………………………………… 39

Beyoncé: Making the Personal Political …………………………………………………………………………. 52

Invisible No More: Critiquing the Lenses of Sex, Gender, and Power ……………………………….. 76

Theoretical Framework …………………………………………………………………………………………… 76

Mediated Texts and Critical/Cultural Studies ……………………………………………………………… 79

Objective of Critical/Cultural Studies ………………………………………………………………………… 83

“Formation” Synopsis ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 85

Research Question and Sub-questions ……………………………………………………………………….. 88

X Marks the Spot: Black Women Learning to Love, Heal, and Demand Power ………………… 113

Black Women’s Autonomy and Sexuality—Unknown Identity (X) …………………………….. 114

iv

Black Womanhood—Multiplication (X) ………………………………………………………………….. 136

Beyoncé as Deity—Christ (X) ………………………………………………………………………………… 152

Exalted and Exonerated: Seeking Justice and Liberation for All ……………………………………… 169

v

List of Images

Image 1 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 121

Image 2 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 124

Image 3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 129

Image 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 132

Image 5…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 138

Image 6 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 143

Image 7 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 145

Image 8 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 146

Image 9…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 148

Image 10…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 150

Image 11 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 151

Image 12 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 159

Image 13 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 161

vi

Giving Them Something to Talk About: Expressing the Voices of the Marginalized

“You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation, always stay

gracious, best revenge is your paper.” Standing outside of an old New Orleans plantation

home, Beyoncé lifts the black hat that conceals her face, looks directly into the video

camera, and expresses this sentiment in the concluding lyrics of “Formation,” which,

indeed, generated much conversation. Prior to the day Beyoncé performed in Levi’s

Stadium at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, she broke the Internet with the February 6,

2016 release of her “Formation” video that incited a frenzy of discussions and

conversations. Shocking her fans and the world, the controversial music video prompted

a significant and critical discussion of social and political issues, specifically regarding

race and gender, in the United States. Regardless of the viewers and listeners’ reactions

of “Formation”—whether they liked it, disliked it, agreed, or disagreed—they were

talking (Caramanica, Morris, & Wortham, 2016).

While the unannounced release of Beyoncé’s “Formation” video shocked and

excited fans, this was not the first time the artist launched her music and videos without

prior notice to the public, having previously broken iTunes Store records with her

eponymous album Beyoncé in December 2013 (“Beyoncé Biography,” 2016). Featured

on her sixth album and second visual album entitled Lemonade, “Formation” was unlike

any music video Beyoncé previously released. The lyrical and visual elements of

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“Formation” are explicitly political and provocative. “Formation” is a “riskier, filthier,

angrier, and pulpier” version of Beyoncé to which the world was not yet exposed (Santos,

2016, p. 1), which in turn produced both a great amount of backlash and support

(“Beyoncé Biography,” 2016; Caramanica et al., 2016). Beginning her musical career at

the early age of nine in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Gisselle Knowles-Carter, also

commonly referred to as Queen Bey (“Beyoncé Biography,” 2016; Sangweni, 2016)

transitioned from working with the all-female musical group Destiny’s Child to emerging

as a record-breaking and top-charting solo artist in the music industry (“Beyoncé

Biography,” 2016). While Beyoncé’s career catapulted to great heights and her music

makes waves of noise, she remains relatively silent to both the media and the public.

However, with the release of “Formation,” Beyoncé communicated a powerful, bold

statement, using her music to speak for her (Fallon, 2015; Schneier, 2015; Swift, n.d.).

“Formation” is an intricate and meticulous work of art that illuminates the dark

past of Black Americans in the United States, while also conveying the hope for a

brighter and just future for younger generations. Interestingly, the “Formation” video

encompasses all time periods—the past, the present, and the future. The explicit and

subtle messages communicated in this video about Hurricane Katrina forces viewers and

listeners to understand the cultural impact the disaster had on Black Americans (Bradley,

2016; Caramanica et al., 2016). Along with communicating the unsettling experiences of

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