Why We Shouldn’t Be Surprised Nor Upset About Beyonce’s Loss at the Emmy’s
The 71st Creative Arts Emmy Awards premiered last week on September 14th. Beyonce’s Coachella concert film, Homecoming was nominated for six awards but defeated in every category. Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Costumes, Directing, Production Design, and Music Direction were said categories. If you have had the pleasure of watching Homecoming, you are aware of what a culturally progressive and empowering piece of work it is. An ode to HBCUs, Homecoming is rooted in Black pride and positive representation, all while detailing Beyonce’s winding road to her iconic Coachella performance. The editing, direction, sequence of events, music, costumes and every other artistic element about Homecoming received rave reviews from critics. So, why did it lose? For the very same reasons the First Lady of Music’s previous film, Lemonade, lost and for the very same reasons many other “outstanding” work by Black talent has lost.
Award shows have repeatedly made it clear that they do not acknowledge, value, respect, nor understand Black art. While voting panels have become more diverse in recent years, they are still decades late and several People of Color short. Black artwork has consistently been ignored and not simply because art is an opinion based sport, but because the referees are cherrypicking the trophy winners. In this case Beyonce is our quarterback, with referees and commentators who consistently turn a blind-eye to her achievements.
Furthermore, Black people should not be surprised nor upset at the loss because we fully understand how racism at award shows works by now. Beyoncé is talented in spades and is regarded on the level of a Queen—but she’s Black. While Queen Bey is one of the most awarded artists alive, she still has yet to win Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and an Emmy. In the biggest categories she, like many of her peers, is snubbed time after time. Year by year, Blacks are spoon-fed small wins, giving us just enough hope to partake in their circus, whether we are watching or attending. That being said, after the two big losses of Lemonade the film and the album, it should be of no surprise that Homecoming didn’t bring home the Gold. Some conspiracies hold the belief that Blacks are only nominated for ratings. Whether we are genuinely nominated or done so for capitalism’s purpose, the racism is still hard at work; and it works in the same way it does in many other scenarios. It works in a way that we are awarded and represented just enough to pacify us. The pacifier is usually giving an award or two to two Black people every now and again, and the most picked up pacifier being getting a host of Color right before the airing of the event. The pandering is obvious and a slap-in-the-face to Black people’s intelligence.
At the end of day, award shows have repeatedly shown their hand. Cultural disrespect is unfortunately, the norm and is to be expected. The best way to handle this form of disrespect is to dismantle the entire operation. Things only have as much meaning and power as they are given. New award shows are always being created and can thus, always be created and if Black people aren’t interested in starting from scratch then current shows such as BET, NAACP, and the Soul Train awards (amongst other) should be uplifted and regarded on the same level as we do the Emmys, Oscars, and Grammys. Until we as a community reclaim the power that Predominantly White Institutions have been given, we will remain disappointed.
Please, do not be mad or sad for Beyoncé. As long as she chooses to not shuck, jive, and tap dance she will continue to be spoon fed just enough accolades to satisfy her but ultimately starved her of what she deserved many moons ago. The Higher-Ups tend to see anything pro-Black as anti-White, thus, mediocre material being able to beat Homecoming which embodies the meaning of outstanding in every way. But who’s watching or counting trophies? Hopefully not Black people. How many times do we need to be disregarded for us to finally delegitimize award shows? Beyonce, and many others in her situation are successful, talented, wealthy, and loved in spades and a shiny trophy holds no bearing on any of those things.
