Have you ever seen a celebrity have so much influence over popular culture and society that it scared you? Watching society rally behind and imitate what is clearly a manipulated image used to control kills me. I tend to call the average everyday person a “drone.” Why? We live in a monkey see, monkey do culture. People change their causes as often as they change their style of dress, as the seasons change.

All this year Beyonce has been held up as a figure for social justice, though it literally took her until two months ago to actually open her mouth and make any statement against social injustice. Finally, after the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille within days of each other, the super star used her voice to speak out first at one of her concerts then in a PSA-style video with other celebrities.

I woke up this morning to Beyonce news that for the second time this year sent me into outrage. Some idiot has decided that it’s beneficial to society to start a class in honor of this chick and her music. I shook my head for about a half hour straight before deciding I had to vent.

So some fool at The University of Texas at San Antonio has decided that somewhere, someone in society can benefit from a course exploring Lemonade as a "meditation on contemporary Black womanhood" and feminism.” What in the holy hell is going on here? Students will now be able to take "Black Women, Beyoncé, and Popular Culture" three days a week with Professor Kinitra Brooks.

The course description provides that “"The purpose of this class is to explore the theoretical, historical, and literary frameworks of Black feminism, which feature prominently in Lemonade." It goes on to add that "We will use Lemonade as a starting point to examine the sociocultural issues that are most prominent in Black womanhood through Black feminist theory, literature, music, and film." The course, starting this semester will delve deep into each individual track—beginning with “Formation” and ending in December with “All Night”.

"I was appreciative to Beyoncé because she got so many folks who wouldn't normally be interested in black feminism, in West African religious practices, involved in those topics," Brooks has said.

Huh? So this is real? Apparently so. Am I the only one who thinks this who Beyhive worship of Beyonce has gone just a tad too far here?

In February of this year, Beyonce released her new single “Formation” out of the blue. It came just a day before she was scheduled to perform live at Superbowl 50 with Coldplay and Bruno Mars.

The song was received with mixed reactions and the internet was flooded with memes from the video and song. As one who is not a fan I haven’t heard the song nor watched the video. I confess I didn’t watch the live performance either. When I woke the morning after the Superbowl my social media timelines were inundated with pictures of Beyonce’s dancer in Black Panther style costumes. Suddenly I was seeing all these headlines about “Formation” being some kind of social justice anthem and that Beyonce really cared about Black people. Police unions and officers were angry. The song sparked months of controversy with police officers refusing to work security for her live performances, speaking out about her and pushing new anti-police laws.

I found myself wondering if I had been wrong not to at least listen to the song. I knew I had avoided the video because of the imagery on the memes. They disturbed Me, I saw photo after photo of Beyonce surrounded by women where she was almost the lightest things in the whole video. I saw her daughter positioned the same standing in front of two very dark children her age. I saw Beyonce atop a police car as New Orleans flooded, which to me, made a mockery of the deaths during hurricane Katrina. I saw a million memes regarding Red Lobster which I didn’t understand but later came to see as pandering directly to Black people and not in a good way. No offense, but Beyonce and Jay-Z are NOT eating at Red Lobster and we know it. I wonder what kind of deal she has with Red Lobster that she would promote it in her song AND Red Lobster would follow up with a tweet about “Cheddar Bey Biscuits” Product placement in music has been around for quite some time. I hate being marketed to in my music.

But I said to myself okay, let’s see what the fuss is about. I still couldn’t bring myself to watch the video or listen to the song, however. I did the next best thing, I pulled up the lyrics. I don’t need to hear the tune to understand the words. Immediately I was shocked and appalled. I couldn’t fathom for the life of me why this was being called a song about social justice, why people alluded to anything positive from this. Now I will NOT deny there is some beautiful Black historical imagery in the video, I admit 100% that in the VIDEO she uses images that would elicit a feeling of emotion from anyone. The video has imagery such as police in riot gear surrendering to a young black boy, it features the “hands up don’t shoot” theme, there’s a wall painted with “stop shooting us” I can understand how someone who watched the video without listening to the song could think this was something positive.

Once you hear or read the words to the song though how can you sing this song? How can you say this song has anything to do with social justice, black people, equality? This song is offensive and in my opinion, stupid. It’s another one of her women’s anthems type songs with sex just like half of the songs she’s had on the radio lately. I was reminded of her surfboarding and having “stuff” on her dress in the limo in that other song as she sings about taking her man to Red Lobster after he “f*cks her good” Really? Is that social justice? She sings about her “Negro” daddy and her “Negro” nose? Calling Black people Negro, so that everyone will walk around singing these lyrics, how is that socially just to me? As a Black woman born in the 80’s I never had to deal with being called Negro, I have been Black my whole life thanks to those who FOUGHT to take the term Negro off me. Now I have to be Negro again because Beyonce says so? What happens when the wrong person calls someone Negro?

The song mentions NOTHING about social injustice or politics, the song mentions NOTHING about unarmed people being shot, or the poisoned children in Flint. It mentions NOTHING about presidential candidates projecting hate speech towards Muslims. So what DID this socially just song talk about? Let’s see….Beyonce being so country she carries hot sauce in her purse, her Givenchy dresses, her getting what she wants, sex with her man, her Negro daddy, drinking liquor straight no chaser, oh yea and buying some Jordans. Think I’m joking? I’m not read them for yourself

[Intro: Messy Mya]

What happened after New Orleans?

Bitch, I’m back by popular demand

[Refrain: Beyonce]

Y’all haters corny with that illuminati mess

Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh

I’m so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin’)

I’m so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces

My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana

You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bamma

I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros

I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils

Earned all this money but they never take the country out me

I got hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Interlude: Messy Mya + Big Freedia]

Oh yeah baby, oh yeah I, ohhhhh, oh yes I like that

I did not come to play with you hoes

I came to slay, bitch

I like cornbreads and collard greens, bitch

Oh yes, you best to believe it

[Refrain: Beyonce]

Y’all haters corny with that illuminati mess

Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh

I’m so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin’)

I’m so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces

My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana

You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bamma

I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros

I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils

Earned all this money but they never take the country out me

I got hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Chorus: Beyonce]

I see it, I want it

I stunt, yeah, little hornet

I dream it, I work hard

I grind ’til I own it

I twirl on them haters

Albino alligators

El Camino with the seat low

Sippin’ Cuervo with no chaser

Sometimes I go off, I go off

I go hard, I go hard

Get what’s mine, take what’s mine

I’m a star, I’m a star

Cause I slay, slay

I slay, hey, I slay, okay

I slay, okay, all day, okay

I slay, okay, I slay okay

We gon’ slay, slay

Gon’ slay, okay

We slay, okay

I slay, okay

I slay, okay

Okay, okay, I slay, okay

Okay, okay, okay, okay

Okay, okay, ladies, now let’s get in formation, cause I slay

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation, cause I slay

Prove to me you got some coordination

Slay trick, or you get eliminated

[Verse 1: Beyonce]

When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay

When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay

If he hit it right, I might take him on a flight on my chopper,

cause I slay, Drop him off at the mall, let him buy some J’s,

let him shop up, cause I slay

I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay

I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay

You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay

I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay

[Chorus: Beyonce]

I see it, I want it

I stunt, yeah, little hornet

I dream it, I work hard

I grind ’til I own it

I twirl on them haters

Albino alligators

El Camino with the seat low

Sippin’ Cuervo with no chaser

Sometimes I go off, I go off

I go hard, I go hard

Get what’s mine, take what’s mine

I’m a star, I’m a star

Cause I slay, slay

I slay, hey, I slay, okay

I slay, okay, all day, okay

I slay, okay, I slay okay

We gon’ slay, slay

Gon’ slay, okay

We slay, okay

I slay, okay

I slay, okay

Okay, okay, I slay, okay

Okay, okay, okay, okay

Okay, okay, ladies, now let’s get in formation, cause I slay

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation, cause I slay

Prove to me you got some coordination

Slay trick, or you get eliminated

[Bridge: Beyonce]

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation, I slay

Okay ladies, now let’s get in formation

You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation

Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper

[Outro]

Girl I hear some thunder

Golly this is that water boy, oh lord

Beyonce got her fans again, within the span of 3 days she and her husband announced they would donate over 1 million via Tidal (after sales ie: fan money) to the Black Lies Matters campaign, which they will receive some time later this year. Then she released a video with imagery that would appeal to the Black Lives Matters protesters and supporters with WORDS that appeal to trap queens and people in the club. She also released a whole merchandise line along with it featuring lines from the song and images from the video. The NEXT day she performed LIVE at the Superbowl and announced that she was going on a Formation tour starting April of 2016. This girl dropped a song, clothing line and announced a tour without spending one penny on promotions. Set herself to rake all your money. Smart and ruthless and most people don’t see it. I do and I’m not impressed at all. I am offended that she would think that we are so stupid as not to see it or to sing along with that song. I am not singing about my Negro nose or my Negro daddy. The nerve…..

But here we are now, a little over a half a year later since I wrote half of this article. So offended was I by this song, I couldn’t even consider listening to the rest of the music. Nor did I watch the videos that come along with them. So you think I’m judging her unfairly right? NO, why should I listen when her writers have come out? As I keep telling people, Beyonce doesn’t write her own music, these aren’t her thoughts and feelings.

OK, I’m being harsh again, right? Let’s examine the DOCUMENTED list of writers on her new album. Beyonce adds some adlibs, throws in a "yea yea" and boom she gets a writing credit on her own song. Yay her.

1. "Pray You Catch Me"
Produced by Beyoncé and Kevin Garrett
Written By James Blake, Beyoncé, and Kevin Garrett

2. "Hold Up"
Produced by Ezra Koenig, Beyoncé, and Diplo
Written by Nick Zinner, Karen O, Brian Chase, Soulja Boy, Kevin McConnell, Antonio Randolph, Mort Schuman, Emile Haynie, Doc Pomus, MeLo-X, MNEK, Ezra Koenig, Beyoncé, Father John Misty, and Diplo

3. "Don't Hurt Yourself" f. Jack White
Produced by Beyoncé and Jack White
Written by John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, James Page, Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé, and Jack White

4. "Sorry"
Produced by Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé, and MeLo-X
Written by Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé, and MeLo-X

5. 6 Inch f. The Weeknd
Produced by boots, Beyoncé, Ben Billions, and Danny Boy Styles
Written By Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Brian Weitz, Noah Lennox, Dave Portner, boots, Belly, The-Dream, Ben Diehl, Danny SchofIeld, Beyoncé, The Weeknd

6. "Daddy Lessons"
Produced by Beyoncé
Written by Wynter Gordon, Beyoncé, Kevin Cossom, Alex Delicata

7. "Love Drought"
Produced by Mike Dean and Beyoncé
Written by Mike Dean, Ingrid Burley, Beyoncé

8. "Sandcastles"
Produced by Beyoncé and Vincent L. Berry II
Written by Vincent L. Berry II, Beyoncé, Malik Yusef, Midian Mathers

9. Forward f. James Blake
Produced by Beyoncé and James Blake
Written by Beyoncé and James Blake

10. Freedom f. Kendrick Lamar
Produced by Jonny Coffer, Beyoncé and Just Blaze
Written by Jonathan Coffer, Beyoncé, Carla Williams, Dean Mcintosh, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Tirado, Alan Lomax, and John Lomax Sr.

11. "All Night"
Produced by Diplo, Beyoncé, and Henry Allen
Written by Diplo, Beyoncé, Rock City, Ilsey Juber, Akil King, Jaramye Daniels, André 3000, Sleepy Brown, Big Boi

12. "Formation"
Produced by Mike WiLL Made It
Written by Swae Lee and Beyoncé

SO point out to me again where I’m being harsh. Again I ask, why the hell are people praising this woman as if she is not being written for, choreographed for, and dressed. People are being sold a package dream and idol just as we have been sold by celebrities for years. I find it incredulous that this generation has been dumbed down so by reality t.v., trash music and surfing the internet that they no longer think for themselves. Drones, sad imitations of the idols they’ve been given to worship. Look at how they dress, I’m so tired of pants sagging, skinny jeans, gold teeth, crazy hairstyles, piercings through cheeks and lips. It’s like cool these people get paid to push this look on you, this image on you. They can say these things and get money, you’re going to lose your job, or never get hired to begin with.

This woman has danced to others words, collected money from her fans and donated it to Flint (smh all the money she has), been called out for running a sweatshop in Sri Lanka while staying silent on social justice in America until it got to the point where so many celebrities spoke out she HAD to. Threw money to bail out some protestors (great publicity and a tax write off) and used these actions to intimate that she cares without having to say anything or voice her true feelings. Just things that garnered publicity and were deductible.

Looking at this generation I’m already afraid, and as if they haven’t learned enough of how to surfboard in the tub, f*ck good and go to Red Lobster, get freaky in the limo whole driving to the club, and how to celebrate their Negro features from Beyonce’s music, now there’s a class. Who is trying to destroy this generation and why are you falling for it?