“I now know that, yes, I am powerful. I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.”
– Beyonce reveals that Beyonce is very powerful, so powerful that Beyonce could probably take over the whole entire world, if that’s what Beyonce wanted.
But ok, this is the same kind of thing as that Anne Hathaway thing, the thing where she would be so embarrassed if she didn’t get the Oscar. I know it makes sense, and I know it’s reasonable, but I just don’t think that’s the kind of thing you say to other people. Like with Beyonce: of course she’s really powerful. But what she said is just so … I don’t even know. It runs all over me, it really does.
I feel like a lot of you might not get it, like a lot of you didn’t get when the Anne Hathaway thing made me uncomfortable. And I wonder if it has something to do with me being Southern. Where I’m from, you don’t toot your own horn like that. You just don’t. You’re gracious and you practice humility and even if you know you’re awesome, you don’t rub it in other people’s faces, because that is way impolite, and being impolite is basically the worst thing you can be. Can any of you other Southerners verify this?
<— southerner. Agreed with you. It took a LOT of adjusting to understand my husband's northern/midwest family and how outspoken and brash they seemed. But isn't Beyonce from Texas?? Maybe life in LA and NY changed her?
I think what Anne Hathaway said was probably just interpreted wrongly. It came across like she meant she’d be embarrassed if she didn’t win an oscar because everyone else had bigged her up so much (not herself) but that would almost be the same as if she had bragged about it herself and then not won. If that makes sense? That’s how I took it anyway.
As for Beyonce, this sounds more openly arrogant (even if she means it in an ‘oh, humans are capable of so much’ kinda thing).
I’m with you on the Hathaway thing.
I’d be more impressed if she expressed how good photoshopping pictures can make her look better than real life.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you shouldn’t go around saying this kind of thing.
Oh my god, I am so sick of this attitude that one always has to be this modest little mouse and blush at the sight of a compliment. I have no strong opinions on Beyonce in particular, but in general – you can say whatever you want as long as you can back it up. Eg I see no shame in saying you did a great job when you actually did. I have also had this humility business forced on me and all it has done is make me doubt every accomplishment I ever had because I was always too afraid to say “Yes, I am quite awesome at what I do”.
Yes. All of what she said. I thought I was the only woman who doubted their accomplishments because other people forced timidity on me.
Right?! I totally agree. Acknowledging your merits isn’t a bad thing.
Up to a point, you’re right.
But if it’s true, and you can do it, it isn’t bragging. Beyonce rarely says things like this, if ever.
Plus, none of us truly know the impact we have on the world, or what we are capable of. That sounds more in line with her attitude; perhaps you misinterpreted the quote?
CONTEXT
She didn’t say “we are all more powerful than our minds can even digest and understand.” She said “I.” Plus, the comment wasn’t like “I didn’t used to know my power, now I can see.” She said “more than. . . my mind CAN digest and understand,”This implies that her (HERS, not everyone’s) power is so great, it exceeds the ability of the human mind to conceive of it.
I would say that is conceited. She may not have meant it to sound like that. But sometimes we say things that reveal our true attitude despite our attempts to conceal it.
I was raised in the opposite of the South. I grew up pretty much on the Canadian border. My Mom is Canadian. Where I grew up, it is common for people to be quite reserved about everything, especially their accomplishments. People would see you as very impolite if you went around saying how wonderful you are. It is fine to know you are good at things and what your strengths are. You just don’t want people to think that you are shoving it in their faces. And that goes double for the Canadian members of my family.
Hmm… bottom boob. Is there a word for that? If not there needs to be! Gotta go cut up a tee now. :) Oh, and she’s hot. Maybe she thinks being hot, rich and influential is empowering. It is annoying though.
I think that the most important quotes from the interview where she expressed that women should earn as much as men and should be financially independent from their significant others were the most important statements she made. It’s getting overshadowing because she said something else that people can easily criticise. I would have issue with it if it weren’t true. She does have a lot of power through the influence she has on her fans, her celebrity allows her to interact with world leaders and her wealth gives her the freedom to do what she wants. I guess what irritates me is the point she was trying to make is that women don’t get equal treatment to men and then she gets slammed for a valid statement because she is a woman. If jay-z said the same thing, it would have been accepted, not re-quoted around the Internet to criticise him.
If Jay-Z said the same thing, I’d think he was an arrogant ass.
Then you do think he is arrogant. He brags about himself constantly but ppl think he is charismatic. Beyonce said one thing about herself and she gets dragged through the mud.
Well said, Dark Empress, to everything.
Okay, then I do think he is arrogant. I think a lot of celebrities are arrogant. Maybe their fans don’t see them as being arrogant. It doesn’t change the fact that they are. Maybe you have to be arrogant to claw your way to the top. But in this case, the article was not about every celebrity (or even about Jay-Z.) or about how people’s fans feel about them or about the utility of being arrogant. It was about a quote from Beyonce. So that is what I commented about.
I’m so sick of this woman.
Wow. Double wow for terrible photoshop of her thighs and breasts (the shadows are so fake.)
her face remains beautiful though – with or without photoshop.
I’m from the north and I totally agree. Context or no, she has enough experience with the press to know exactly what she’s saying and how it will be repeated. I’m guessing a lot of the things she said in that interview go along with the feisty sport themed photoshoot- I’m power, I am strength… It’s not a very polite way to talk to people.
she keeps every thing made with her in like the photos magazines i heard this on the news today. where she keep it all. it has to be very much to fill a house.
As usual, Em, you are dead on correct. (And I don’t think that, outside of a certain segment of the entertainment world, Beyonce is powerful at all. JMO)
I’m beginning to wonder if she is into Scientology, a Jehovah’s Witness, or slightly retarded. She seems to speak only in soundbytes, can’t read or speak properly while on TV, and is genuinely confused about the world around her. It’s obvious that she thinks she sees Marilyn Monroe when she looks in the mirror.
Somebody needs to talk to this girl’s former teachers. I’m beginning to think she had a poor education in her “rich” part of Texas for a reason.
Rihanna……?
She’s the most self entitled, self absorbed on the planet, Kayne West being her nemesis.. However, I got a good laugh when she did Purple Rain with Prince and came out strutting her stuff like she was better than Prince even. She totally ruined the song and even Prince was disgusted and embarrassed.
I guess closing down a whole hospital ward (sending other expecting mom’s to other hospitals), made her feel she was a “powerful” goddess – who can absorb her own arrogance.