Beyonce backtracks after use of disability slur in new song "Heated"

Alex_Alumni

Not long after we posted about popstar Lizzo removing a derogatory term from her newest single, now Beyonce has followed suit, removing the same offensive term from her song "Heated", after pressure from disability rights advocates and campaigners, including Scope.

An excerpt from the BBC News article reads:

When fans heard Beyoncé's track on Friday, it felt "like a slap in the face", disability advocate Hannah Diviney told the BBC.

"I'm tired and frustrated that we're having this conversation again so soon after we got such a meaningful and progressive response from Lizzo".

Disability charity Scope had asked Beyoncé to re-record the song, omitting the insult. It welcomed the change of heart.

"It's good Beyoncé has acted so swiftly after disabled people yet again called out this thoughtless lyric," Scope's media manager Warren Kirwan said.
"There's a feeling of deja vu as it's just a few weeks since Lizzo also had to re-release a song after featuring the same offensive language.

"We hope this is the last time we see this kind of thing from anyone, let alone musicians with massive global influence."

Some fans had defended Beyoncé, pointing out that the term she used can have a different meaning in the US - where it is often used to mean "freaking out" or "going crazy" (although those terms can themselves be insensitive to people with mental health conditions). 

So what do you think:

Given that history is repeating itself in only a matter of weeks, has the music industry taken anything on board about how to handle offensive language within lyrics?

OverlyAnxious

I don't understand how this has happened again so quickly.  Is that word now in common usage in the USA?

The song was probably written a while ago, before Lizzo's made the news.  And I can't imagine Beyonce herself keeps up with world news.  But surely someone on her team will have seen or heard about it!

I don't think it's a publicity stunt as they would have planned a 'quicker' response and possibly even recorded a less offensive version in advance if that was the case.  It does just seem like plain ignorance again to me...

Cartini

OverlyAnxious said:

 It does just seem like plain ignorance again to me...

We need to remember that we are different cultures; both the USA and the UK have slang words that are innocent / harmless in the respective country, but elsewhere they could be deemed offensive.

I`m not a fan of hers, but I don`t think the backlash as seen is justified.  It would have been more appropriate to "pull her to one side and explain".

Tori_Scope

And I can't imagine Beyonce herself keeps up with world news.

An image of Beyonce scrolling through the BBC app on her phone popped into my mind, and made me laugh @OverlyAnxious I suppose I don't really know what she does in her spare time...

I'm not sure if that word's now more common the US, whether it's as common as it was and Beyonce's team managed to miss all of the Lizzo incident, or whether it was perhaps a publicity stunt as @Teddybear12 @Biblioklept have implied, or something else. 

 It would have been more appropriate to "pull her to one side and explain".

I suppose it can be difficult to do that on the internet @Cartini. What do you think the best response would have been?

Cartini

Tori_Scope said:

 What do you think the best response would have been?

My expression was tongue in cheek , but I do think steps should have been taken to ascertain whether or not she knew it could be an offensive word elsewhere (without involving the world first).  But such is the world we live in now <sigh>

L_Volunteer

I hear you @Cartini! 

Tori_Scope

That makes sense @Cartini Who do you think should be responsible for ascertaining whether she knew that? 

I suppose once the song is public, it's open for public scrutiny in a sense. 

Cartini

Tori_Scope said:

That makes sense @Cartini Who do you think should be responsible for ascertaining whether she knew that? 

I suppose once the song is public, it's open for public scrutiny in a sense. 

I would think that the likes of you and I (the oinks, for want of an expression) would stand very little chance of getting through, so that leaves disability organisations like Scope.  I know Scope asked her to remove the word, but it isn`t clear whether it was a subtle approach or an "out and out" voicing of disapproval, the latter of which is the impression I get.

L_Volunteer

What makes you think the latter @Cartini? Just out of curiosity and wanting to hear your thoughts and feelings around this 

Cartini

L_Volunteer said:

What makes you think the latter @Cartini? Just out of curiosity and wanting to hear your thoughts and feelings around this 

I`ve gained that impression from the media.  I know the media engages in "sensationalistic journalism" (exagerating events to gain publicity / readers); but I haven`t read anywhere that a soft / hidden approach was made.  I could very well be wrong, but I / we / people can only made decisions based on information available

L_Volunteer

I hear you @Cartini. We can, indeed, only make decisions based on information available