Right now. 
I'm having trouble understanding something. 

Someone already wrote a blog entry on this, but here's my take. 

I listen to some of Beyonce's stuff. I mean it's great for those roll-down-the-windows and sing and dance in the car days. But the media NEEDS TO STOP MAKING HER ABOUT EMPOWERING WOMEN. She doesn't teach women and all little girls every where anything about empowerment. 

On Facebook, I "like" a number of feminist websites/blogs/general pages. One of these is Women and Girls Lead. Today, Women and Girls...posted a Huffington Post article. This article stated how "badass Beyonce'" is. "She's the new face of feminism." In her song Run the World (Girls), on her newest album, she sings

"Boy I’m just playing, come here baby .
Hope you still like me, fuck you pay me 
My persuasion can build a nation"

"That's in the club rocking the latest.
Who will buy it for themselves and get more money later I think I need a barber.
None of these niggas can fade me I'm so good with this.
I remind you I'm so hood with this Boy I'm just playing 
Come here baby Hope you still like me F- you pay me."

If you clicked the link to the other blog entry, the author writes (in response to the above lyrics) "...essentially, use your sexuality to build a nation." 

I also have a BIG problem with, "gender equality is a myth and not a reality (just yet)."  Yes, I agree that we need to teach little boys to respect. On the flip side, we need to teach young girls to respect themselves. Gender quality does go both ways. But it seems to me that Beyonce has kind of dug herself into a hole. ALSO, in the above lyrics, teaching woman to use your sexuality "to build a nation" is almost opposite of what Beyonce actually said. "Boys need to respect woman." So women need to dress sexy and play dumb to be/get respect?! 

 If this is the so-called face of feminism, count. me. out.  

 Sara Bareilles, King of Anything:
"Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me 
Who made you king of anything? 
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?
You sound so innocent, all full of good intent 
Swear you know best 
But you expect me to jump up on board with you 
And ride off into your delusional sunset
 I’m not the one who’s lost with no direction
But you’ll never see 
You’re so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps 
You got the talking down, just not the listening"

Isn't THAT empowering? (or at least a little bit more so than Ms. Beyonce.)