Beyoncé's Blue Ivy Reads Flashcards And Is Perfect (I Think)
It's time to talk about Beyoncé. I know I am just joining a chorus of voices discussing the star whose heights are so stratospheric that she feels beyond human.
Beyoncé may be the world's biggest star, wife, and mother. All of which she discusses semi-openly, letting us peek into her thoughts -- but all on her own terms.
I have to admit that I am one of her fans, even though I don't always think that her sartorial choices align herself with the fierce feminist ideals that she supposedly upholds and sings about. And yes, I have thoughts on her Mrs. Carter tour. But today, I want to discuss how she is framing motherhood into her persona.
According to Beyoncé's Tumblr (which may be the world's greatest Tumblr) Beyoncé lives in a world of yachts, dance practices and goofing around in front of the camera. In essence, it is the best life ever.
She also has the best baby ever. Finally something that I have something in common with Beyoncé! Because, I too have the best kid ever.
According to Beyoncé, Blue Ivy can read flashcards at just 13 months! And Blue Ivy is her best friend. She says now she understands the meaning of family and herself, saying: "My daughter introduced me to myself ... Motherhood made everything make sense."
After totally discounting the flashcard reading as probably untrue and definitely irrelevant. I agree and disagree with what she is saying here. Your kid is not your "homey", or your best friend. I have personally found that motherhood makes things make less sense, but motherhood also does bring your life into focus, shining a light on your strengths, weaknesses and priorities.
The 31-year-old is a noted perfectionist, a trait that will certainly come under assault as soon as Blue Ivy becomes a toddler. Perfectionism is very, very tough in motherhood -- both on the mother and on the child. In the meantime, Beyoncé is broadcasting the age old message that women can have it all, with a little work.
But the singer makes it look easy. Noreen Malone wrote that Beyoncé's message that "women can have it all" is "the ultimate prize in the modern femininity Olympics". Her tightly controlled image shows us just enough vulnerability for us to think that because Beyoncé feels fear, she is "just like us".
And she may be. But we will never know. What we see is only what she wants us to see, and so we will never know if Mr. and Mrs. Carter are the world's best parents, the worst, or more likely something in between (like the rest of us). Just as we will never know if Blue Ivy really can read or just drops her flashcards in her yogurt like the rest of the world's children.
Do you find Beyoncé's charms hard to resist? What do you think about how she is framing motherhood?
Want more chaos? Coincidentally, last year I was also discussing celebrity moms when Felicity Huffman said she was drowining in motherhood.
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