Christian Post contributed Larry Tomczak is upset that First Lady Michelle Obama is a fan of Beyoncé, who has increasingly come under fire from Religious Right activists.
Tomczak writes in an op-ed that the first lady should distance herself from the singer because, he suggests, Beyoncé’s music will “lead naive young girls on a dangerous path that could lead some even into sex trafficking” and ultimately “abuse, abortions and abasement-sometimes death.”
This past weekend, the first lady turned 50. Prior to a star-studded White House party, ABC News offered “50 Ways to Honor Michelle Obama on Her Birthday.” First on the list: “Dance to Beyoncé!”
Michelle Obama and pop music’s No. 1 female megastar are BFF (best friends forever). Michelle extols her as a “true role model for children” and thanks her publicly for “being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to.”
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Having two daughters as Mrs. Obama does, I humbly submit that this singer’s persona and music are harmful-not helpful-for emerging young ladies across America.
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Before we discover what divine revelation highlights as important in a woman, let’s step back and honestly yet charitably consider the one referred to as “Queen Bey.” Is she the role model Mrs. Obama acclaims? Should we follow the first lady’s example and take our preteen and young teen daughters to one of her concerts, as Mrs. Obama has done? Should girls be encouraged to emulate her? Scripture tells us to train ourselves to “distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14).
Here’s the deal: The multitalented Beyoncé has been given gifts from almighty God in song and dance, for which she will one day give an account. Instead of graduating from high school or getting a GED, she chose to develop her persona as a sexy, seductive singer, attired in barely there [sic] clothes doing over-the-top, sensual dance moves. She goes on tour in a see-through bodysuit with a cutout bra and gyrates like someone in a strip club. Her signature song is “Bootylicious,” and she goes full throttle in “Bow Down,” which instructs those who criticize her to “Bow down, [profanity].
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Now let’s ask ourselves (not in any self-righteous manner but simply a prudent, mature approach): Is Beyoncé a role model? What message is she communicating to girls about relating to the opposite sex? Is she causing men to lust? Is the focus on virtue and inner beauty or seductively swiveling hips, championing a sensuality that can lead naive young girls on a dangerous path that could lead some even into sex trafficking?
Sex trafficking is a very serious problem in the United States. Remember, the average age of a young girl drawn in is 13, and scores are lured by pimps promising a glamorous life if girls will simply follow the seductive example of many celebrities whom they try to imitate. What follows leads to abuse, abortions and abasement-sometimes death. This is a national scandal in our generation. Proverbs 11:22 says, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”
