Source: Jason LaVeris / Getty
All
Bette Midler had to do was literally just sit there, eat her food and Tweet about Trump. Dassit.
But instead, she invoked
Beyonce’s name to suggest that the iconic singer should do more to mobilize her base to vote out that
man that occupies the White House.
“
#Beyoncé has 133 million Instagram followers. More than double the people who voted for Trump. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the #BeyHive mobilized to defeat him? I also wouldn’t mind if a regular bee hive fucked his shit up,” the Tony-winning actress tweeted on Thursday night.
Sigh. Where do we even begin?
First, I understand Midler’s frustration with this president and the urgency she feels to oust Trump in 2020. Many of us do. And also I understand that thanks to social media, celebrities have more power and influence than ever before and that visibility can inspire folks to get out there and vote. But Beyonce did exactly that in 2016, having voting registration booths at her concerts and
even stumping for Hillary Clinton and Ms. Thing still lost.
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty
But this is more than just wanting celebs like Bey to refuse to just “shut up and sing.”
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Whether it’s Queen Bey getting her
#BeyHive in check or pressuring former
First Lady Michelle Obama and
Stacey Abrams to run for president, white women like Midler continue to push this notion that it’s Black woman’s responsibility to save America from itself by doing all the work. And be very clear: That should not be on us.
Ninety-four percent of Black women voters did their job back in 2016. We good. This ain’t on us.
Meanwhile, 53 percent of white woman voters voted for Donald Trump, so one would think that this role of “voter mobilization” rightfully belongs to the
Taylor Swifts,
Katy Perrys and the
Carrie Underwoods of the world. Those highly visible and influential white pop stars should be talking to their own about why they voted for a man that was caught on tape talking about grabbing women from their “p*****s”, is hell-bent on helping states restrict abortion access, and who refuses to push for any comprehensive equal pay and mandatory paid maternity leave legislation.
It’s women like Midler who should have their feet on their own necks demanding to know why white women are continuing to vote against their own interests.
Understandably, I am not alone in my feelings about Midler’s tone-deaf and entitled tweet.
Black Twitter literally snatched every last edge from her hairline and reminded her that once again, Black women are not this country’s mules. Do your own work.
