Jessica Williams just went HAM on Beyoncé’s haters.
Following a day of predictable yet nonetheless depressing conservative backlash to Beyoncé’s #BlackLivesMatter-inspired Super Bowl halftime performance, The Daily Show’s Senior Beyoncé Correspondent began by praising the brand new music video for “Formation.”
“She calls out police brutality and the constant fear black people have of the police. She even threw back to Hurricane Katrina,” Williams noted. On the halftime show, she added, “It really was an amazing show, but not everyone was ready for that jelly.”
From there, Williams showed a greatest hits of the Beyoncé criticism on Fox News, including Stuart Varney’s question, “Why is race brought into the halftime show at a Super Bowl game?”
“Race was brought in because Beyoncé was brought in and, brace yourself, you might want to sit down for this, but Beyoncé is...black!” Williams said. “And as a black person, you walk around every day constantly reminded that you are black. We're more likely to get paid less, more likely to get sent to prison and more likely to win a dance competition. What? It’s not all bad.”
“The point is, Beyoncé is black and this song is her message,” she continued. “That's what artists do. Their message is in their music.”
What pissed off Williams more than anything else was Rudy Giuliani’s assertion that Beyoncé’s message was not suitable for a “middle American” audience. “Are you saying you can't talk about race issues to middle America?” she asked. “What are they, so delicate and unaware and maybe so white that Beyoncé is too much for them?”
“You know what’s in the middle of middle America? Ferguson, Missouri!” she exclaimed. “But you’re right, you know what? The fans deserve wholesome entertainment. Like watching 300-pound men give each other concussions while the crowd cheers like we’re extras in Gladiator?”
“So what is wrong with Beyoncé, everyone?” Williams wanted to know. “Were you not entertained?”
If she’d been holding a mic, she would have dropped it.
