Our View: Focusing on issues isn’t exclusion

In light of responses over Beyonce’s new song “Formation” and her Super Bowl performance, Saturday Night Live released a skit entitled “The Day Beyonce Turned Black”, highlighting the plight of white fans, as they realize their favorite performer isn’t who they thought she was.

“Guys? I don’t understand this new song,” says Cecily Strong, dramatically removing her headphones in the skit, turning to her fellow office coworkers.

“Formation” focuses on Beyonce’s black heritage, and brings issues like the Black Lives Matter movement and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to light.

Her video release, on top of her Super Bowl performance the next day, which featured what many perceived as Black Panther-inspired outfits worn by the performers, received backlash from critics, starting the movement #BoycottBeyonce.

Overall, critics on Twitter argued Beyonce preached segregation, villainized police and spread lies in light of her song and performance.

“Maybe the song isn’t for us,” said Bobby Moynihan, confused, as an ominous music played in the background.

“But usually everything is,” Strong replied, panicking.

While going all-out with a dramatic movie trailer, revealing an apocalyptic-type reaction to Beyonce’s video, SNL proves a point: Bringing a race issue to light doesn’t indicate white people are being victimized.

Opponents of #BoycottBeyonce argue about the double standard in worshipping Beyonce in any other song, but now are threatening to boycott due to a song where she brings up race.

SNL often has creative ways of reacting to cultural phenomena, and this one certainly hits the nail on the head. Hopefully no offices have truly fallen into disarray in reaction to Beyonce’s new song and performance.