Mainstream media outlets actively produce competitive and Whereby these spaces become stratified by distinctions and Music fan communities have gone through a ‘neoliberal turn’ However, in theĬontext of the digital economy, spaces of belonging such as Individual fans see as a collective community. Intentionality is to enact utopic desires of belonging in what Twitter and Instagram) theyĪppear to do so in a ‘free’ and deregulated space, where their When global digital music fan communities dwell and consume Through Critical Discourse Analysis of contemporary media discourses and interviews with Beyoncé and Rihanna ‘stans’, I analyze this technique of juxtaposition used by media discourses to dichotomize Beyoncé and Rihanna which reproduces controlling images of black women in popular music, and the ways in which fans exercise agency and reproduction alongside this technique through their practices. The constructed Beyoncé/Rihanna juxtaposition serves to recuperate control of their black female identities via rhetorical devices in popular media discourses, and through utilizing the practices of fandom to undermine the constructedness of this racialized and gendered juxtaposition. The neoliberal transfer of labor, in which Beyoncé, Rihanna and their fans are ‘put to work’ through frames of competition, deregulates diasporic controlling images of black women, and “harnesses the pleasures” and practices of fandom where competition between pop music fan bases are seen as social norms (Collins, 2000 James, 2015 Booth, 2014). Preceding these ‘stan wars’ however, I argue that contemporary media discourses have juxtaposed and dichotomized Beyoncé and Rihanna along the trajectories race, gender, nationality, age and class, which reproduce highly racialized and gendered archetypal stereotypes of black women. Never doubt yourself….Rihanna’s 2016 plea to the Rihanna Navy and the BeyHive explicitly foregrounds the problematic issue of Hive/Navy ‘stan wars’ “putting black women against each other”. Isn’t that beautiful? Be unapologetically you! Have the courage to be exactly who you are. Wherever you are in life is exactly where you need to be right now. Since, blogging two years ago, this journey has really taught me that. You do not have to prove yourself to anyone. I believe we must speak our truth and stay true to it. However, each time I use my voice authentically and stand for something I believe in, my soul becomes stronger. I guess I am secretly scared of rejection. I hate feeling this way! I am still learning to fully speak from the heart. Over time, I realized that if I didn’t communicate my thoughts, wishes, and desires I would become resentful of the situation, others and me. I love to make people happy! There is another side to this coin. I can’t help it, I am recovering people pleaser. If you were to put me in a debate team, I would lose arguments left and right and create some unhappy team members! I just don’t have an argumentative bone and hate confrontation. It is important to put your needs first so you have the ability to give to others fully.
It is not selfish to focus on your own goals and desires. It was because I didn’t understand how critical it was to love yourself first. However, being a softie often meant I was taken advantage of and disrespected by others. I am constantly working at being more kind, patient, and compassionate (and my three kids sure help me get a lot of practice with this)! I am grateful that God has given me a kind heart. My younger self was striving to be unselfish to my family and friends. God wants us to shine bright and don’t let that little voice in your head tell you otherwise! You got that straight!?! LOL! Now, let me share with you 3 reasons why you should shine bright like a diamond: I LOVE this quote by Marianne Williamson “as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” I realize that by me acting small, I wasn’t doing anyone any favors, especially myself. I was doing damage to myself for not being authentic to who I am. In time, my light within was slowing dwindling.
This lead me to make decisions not for myself but for others. My problem was I was afraid of what others thought of me constantly. I knew in my heart that I had a special mission on earth and I still believe that today. Please know, I am not saying this in an egotistical way. If I could tell my younger self one thing it would be this, have courage to shine brightly! You see, I knew that I was special.