Welcome to the February 12, 2015 edition of Outrage Watch, HitFix's daily rundown of all the things folks are peeved about in entertainment. Today's top story? Beyonce gets a smack-down from Huffington Post contributor Kim Lute.
Oh boy, does Kim go after Beyonce here. In an impassioned article posted today, the Peabody-winning journalist takes aim at the singer's performance of the classic Mahalia Jackson gospel song “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” at Sunday's Grammys: “The performance of this iconic song, of which Beyoncé and her family apparently believes is uniquely theirs alone — though it's sung almost universally at black funerals and churches — should have been fraught with significance,” she writes.
And then, more damningly: “And if, as Beyoncé contends, this song means so very much to her why hasn't she sung it on any of her 200 albums? Could her performance have merely hinted at an exaggerated sense of self-worth that led her to steal another artist's moment to shine?” Eesh. There's a lot to unpack here.
Want more? There's plenty of indignation to go around. See below for a full roundup of today's kerfuffles.
Outraged: Australian morning TV host Lisa Wilkinson
Target: “Fifty Shades of Grey”
Why: After taking heat yesterday for being a sure sign of the coming apocalypse, the buzzed-about E.L. James adaptation has now drawn some very pointed scorn from Wilkinson, who offered a scathing critique of the film on Australian morning program “Today.” “'Fifty Shades of Grey' is more appalling than appealing,” she eye-rolled. “It”s domestic violence dressed up as erotica…and if there”s one thing this movie is not, it”s erotic.”
Speaking of domestic violence, the film has also been targeted for a boycott by The National Center on Sexual Exploitation: “Hold up a mirror to Christian Grey and you”ll see the reflection of a culture saturated in exposure to violent pornography,” writes executive director Dawn Hawkins on Fox News.com. “This is the porn that has and continues to groom the next generation of men to believe that they are entitled to violent sexual behavior, and that women should enjoy it.”
[News.com.au via Jezebel]
Outraged: Rap-A-Lot Records CEO James “J.” Prince
Target: Diddy, Lil Wayne, Birdman, Suge Knight
Why: The Houston-based mogul has leaped to the defense of Diddy's arch-enemy Drake by way of a diss track targeted at the sometime rapper/entrepreneur, on which he spits: “Puffy feeling like he can put his hands on my family, open the doors for his family to be touched. You reap what you sow.” He further targets hip-hop legends Lil Wayne, Birdman and Suge Knight — the latter of whom will not, it should be noted, be available to meet him behind the school gym at 3 o'clock.
[TMZ]
Outraged: Video game journalists
Target: “Law & Order: SVU's” “Gamergate” episode
Why: “It's corny, terrifying shlock that demonizes hardcore gamers and turns complicated conversations over misogyny in gaming into a cartoon caricature of good vs. evil,” wrote Kotaku contributor Jason Schrier after viewing last night's much-criticized episode. Ranted Forbes writer Erik Kain: “I”ve never felt so insulted after watching TV before.” The idea that they expected an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” to not be offensively bad? Also funny.
Outraged: People who don't hate women
Target: Hollywood Elsewhere blogger Jeffrey Wells
Why: After sensibly and insightfully criticizing the trailer for Amy Schumer's Judd Apatow-directed starring vehicle “Trainwreck” by observing that “there”s no way [Schumer would] be an object of heated romantic interest in the real world,” Twitter, the media and essentially every human being with a conscience pounced on the objectively sexist statements with understandable vitriol. “I”m concerned that you don”t seem to understand that the whims of your particular penis have no bearing here,” writes Fusion contributor Molly Fitzpatrick. “No one gives a fuck about who you”d like to fuck.” You tell him, sister.
Outraged: David Cross
Target: Reality TV stars, specifically on TLC and Bravo
Why: In the midst of a wide-ranging Salon interview to promote his upcoming feature directorial debut “Hits,” the “Arrested Development” star offered some not-so-forgiving opinions on reality television, saying in part: “Anything on Bravo, if it”s on Bravo or TLC, then those are reprehensible people and it bothers me that they are successful and rewarded by the very people who pretend that they are watching with detached irony. It”s tough, because I spend a lot of hard-earned work and a lot of time writing stories and crafting stories. …and in our culture, that has as much value as 'Honey Boo Boo.'” Sorry, David — I'll get around to “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret” just as soon as I'm finished binge-watching every season of “Celebrity Rehab.”
[Salon]
Outraged: Charlie Sheen
Target: All the “hooligans, non coms, cowards and oligarchs” who are out to destroy Brian Williams
Why: As heat around the disgraced NBC News anchor intensifies, one dubious supporter has come out in Williams defense: namely, former “Two and a Half Men” controversy-stirrer Charlie Sheen. “You are clearly the victim of a transparent and vile witch hunt!” the “Anger Management” actor ranted in a hyperbole-laden TwitLonger post. “Erroneously 'staged' by hooligans, non coms, cowards and oligarchs, who's only desperate and hideous goal is to discredit the genius that they relied on for almost 3 decades!” Like him!
[Zap2it]