Amy Schumer Is Facing Heavy Criticism After Recreating The Music Video To Beyonce’s ‘Formation’
Oh dear.
Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn are being raked over the coals after recreating the iconic music video to Beyonce’s ‘Formation’, with many on social media decrying the attempted parody as racially insensitive.
The video, which also features Joan Cusack and Wanda Sykes, was shot on the set of Schumer and Hawn’s upcoming mother-daughter comedy film. Schumer shared it via Twitter along with the words “okay ladies watch us get in formation.”
Okay ladies watch us get in formation https://t.co/qu5GBjMozl
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) October 23, 2016
The video was initially released via Jay Z’s streaming service Tidal, which suggests that someone associated with Beyonce must have signed off on it. Even so, the sight of a pair of white women appropriating a song specifically about black empowerment and black womanhood has not gone down particularly well online.
Actual footage of me watching a dirty Amy Schumer gyrate to Beyoncé and call it comedy… then Wanda showed up. #AmySchumerGottaGoParty pic.twitter.com/gUVXmSpvfE
— Alaina GE (@LainaDAZE) October 24, 2016
I'm coming to the #AmySchumerGottaGoParty but I'm a sit in the corner and glare at Jay-Z for putting that shit on Tidal. pic.twitter.com/UhriOjrP2b
— Madam CJ Talker (@We2DopeGirls) October 24, 2016
BREAKING: Amy Schumer makes a parody of Formation. Relatedly, Lena Dunham is currently working on a parody of the film Roots.
— Mel Gabor (@melgabored) October 22, 2016
Schumer appeared to respond to the controversy with an Instagram post this morning in which she quote the song saying “you know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation. Thanks for the exclusive release Tidal! We had so much fun making this tribute.”
This isn’t the first time that Schumer has come under fire for racial insensitivity. The comedian has previously apologised for making jokes about Hispanic men being rapists and was recently caught tweeting about black people “hollerin” in the street. She has defended her race-based humour in the past by saying that she played “a dumb white girl onstage.”
After her latest stunt, prevailing opinion seems to be that she might be playing the part a little too well.
Black people are just like us except they're not scared of black people
— Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) January 20, 2010
Amy Schumer is just like us except she thinks she's funny. https://t.co/ttsDHxCRzJ
— Nick (@green_chemical) October 24, 2016