In the hierarchy of queens, there is obviously Beyoncé, who asserts near-total dominance over the descriptor. Then there is Lil’ Kim, who first called herself QueenBee in the ’90s. And then there are the actual queenbees, who provide a critical role in the continued existence of pollinators worldwide. Far below these three is a woman who is literally only here to have fun and be herself. Her name is Britney Spears, and she can’t hear anything we’re saying over the twisting and spinning and gyrating and flipping she’s doing.
A couple of weeks ago on Instagram, Britney Spears referred to fans referring to her as “Queen B.” Perusing the comments, you’ll see quite a few purported Beyoncé fans who’ve riled themselves up over the truly innocuous post, but to their credit, it is a pandemic, and the stan wars have been a tad stale. They’re just bored!
Anyway, Britney’s back now, like she always is, with a new dance video. This time the track is Beyoncé’s “Haunted,” and it’s exactly what you’ve probably come to expect from our tireless tiny dancer.
Just look at her go! Watch her spin! See how she moves! This is not the dance of the Queen B, quite honestly, and any science textbook would back that incredibly accurate peer-reviewed fact up. But, it is the dance of our Queen Britney. In her court, all she wants is for her subjects to witness her and join her in the true artistic expression of their souls. Some may dance, some may sing, and some may create great wonders of the creative imagination. As for me? Well, I guess I’m the court scribe.
Halle Berry probably wishes she was logged onto the internet the various other times that cis actors got dragged for accepting roles as trans people. It could have saved her what actually turned out to be a vastly more thoughtful apology than any of us are used to after news broke on Monday that she was considering a role as a trans man. I’ve transcribed her full apology below:
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I’d like to apologize for those remarks. As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories.
I am grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days, and I will continue to listen, educate, and learn from this mistake. I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera.
At the very least, I hope everyone else carves out a free moment to watch the documentary Disclosure, which is helpfully streaming on Netflix and which you also have no excuse not to see.
