"It's better to have a clear conscious than to run around falling apart"
"Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
We try to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery" -Pretty Hurts, Beyonce
Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
We try to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery" -Pretty Hurts, Beyonce
I was searching for something to watch on TV and saw that Beyoncé's music video for pretty hurts was playing. I stopped because of the statement that it made. There are a lot of things in the video, however, the main points that stood out to me were:
1. How Truly Inspirational It Was.
It is so easy to assume that because we see Beyoncé do certain videos, we form an opinion and think that we know what she is all about. Of course we have to discern what we listen to etc, but quite honestly, context is also vital. We can never truly know anyone unless we know their heart, which can ONLY be for God's eyes (yes, fruits also do count, but that's another topic as well). What I do want to say is that the impact of this video demonstrates the openness of the subjectivity of human beings (especially girls), who are 'required' to be "perfect", or without blemish. But of course, we know that there is only One who is without spot or blemish.
2. It Shined The Light On Performance And Perfectionism.
Once again, we live in the world. We will always have labels and words thrown at us. Getting back to The Manual (i.e. The Bible) will truly reinforce our status, i.e. who we are, and whose we are. We're in a hurting world, therefore there is constant pressure to be something that we're not.
3. She Asks The Question, "Are You Happy With Yourself?"
Happiness of course is a topic that can be discussed. I hear some religious people saying: "we're not living to be happy…that's all emotion!"
Perhaps a better way to form this statement is to ask: after the long day/ a hard day or any day for that matter, are you sure of yourself? Are you able to say, "yes Christ, I gave it all to you today, and did it for you. May You do the rest Lord"? Are you able to look in the mirror and take it all off (whatever "it" may be), and know that you are at peace with yourself? And most of all Christ? That's what happiness can also mean, being content. It can be resting assured that you're resting in Christ.
It's better to have a clear conscious than to run around falling apart. Are you authentic? Of course it doesn't mean you reveal everything about you to everyone, but you get what I mean ;-) It's like what she says in her lyrics, "Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far."
4. Aspiration.
In the music video, there is a part where Beyonce is playing a pegeant queen. At the question portion, she is asked, "What is your aspiration in life?"
- What is your aspiration in life? -
5. Prevalent Topics Are Brought To The Surface.
For example, there is a model who eats cotton balls. It may sound a certain way, but this actually happens in real life. I wasn't surprised by this scene as I've heard about models who, even though are a size 2 or 0, are called "fat" and thus are so pressured to be so thin. They then compensate food that gives us refuge and strength in exchange for cotton balls, or drinking soda on an empty stomach, (and other crazy substitutes) so they can stay 'relevant'. It's a shame, and we need to fight against that. In the music video there is also a girl throwing up in the bathroom. These are some of the topics we need to talk about, and ask, 'what's at the heart of this' or 'what are the root causes of these surfaces'?
Although there are many more other things that can be said about the song itself, and the music video, I believe that this is a start in order to discuss what's truly important to us, and where our identity lies.
What Are YOUR Thoughts On This?
PS. As seen on the different blogs, I am in no way perfect, so when I wrote this post, it is to challenge us and to make us think. :) This topic will always be relevant as we continue on this course called life. We're in this together =)
1. How Truly Inspirational It Was.
It is so easy to assume that because we see Beyoncé do certain videos, we form an opinion and think that we know what she is all about. Of course we have to discern what we listen to etc, but quite honestly, context is also vital. We can never truly know anyone unless we know their heart, which can ONLY be for God's eyes (yes, fruits also do count, but that's another topic as well). What I do want to say is that the impact of this video demonstrates the openness of the subjectivity of human beings (especially girls), who are 'required' to be "perfect", or without blemish. But of course, we know that there is only One who is without spot or blemish.
2. It Shined The Light On Performance And Perfectionism.
Once again, we live in the world. We will always have labels and words thrown at us. Getting back to The Manual (i.e. The Bible) will truly reinforce our status, i.e. who we are, and whose we are. We're in a hurting world, therefore there is constant pressure to be something that we're not.
3. She Asks The Question, "Are You Happy With Yourself?"
Happiness of course is a topic that can be discussed. I hear some religious people saying: "we're not living to be happy…that's all emotion!"
Perhaps a better way to form this statement is to ask: after the long day/ a hard day or any day for that matter, are you sure of yourself? Are you able to say, "yes Christ, I gave it all to you today, and did it for you. May You do the rest Lord"? Are you able to look in the mirror and take it all off (whatever "it" may be), and know that you are at peace with yourself? And most of all Christ? That's what happiness can also mean, being content. It can be resting assured that you're resting in Christ.
It's better to have a clear conscious than to run around falling apart. Are you authentic? Of course it doesn't mean you reveal everything about you to everyone, but you get what I mean ;-) It's like what she says in her lyrics, "Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far."
4. Aspiration.
In the music video, there is a part where Beyonce is playing a pegeant queen. At the question portion, she is asked, "What is your aspiration in life?"
- What is your aspiration in life? -
5. Prevalent Topics Are Brought To The Surface.
For example, there is a model who eats cotton balls. It may sound a certain way, but this actually happens in real life. I wasn't surprised by this scene as I've heard about models who, even though are a size 2 or 0, are called "fat" and thus are so pressured to be so thin. They then compensate food that gives us refuge and strength in exchange for cotton balls, or drinking soda on an empty stomach, (and other crazy substitutes) so they can stay 'relevant'. It's a shame, and we need to fight against that. In the music video there is also a girl throwing up in the bathroom. These are some of the topics we need to talk about, and ask, 'what's at the heart of this' or 'what are the root causes of these surfaces'?
Although there are many more other things that can be said about the song itself, and the music video, I believe that this is a start in order to discuss what's truly important to us, and where our identity lies.
What Are YOUR Thoughts On This?
PS. As seen on the different blogs, I am in no way perfect, so when I wrote this post, it is to challenge us and to make us think. :) This topic will always be relevant as we continue on this course called life. We're in this together =)
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