Thanks to Time Warner with a little help from Irene I found myself without TV or Internet yesterday. It was cool, I had decided that it was going to be a chill weekend. In fact I had forgotten that MTV’s Video Music Awards were airing this past Sunday. That was until my friend sent me a two word text message. “She’s pregnant.” Of course I didn’t know who he was talking about but I soon learned. Immediately my easy Sunday turned into a flurry of emotion, from my initial surprise to my overly dramatic frustration as I began a frantic search for the footage. (I used the Internet through my phone.) Once I’d watched the video, read the tweets and had a couple of conversations I went to sleep, exhausted from the series of emotions I’d just experienced.
It wasn’t until I woke up this morning that I had to ask myself why was I so affected by this news. I, like many people, have listened to Beyoncé’s and Jay-Z’ music; but I, like most people in this world, do not know Beyoncé or Sean Carter. People get pregnant everyday, why was I trippin’?
This celebrity obsessed culture we live in was the most obvious culprit. And nothing says celebrity like the wealthiest couple in the world having a wealthy baby. But I quickly realized it was a bit bigger than that. As women we’re always on the mission to achieve or obtain all the “things” we fantasized about as little girls. Of course every woman wants something different but for the vast majority of us, the dream isn’t complete unless it comes with a fulfilling career, a decent man and children…or at least a puppy. Again I don’t know Beyoncé but from the looks of it, it seems like Bey has a check in all those boxes. Of course I’m not under the naive impression that her life is perfect, but if we’re talking about having it all, then Beyoncé is at least a symbol of that.
And while Beyoncé is bearing the child, we can’t forget Jay-Z’s contribution. Plus we can’t help but gush at the smiley moment Jay and Kanye shared in the audience. Here’s Jay-Z, a former drug dealer, turned rapper, turned businessman, turned proud papa. Who could write a better story. We’ve all thought about being with the “bad boy” and from all appearances this is their story. You couldn’t make this stuff up. It’s a bit precious, you must admit.
When we think about having it all, it’s important to note order. Someone tweeted “Beyoncé dated, married and then got pregnant…LADIES #takenotes.” This is not a message from the conservative right wing, but let’s not play like studies and life experiences haven’t proven that raising a baby in a two parent home is the ideal situation. Again, I’m not president of Beyoncé’s fan club and I don’t believe she’s some type of angel. I recognize that her publicity team is no joke, if there were any blemishes on her spotless record, we certainly wouldn’t know about it. But let’s take a minute to celebrate the fact that the world’s sweetheart, a black woman, is setting a stellar example for young women around the world.