Beyoncé’s Husband Jay Z Criticized For Participating In Steamy Grammy Performance

Beyonce and Jay Z have both been criticized in the wake of their racy performance of their song “Drunk in Love” at the Grammys. In case you need a recap, Beyonce straddled a chair while scantily clad and reenacted a striptease that could have made twerkin’ Miley Cyrus blush. Now, this performance wouldn’t have made huge news if it was performed by someone like Cyrus, but because it was Beyonce and Jay Z it was extremely polarizing.

For Beyonce this comes at an important time in her career, where she has decided to shed her conservative image to prove that she is in touch with her sexuality. Since her surprise album hit iTunes Beyonce has been hailed as a feminist, but that came to a halt when she took the stage at the Grammys.

That said, the New York Post has decided that Jay Z is a greater offender during the performance, because he chose to proudly applaud behavior that could be seen as degrading to his wife. Bypassing his absurd line “eat the cake Anna Mae/Tina Turner” reference, critic Naomi Schaefer Riley cites author Charlotte Hays to take Jay Z’s behavior up to task.

Hays, the author of “When Did White Trash Become the New Normal?” commented on the performance, having said:

“It wasn’t surprising to see Jay Z, looking pleased at his wife’s hyper-sexualized exhibition on stage.” After all, “he’s made a living singing lyrics that call women ‘bitches’ and ‘hos,’ so we shouldn’t be surprised that he objectified his own wife on stage.”

When it came to the public perception of the “Drunk in Love” performance, Riley suggests that it’s their very nature of sharing their pristine lives to the public, that makes the sexy juxtaposition downright icky.

“Well, for one thing, the happy couple have invited audiences to admire their adorable family, with dad even joking about his daughter’s sippy cups when he accepted an award on Sunday. So they’re suggesting to audiences that this kind of public sexual behavior is compatible with a loving modern marriage.”

Aside from the Grammys performance, it’s been a strange year for Jay Z. His album Magna Carta Holy Grail wasn’t as well received as prior releases. Late in 2013 Jay Z also had to deal with criticism over his partnership with Barneys after the high-end department store was embroiled in racial profiling. After refusing to comment on the matter, Jay Z released a strange statement, having said, “I move and speak based on facts and not emotion.”

Although Jay Z has had a strange year and a touchy beginning of 2014 he’s still dominating the charts. The single “Drunk in Love” which he’s featured on hit number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. So either way it’s still pretty damn good to be the Carters.