The Clinton campaign announced yesterday that Jay Z will perform at a “Get Out the Vote” concert in Cleveland just a few days before Election Day.
BuzzFeed reported that Jay Z and Beyonce endorsed the Clinton campaign months ago, and Jay Z held a similar concert in Ohio on behalf of Barack Obama in 2012. This isn’t a surprising move if you look at it from the point of view that Jay Z supports the Democratic party and has been vocal in trying to get young black voters to rally behind his party.
What is surprising, though, is that it’s Jay Z. For Hillary Clinton. Hillary, the same presidential candidate who has centered her campaign around Donald Trump as a misogynist. Clinton, the same woman who called so much attention to a decade-old tape in which Trump was talking about women inappropriately.
Jay Z. Can we just pause a minute and think about this?
Why is it so terrible for Trump to say things such as “nasty woman,” but it’s perfectly acceptable for the Clinton campaign and Jay Z to join forces to get the black vote?
If you aren’t familiar with Jay Z, his lyrics regularly talk down about women, referring to them as “b***hes” or “hoes.” See the video here that discusses the B-word and Jay Z’s songs (the video is NSFW).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glt4d8s6rxw
Still, the Clinton campaign was proud to announce the concert and Jay Z as the headliner on Tuesday, noting that they hope it will encourage Ohioans to get out and vote for Clinton.
“Jay Z will be joined at the concert by special guests to encourage unity and urge Ohioans to support Clinton by voting early or on Election Day.”
Jay Z isn’t alone. Other celebrities have rallied around Clinton, as well, including Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez, both of whom are more natural choices for Clinton’s feminist campaign. Jay Z just doesn’t seem to fit in the Clinton campaign, and even though he has long supported Obama, the Obamas have spoken out about the very nature of his music (but they were talking about Trump).
Michelle Obama took to the podium and made it clear that she doesn’t agree with anything that Trump says about women and that he shouldn’t even be running for president.
NPR has the transcript .
“The fact is that in this election, we have a candidate for President of the United States who, over the course of his lifetime and the course of this campaign, has said things about women that are so shocking, so demeaning that I simply will not repeat anything here today.”
See her speech below.
Mrs. Obama went on to say, “The men that you and I know don’t treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women.”
Her words are ironic considering that Jay Z has been spotted with Obama on numerous occasions, and USA Today reported that Jay Z even spoke out publicly about how they text each other .
This matter shouldn’t come down to Democrat versus Republican or Hillary versus Trump. It should come down to looking at all things through the same eyes. If you dismiss and attack one person over their language towards women, then you shouldn’t be working with another man who has made his career on how he speaks negatively about women.
Honestly, at the end of the day, it’s that simple. Don’t be fooled by the celebrity status.
What do you think of Jay Z headlining for Hillary Clinton? Does it go against the misogynist attacks that Clinton has repeatedly made on Trump? Is it right for celebrities to use their star status to convince a group to vote for one candidate?
[Featured Image by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]
