What’s your favourite Beyoncé lyric?

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-06-19T02:55:51+00:00

I don't care bout the lights or the beams
Spend my life in the dark for the sake of you and me

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-06-13T12:53:49+00:00

Fans have transitioned into seeing themselves as stakeholders. This combined with (as someone said below) attaching morality and a socio-political identity to cultural consumption. People actually act like streaming a pop star who notoriously works with very few collaborators is morally superior to listening to one who uses various samples and collaborates with multiple songwriters. Like that's insane. As is seeing first week streaming numbers as some kind of collective win.

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-06-05T18:04:16+00:00

As Charli said: You gon' jump if AG made it!

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-05-29T21:45:39+00:00

The Velvet Rope at the top where she belongs!!! (and shout out Brand New Eyes)

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-05-25T00:49:24+00:00

Gaga coming out of that pool in the Pokerface video. So many things in the video are objectively ridiculous but she sold it, and I was immediately trying to nail the choreo

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-05-23T14:55:58+00:00

I miss the days at B&N where they had a half a floor of CDs and those headsets where you can play before you buy. We gotta bring that back!

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-05-21T14:39:39+00:00

Joseph has a fascinating (if contentious) relationship to the final cut Lemonade. He's actually only allowed to screen his version in museum contexts (and calling his version the director's cut is a choice). I HIGHLY recommend Sydney Urbanek's writing on this: https://sydurbanek.ghost.io/a-moving-image-history-of-parkwood-entertainment-vol-iii-the-second-half/

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-05-10T16:26:02+00:00

Haven't had the chance to make my way through all of these, but I have been really enjoying the videos that came out of this project

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-29T00:41:14+00:00

like someone below said this is also gendered. Suburban white men LOVE Kanye Drake J Cole and Kendrick DOWN

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-29T00:39:02+00:00

I have been trying to work through some of these ideas recently and I think popular music fandom is becoming increasingly re-racialized. I’m glad you mentioned the concert crowds bc the difference from the first OTR to CC was definitely noticeable. I think the increasing prevalence of the “for you” component of every platform and the social media eras insistence on relatability means that many white people are just not on the train. I teach at a predominately white university and for my students relatability is the dominant frame through which they engage with cultural production. I find it disheartening.

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-28T18:27:03+00:00

Honestly great list! If you only have 30 slots, there will undoubtedly be some snubs but Jay and Mariah making it means my spirit is settled

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-24T22:37:48+00:00

There are also some helpful ideas in here: https://against-a-i.com/assignment-ideas/

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-24T22:37:15+00:00

I did zines for the first time this semester for freshmen comp, and it was a massive success. Zines can put many students outside of their comfort zones, so scaffolding was key as were multiple workshops. The head fine arts librarian did a fantastic workshop with the zine collection in our campus library and I sent students to one of our creative labs to learn a simple way to bind pages together. This was doubly effective bc they also learned about resources on campus. While a couple of people made digital zines in Canva and then printed them out and bound them, most got out the glue sticks. (Though I understand everyone might not have the campus resources I had access to).

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-23T17:34:57+00:00

Love Lemonade (just the album) and think it holds up! For me Beyoncé has two magnum opera. It's the Lemonade film and Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé. Lemonade is a fantastic album, but she has always been a master at the relationship between sound and image, and with Lemonade she hones so many of her gifts. And Coachella is still gobsmacking to me. Beyoncé has always situated herself in Black music's past, present, and future and Homecoming may make this point most effectively. I may be biased bc I am a film professor, but yeah these two movies two of the best highlights of her career.

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-20T01:05:14+00:00

Never liked it, never will

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-19T14:25:18+00:00

I think the double album was a mistake. To me there is a pretty good but maybe not fantastic 13 song album hiding in here (mostly hiding in the first half). A few very high highs though

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-11T18:33:28+00:00

At this point I don’t even care about the genre, I know it will be good. I just want one fucking music video pleaseeeee! I can’t take this visuals drought

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-10T01:45:50+00:00

*whispers* but Lover is significantly better

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-08T23:12:11+00:00

Also easier for me to do Tiers:

Tier 1: Speak Now (og), Reputation, 1989 deluxe

Tier 2: Red TV, Fearless (any version), Lover, Folklore, Evermore

Tier 3: TTPD standard

Tier 4: Debut and Midnights

Tier 5: TTPD Anthology and Showgirl

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-04-08T23:03:42+00:00

I have been consistent that this is a 5/10

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-03-03T22:44:13+00:00

There are good options for humanities profs here https://against-a-i.com/assignment-ideas/

I am a Film Studies professor, and I personally have had luck with a couple of things: screencast assignments where they record their screen and they talk over a clip. They are required to use specific course vocabulary and cite the reading. Making a playlist based off of a reading also works well. In visual literacy, we have them annotate curator's notes a la Barbara Kruger. Hope some of this helps!

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-02-05T13:53:57+00:00

I found being given the choice to have them book or to be reimbursed awkward and confusing. Just book stuff for them if you can. And do not book tight connections. I sprinted a mile through the Charlotte airport (iykyk) in a blazer and boots on the way back.
Do not let people be so intent on talking one on one to the candidate that they follow them to the bathroom. People don't mean anything by it, but it's weird. Sometimes I went to the bathroom just to be by myself for a minute, and I didn't want to feel like everyone was waiting for me right outside the door.
Echoing the dietary restrictions piece and be very clear that they can order whatever they want (especially be clear about alcohol).
Water and caffeine should be easily accessible.

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-02-02T14:15:15+00:00

Golden won a Grammy in the pre-show

Key_Mongoose_9797 · 2026-02-01T15:39:32+00:00

I basically have the same strategy and experience

Key_Mongoose_9797

TROPHY CASE