Beyonce, Jay-Z Marriage Ignored? Racism Wasn’t The Issue, Simply No One Cared
Jay-Z and Beyonce have been dating for six years. They are essentially scandal free, relatively uninteresting (except Beyonce’s deplorable taste in fashion) and have been threatening to get married for the last two years. At some point, the media says “Ehh, quite crying wolf.”
What am I talking about you ask? Good question. I stumbled upon an article on Ben Widdecombe’s Gatecrasher (NYDN) where he asks: Were mags biased against Beyonce and Jay-Z?
As someone who covers celeb gossip (well, sometimes anyways) my first reaction was: no. When it comes to celebrities at the levels of Jay-Z and Beyonce (A-Listers for sure) race isn’t the issue. When all things are essentially equal, the only difference in any moderately educated and cultured person’s view is socio-economic, not race. From my perspective, race plays no part in my judgment of an individual, but a person’s values and how this effects their world view absolutely does, and sadly this is often predicated on their socio-economic standings. But this isn’t the point of the story.
Ben Widdiecomb’s article:
Are the celebrity media racist?
A top tabloid editor tells me that Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s wedding was played down by the weeklies because “African-Americans don’t sell covers.”
Of the big five celebrity glossies out midweek, only Us Weekly gave Beyoncé the top spot on the cover. Other magazines gave her second billing to the likes of Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston.
“None of the magazines landed an exclusive on wedding pictures, which would have made the story bigger,” said one tabloid insider, justifying why Beyoncé was relegated to a small cover box on his magazine.
But even wedding photos make less money for black stars, says another source. “Eva Longoria can get $1 million for wedding photos, but without the expectation of cover sales, Beyoncé might have gotten as little as $250,000 if she had sold hers,” says a top editor.
Magazine publisher and black gossip pioneer Flo Anthony responds: “That sounds to me a very racist statement. Beyoncé is one of the biggest stars in the world, much bigger than Eva Longoria.”
Anthony publishes Black Noir for women, as well as Toy Box, a black parenting magazine with a celebrity focus. She said: “It is hard for African-Americans in magazines. Only a few people, like Will Smith and Halle Berry, are mainstream. Editors really still think that only blond hair and blue eyes sell magazines.”
As another tabloid source says: “We have a saying, ‘Only Oprah.’ Oprah is the only black celebrity big enough to put on our cover.”
But Us Weekly editor in chief Janice Min tells me: “Janet Jackson has been on our cover twice, for two of our best-selling issues we’ve ever had.”
Min is also the only non-Caucasian to helm a top celebrity magazine. She acknowledges there is a perception in her industry that black stars don’t sell covers, but adds: “Typically, you will hear that discussion among a group of all-white editors.”
Well, unless celebrity magazine editors represent an entirely different demographic than mainstream America, this sounds like a tempest in a teapot. Real racism exists, there is no doubt, and it is UGLY and reprehensible, but when you get to the level of celebritydom of Jay-Z and Beyonce, it’s just not applicable.
Admittedly, what may have been a factor in the lack of value for putting Jay-Z and Beyonce’s wedding on magazine covers, may have more to do with the celeb magazine consumer demographics as a whole. Flyover country (middle-America) who make up the majority of celeb magazine’s market share, are not your average listeners of rap or even R&B, which is the music Jay-Z and Beyonce predominately make. Especially Jay-Z, white kids may be buying this music, but they don’t much care about who Jay-Z does or doesn’t marry. Again, no one who buys celeb magazines care much about this “non” story.
And again, it’s not like they invited the media. They made several efforts to keep the media out.
When mainstream media starts making racist accusations where they don’t exist, it takes away from the real dangers of racism, which directly effect the poorest segments of society, not the rich A-Listers. When you boil it down, it just wasn’t breaking news - merely a foregone conclusion minus the pretty pictures.
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who cares? exactly.
Comment by J-buh — April 11, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
i totally agree with your article. I dont think race is the reason behind Jay-Z and beyonce not being in all the magazines this week. the fact is that couples (esp. celeb couples) who have loads of scandals during their relationship tend to attract more public interest. But these two are boring as hell. Also there is nothing to say that jay-z and beyonce didnt turn down magazines that offered them a deal for their wedding pictures. they may have decided that they didnt want to sell out one of the most important days of their lives. Good on them!
Comment by nell — April 11, 2008 @ 7:49 pm
I agree Nell. They get props for not selling out and I wish the media would stop creating negatives out of positives!
Comment by D — April 11, 2008 @ 8:02 pm
I doesn’t get this “good on you” thing. what is that? Is that Down Under Speak or something from the Midwest? seriously, what gives?
Comment by J-buh — April 11, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
It’s a slang or colloquial phrase to imply “good for them.” Where you from J-Buh? It’s pretty common here in the states.
Comment by D — April 11, 2008 @ 8:17 pm
Wow, here I was all ready to compliment the couple on going out of their way to have a spectacle free wedding. They didn’t announce the event. They held it at home instead of “secretly” renting out Central Park and then acting SHOCKED when the helicopters started buzzing the place. They didn’t make a multi-million dollar deal to sell their pictures.
They did everything they could to make sure their wedding was a quiet, private affair, but instead of giving them props for successfully outwitting the not famous for being brilliant tabloid industry, we must instead blame the not famous for being brilliant tabloid industry for failing to practice racial transcendence.
Racism or savvy outfoxing of the tabloids, I still thank them for NOT going all TomKat over their wedding.
Comment by Kati — April 11, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
They would have made the front page if Jay Z was caught leaving a hotel with Rihanna. The magazine sells more if there is lots of drama behind a story (e.g. Britney)
Comment by Lina M — April 13, 2008 @ 10:40 am
well, yess there will always be racism of some kind of another, yess there will always be mags that think black folk don’t will not sell as much, not true by the way, look how well O is doing for Oparh and look how well mags sell when Janet and Tyra are on the cover. but what is really true is that J and B are tired, they pretend not to like the media attentions but wait scratch that she loves the attention from the media but only wants it when she wants it. In my opinion, she also only wants him for what he gives her which could be good loving but based on her ring the alarm song its more about the materials things. I wonder if he was jay from the block would he be still so appealing? I think not she wouldn’t have given him the chance to prove he is a good guy. He needs to think about that.
Comment by Hola — April 15, 2008 @ 5:52 pm
beyonce we will have to stay in tack if da marige dosent work out
love all ways
lollypop
Comment by lollypop — April 19, 2008 @ 7:52 am
Boy the editor of this site is way way off! Dont you see whats happening why they are not going all the way with saying they are married with pictures? Its because they all are saying the wedding has not been confirmed by either party! And the wedding license deal was said by some unknown source to be true but none of the story stick. SO they play it safe until real solid info come up. So far its always been a source told a source told a source and nothing concrete. And…They both have been spotted not wearing rings AFTER the so called wedding. These mag people are smart and playing the line. Trust me…IF there was any smoking gun evidence the mags would be all over it BECAUSE of the media attention on them. Race has nothing to do with it!
Comment by GuessWho — May 3, 2008 @ 9:13 am
And also USHER is very close to the couple. ON BET he was shocked that they had gotten married and was a little upset. BY time the next segment came up he said “DOnt believe every thing you hear” and he used himself as an example how the media twist stuff. HE seemed relived because he want to go to the wedding as well as many others. Do you really think they would not invite people like Usher, P. DIddy, Mary j just to name a few? Then Gweneth said she didnt even know what they were talking about when asked about the wedding she said and I quote: “Ma’an its like being in the twightlight zone what is eveybody talking about?” And also when they asked Beyonce sister she said “I dont know what your talking about and my family is very private about our lives.” TRust me…When they get married…WE will know it. WHo ever gets married rather its jay z or beyonce to each other or other people it will be a huge wedding! They been in the game to long and know to many people and wouldnt want to piss anybody off. Trust me on this one We will see them marry soon enough and it will be unmistakable and no guessing involved. Rather it be they marry each other or other people is another question. Because Beyonce just did a song with Usher after this SO CALLED wedding about having sex in the club with each other when they got relationships. That is the ultimate disrespect to a wedding. And if its ture beyonce is faking about being a christian and she has no spiritual morale like she pretends to have. Time will tell people..you will see them marry and they wont disappoint everyone will be there trust me! They love there fans and there friends and they would not be cruel to us like that. They would loose major cool points if they did!
Comment by GuessWho — May 3, 2008 @ 9:23 am