Since Beyoncé dropped “Formation” the day before the Super Bowl, it’s been widely hailed as a fierce, forthright and incredibly important Black Power anthem. However, a certain portion of White America still seems somewhat baffled by its message, and it’s this response that Saturday Night Live satirized brilliantly over the weekend. The hilarious trailer for a faux-movie called The Day Beyoncé Turned Black is an absolute must-watch.
Playing off disaster-movie clichés, the trailer offers glimpses of mass hysteria caused by “the day white people lost their Beyoncé” as Caucasian Americans cower beneath their desks and take to the streets in panic.
One white office worker is disturbed by the thought that “maybe this song isn’t for us?” which prompts an incredulous response from his white colleague: “But normally everything is!”
Meanwhile, a news report warns, “We’re getting word now that Beyoncé isn’t the only black celebrity. Some are saying Kerry Washington may also be black…” To put it frankly, The Day Beyoncé Turned Black is funny because it contains so many uncomfortable home truths. More encouragingly, the fact it’s now going viral suggests the conversation started by “Formation” isn’t about to die down any time soon.
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Text Nick Levine
Image courtesy Parkwood Entertainment