Lilly Allen returns to the music world with her first music since 2009, and officially missteps with her video in support of the single, “Hard Out Here.” Allen’s own intent is to make a worthwhile critique of the music industry for the unreasonable standards it imposes on women, but forgets that she also sits in a position of power and privilege and proceeds to abuse it badly. In response to the controversy she further fumbles by stating:
“Whilst I don’t want to offend anyone. I do strive to provoke thought and conversation. The video is meant to be a lighthearted satirical video that deals with objectification of women within modern pop culture. It has nothing to do with race, at all.”
Allen conclusions aren’t shocking. Most of us have trouble seeing from the outside of our bubble inward, however, despite what she believes the video is almost entirely themed around race and privilege.
Throughout the video, Allen is backed up by black dancers (with the exception of one) who wear costumes typical of strippers and also mimic their dance moves. Meanwhile Lily is covered throughout and limits her dance moves to basic two steps. Like other white pop singers before her (Gwen Stafani, Iggy Azalea, Miley Cyrus), Allen intent appears to be aligning herself with the sisterhood and all its struggles by putting herself on the same stage as a group of all-black backup dancers.
The failure is realized in Allen’s choice to have the dancers dress and dance in a way that reflect’s one of the industry’s most tired stereotypes of black women, that as video vixens and worse yet, hos shaking their ass for dollar bills. Allen can say that is exactly what she is commenting on, but as a white woman who grew up in relatively well-off surroundings her level of privilege makes her incapable of making such a statement, and as a result she ends up looking severely out of touch, much like the wealthy woman who brags that the hired help are close friends of hers.
And if Allen and other white pop stars need inspiration for back up dancers, they don’t have to look far. Performers like Rihanna and Beyonce also use back up dancers but they employ choreography and costumes that reflect a richer and more nuanced humanity. Even in the stripper-themed “Pour It Up,” no one is exposed more than Rihanna herself and one never senses any of the distance and superiority (even if comes in the form of embarrassed amusement) projected by Allen relative to the dancers in her video.
And this is not about the dancers, who Allen called upon to defend her and the video in her response to the controversy. Their bodies are gorgeous and their moves are amazing. Plus, the video was probably a pretty good paying gig that appears to be bringing the dancers a good bit of publicity. More power to them and their money-making efforts.
It’s more about encouraging artist like Allen to use their creativity, power and considerable mouthpiece to widen the lens as opposed to narrow it. To extend the hand and bring people to a place of equal footing rather than using them as awkward statement pieces that leave them cramped in ill-fitting boxes.
