‘The Guardian’ Weighs In On Beyonce ‘Rosie The Riveter’ Tribute: “She’s No Feminist Icon”

Published: Saturday 26th Jul 2014 by David

Beyonce-rosie-the-riveter-that-grape-juice-

Was Beyonce wrong to hail ‘Rosie the Riveter’ as a feminist icon last month? Let ‘The Guardian‘s Rebecca Winson tell it, and the answer is simply…yes.

Uploading the image above to her personal Instagram page days ago, it would seem the ‘Single Ladies’ singer sought to celebrate the working women of the world with the iconic image.

Unfortunately, in an article published by Winson today, the philanthropic Pop star has been painted as a misinformed maestra, unaware of the story behind what so many believe to be an empowering image.

Winson’s words below…

The journalist explains:

I can well appreciate how cool a symbol Rosie is to copy. But a feminist icon she is not.

Rosie dates back to the second world war, a symbol inspired by the women who took up the factory and munitions jobs left behind by conscripted men, and whose work undoubtedly moved the feminist cause forward by decades. But she represents a cynically whitewashed view of this, and her feminist credentials wear thin when you look into the history of her creation, and the background of those she was supposed to portray.

The bicep-curling version popular today was designed by a man, J Howard Miller, who took inspiration from tired, oil-covered workers but washed them down and dolled them up to produce his Rosie. Miller never intended his creation to be a symbol of female empowerment – she was used to encourage women to take up jobs in factories as part of their patriotic duty to the war effort.

His propaganda conveniently ignored the fact that women would have been expected to carry on with the housework once they got in, and then, after a war spent being paid nearly 50% less than their male colleagues, would be sacked. When we dress up as her, we’re dressing up as an airbrushed fib. Of course, some argue that this re-appropriation is dissent, but even if you believe that there’s still something problematic with the riveter symbol.

That problem is her lack of friends. More than 60 years after Miller put his head-scarved wet dream on to paper, she’s still feminism’s most visible icon of a working woman. Despite the fact that women make up the majority of the world’s poverty-stricken people, the poor and working-class still struggle to be heard amid a glut of middle- and upper-class icons – the Pankhursts, Germaine Greer, Virginia Woolf, Mary Wollstonecraft. Isn’t it time we found a new Rosie, a realistic representation of what it’s like to be a woman and work today?

There are the Dagenham machinists, whose strike action led to the Equal Pay Act 1970. Or Mrs Desai, who led a two-year picket in protest at poor working conditions in the late 70s. It’s less glamorous, but the costume of most of the women workers in the world was worn out, underpaid and malnourished.

 

Anyone for dressing up as a knackered retail worker on minimum wage, or a rubble-covered sweatshop worker who had to saw her own arm off to escape the rubble of her workplace?

Perhaps not. That kind of poor isn’t as cool as Rosie’s, nor would it make as good a costume. Feminism’s attitude to the poor should be more than working-class drag.

What do you make of Winson’s article?

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  1. truth (icki is FLOPN every got damn ft she on chile..she FLOPN careers.. Kc, FM and CICI is proof) July 26, 2014

    OMG!!!! Gets porncorn and turns off tv

    • Gregg July 26, 2014

      Didnt Kelly Rowland do this a while ago???….wow Beyonce do be stealing s***.

  2. truth (icki is FLOPN every got damn ft she on chile..she FLOPN careers.. Kc, FM and CICI is proof) July 26, 2014

    This will be good!!

  3. Jessica July 26, 2014

    That was very thought provoking. I had never thought of it that way. *sits and waits for the Hive to commence the dragging*

  4. Smoke July 26, 2014

    So is Kelly in the same boat? Or any other female who’s done this same thing ?
    People only attack BEYONCE because she’s the biggest star right now ! Beyonce
    has ALWAYS stood for woman and woman rights .. & the empowerment of woman.

    • Lana Mizrahi July 26, 2014

      Beyonce doesn’t stand for female empowerment, she stands BEHIND female empowerment and uses it to defend any s*** that she does.

      Feminists rally and protest for a wide range of issues like healthcare, equal pay, portrayals of women in the media etc and the reason they do that is because if they don’t men would STILL be getting away with beating their wives up.

      The only time Beyonce cares about feminism is when she wants to use it to defend her sexual insecurities. Only in HER mind is talking about your husband nutting on your dress an empowering thing.

      • tee July 26, 2014

        B**** your essay is senseless.

      • BabeQ July 26, 2014

        Wow..you hit the nail right on the head.

      • FAF July 26, 2014

        YAAAS Lana she is not a feminist sexuality and money is not all feminists represent

    • Fineasslou July 26, 2014

      She never said a single thing about beyonce. What she said was Rosie the Riveter should not symbolize feminism. If you actually read it you probably would have no interest in it being it has absolutely nothing to do with beyonce.

      • Teacher July 26, 2014

        And biitch you hush! Lana was responding to that biitch Smoke!
        And yes I’m in your reply box when you weren’t talkin to me biitch and what?

    • Teacher July 26, 2014

      Yaaaasssss Lana!!!!

      • Fineasslou July 27, 2014

        U need a life.. Real bad

  5. MC! July 26, 2014

    We all know Beyoncé ain’t the sharpest tool in the box. She never went to a pro feminists rally and actually gave speeches about the topic. Beyoncé does that feminist crap to sell! She ain’t no feminist! Never was!!

    • Skorpiond July 26, 2014

      Why do people say that? “She’s ain’t the sharpest tool in the box”! You do not get to create such an empire being a dull tool in the box! GTFOH!

    • tee July 26, 2014

      While cowriah has got ALL the tools in(her sagging) box.

  6. katycat July 26, 2014

    he is about to get dragged and i’ll be watchin’

  7. beyhive July 26, 2014

    Yeah I respect what this woman is saying, I don’t think she’s particularly aiming this at bey so I’m not offended.

    • Teacher July 26, 2014

      Wooaah a Hive member that can read! OMG!!!

  8. OVOJenna July 26, 2014

    This boils one down to one thing, education. Beyonce hasn’t got one and that’s why she depends on other people to tell her what stuff means.
    Anyway, don’t forget to buy Drizzy’s new single when it comes out b******!

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Slow biitch do have one kiii kiii. Rosie Riveter is looked at as a Feminist. This was already laid out before KING B was born. #REEEEEEAD HATING BIITCH

    • tee July 26, 2014

      And you are the most illiterate fool. Wilson was simply saying people should stop seeing rosie as a feminist which the world sees her as.

      • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

        Biitch STFU. The only illiterate fool is the woman you came from for having you. Wilson can’t tell nobody anything because, who is she????? A nobody like you kii

      • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

        Sorry @ tee…thought u were a hating biitch

  9. VisionofMimi July 26, 2014

    Beyonce would know all of this had she graduated.

    • A$APYonce July 26, 2014

      And what did Mariah major in dear? Photoshop and Fuckery?

      • Dominica Alsina July 26, 2014

        Meoow b****! Not Photo Shop and Fuckery!

  10. metzo July 26, 2014

    Before all the haters rush into this post and flood it with ignorant comment, There was NO CAPTION under the picture she posted. She did not say anything like “#Feminism” “#FeministIcon” “#FeministStandTheFuckUp” or anything like that. So don’t just jump to conclusions. SHE DID NOT LABEL THE WOMAN AS A FEMINIST ICON. She just recreated the pic just Like how Kelly Rowland and many other female celebrities have. Maybe there was a story behind her doing it, but like I said it’s not obvious cause there was NO PHUCKING CAPTION.

    • HistoRih July 26, 2014

      Wow! So that’s what you’re going with? WE ALL KNOW Beyonce thought Rosie was a feminist icon because of most people did too and there’s nothing with it. I think the lady is just saying that homegirl needs to read some more books about feminism before she posts pictures like that.

    • LOL July 26, 2014

      LOL AND THE EXCUSES BEGIN LOL

    • Pat July 26, 2014

      @Metzo, please stfu! Already making excuses. Lol!

      • tee July 26, 2014

        Phuk these rihtards, what does that stupid b**** stand for other than being an over exposed insecure PROSTITUTE.

  11. LOL July 26, 2014

    LOL JAY’S S**** STAYS GETTING DRAGGED FOR HER BULLSHYT LOL.

    NOW WATCH THE FLEAS COME IN AND START THROWING INFLATED SALES NUMBERS AROUND TO TRY AND SAVE FACE FOR THIS MORON LOL

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Gurl u have broke the record lmfao. The “Best Pressed & Seeeeething Biitch” kii kiii. THE HIVE will mail it to you. We also have an award for Caca also, “Best Top to Bottom Career Ever” kii. #5 YEARS

      • LOL July 26, 2014

        LOL BYTCH SIT. AND TELL YOUR FAVORITE S**** TO GET A GED AND TRY TO OUTSELL RIHANNA WHILE SHE’S AT IT LOL

      • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

        My favorite s**** is Harriet Tubman but she escaped to freedom but my new favorite slaves are Caca and R****. Caca, because she is barely well and touring but Interscope don’t give a damn, “Biitch Where is my 25 Million Dollars” for that TRAGIC FAIL PROMO KII KII. R****, because Katy P, Taylor, Justin B, and even Caca are richer but has shorter years. Didnt u hear a couple years ago, she was just about broke kii kii. Def Jam was whoring her out, meanwhile somebody like Keyshia Cole was making more kii kii. #BEYONCE 3.7M > #UNAFLOP 3.5M

  12. KeriMeHome July 26, 2014

    Bloop, see why ha ass should have stayed in school?

    • tee July 26, 2014

      And why keri flopson should have avioded the beehive. Now even Alexis jordan is more relevant than her sorry a**

  13. SMH July 26, 2014

    Good thing she’s rich cuz she’s a dumb biitch.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Biitch how many degrees do u have??? Have a seat Delusional Bum Broke Ass Hoee.

      • SMH July 26, 2014

        I have both a degree and a HS diploma, something you and your fave clearly don’t have. You can shut up now.

      • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

        Lol Yea right dumb ass seeeeeething hoee. I bet your ass work @ the seven eleven and Micky D’s. #FLEXING HOEES KII

    • lol July 26, 2014

      how do you know that?

  14. BrunetteMars July 26, 2014

    I read someplace that the Hive are dumbest stan base in the world. Now I see why.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Biitch you dumb ass fawk for saying that lol. You can’t generalize a whole fan base due to some action. #DUMB IDIOTIC BIITCH

      • tee July 26, 2014

        And you still suffering from enuresis

  15. LB July 26, 2014

    But Beyonce is as dumb as a door knob, what did you expect?

    The girl is as stupid as they come, we already knew this.

    • BaddieBey July 26, 2014

      Your MOM is as stupid as they come.
      #NowHowUFeel

  16. LB July 26, 2014

    I hope she’s still going for those night classes; her stupidity is getting embarrassing.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Kii Kii Stupidity and Embarrassing: Still trying suck Breeezy’s d**** dry, when he dragggggggggggggggggged her ass literally.

  17. metzo July 26, 2014

    Idk why people wanna attack Beyonce when all she did was recreate an iconic picture, when she DID NOT INSINUATE ANYTHING.
    I Guess Wilson just wanted to show off her knowledge about Rosie and get attention by Tryna “Educate” Beyonce who, did not even show any sign of being ignorant about who ROSIE was. She didn’t even label her as an “Iconic Feminist”. Mind you, Kelly Rowland and many other female celebrities have also recreated the Image, but nobody said shyt, but since it’s the Biggest, Most powerful Female in the world who did it, it’s a big deal… IN GET IT.

    • metzo July 26, 2014

      I GET IT*

      • Italian K*** July 26, 2014

        Shaddapayaface!

    • metzo July 26, 2014

      LOL AT THE HATERS XD. BUT YALL GO AHEAD AND DO YOUR FULL TIME JOB :).
      *EXITS*

      • CATFISH CAREY July 26, 2014

        HAVE SEVERAL SEATS YOU CUUNT

  18. Darianna Jones July 26, 2014

    And this is why no one takes feminism seriously. Instead of reaching out to Beyonce to EDUCATE her on something like this, there are 4 or 5 pressed journalists trying to discredit or basically bash her (“Beyonce is a terrorist”, “Beyonce is teaching young girls to be s****” blah blah blah). Kelly Rowland took that same picture. Where were her dissertations at? Oh, that’s right. She isn’t relevant enough to pull in pageviews. I agree with some of what was said in this post. However, most of these essays are just as counterproductive as the entertainer they’re trying to expose.

    • DanitySlain July 26, 2014

      “This is why no one takes feminism seriously.”

      May I present Exhibit Stupid?

      • Darianna Jones July 26, 2014

        ^^^^ Since I’m so stupid, elaborate why instead of name-calling. I’ll wait.

      • DanitySlain July 26, 2014

        Scroll up to Lana Mizrahi’s comment b****.

      • Darianna Jones July 26, 2014

        And what does that prove? I stand by what I said. I cannot take this person seriously when she takes a picture Beyonce posted on her Instagram and turns it into a essay while old Caucasian men are continuing to convince the country that women can self-abort fetuses by using their Pokemon psychic powers. There are more pressing issues to write about than deconstructing why Beyonce took a picture. Now I’ll ask you again. Elaborate instead of name-calling. *Continues to wait*

    • 7 July 26, 2014

      You know Bey is the biggest Starr in the world! So it makes complete sense that they “Bash her” when they would ignore other celebrities who did it because they’re not relevant enough to pull page views like u said

      • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

        Speak on it @7. KINGS & QUEENS will forever have many question things they do and say, at a rate higher than the peasants(their favs).

    • tee July 26, 2014

      @ vanityslain not only are you stupid, you are just showing us how stupid your family is.

    • Tisha July 26, 2014

      If you can’t take feminism seriously because of this then I suspect you don’t inform and educate yourself and depend on your idols to give your life a sense of direction and purpose. How sad for you. You are the mindless puppet those in power adore.

  19. metzo July 26, 2014

    LOL AT THE HATERS XD. BUT YALL GO AHEAD AND DO YOUR FULL TIME JOB :).

    *EXITS*

    • PinkPussyRiri July 26, 2014

      Leave b****! LEEAAAVE!

      • vee July 26, 2014

        Lmaoo. Do you haters have other hobbies? Hahaaa. Y’all have no lives I swear to god! *EXITS post too* . I refuse to waste my precious time on stupid hateful individuals like you all.

    • ASipofBrandy July 26, 2014

      Haha! Yeah b****! Get outta here!!

    • Natalie None July 26, 2014

      Au to the f****** revoir heaux!

    • CiciFinnaBeABride July 26, 2014

      Toodles.

    • FentySoSnatched July 26, 2014

      Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!

    • IggyLongstocking July 26, 2014

      Until next time s***.

  20. Trance July 26, 2014

    Y’all are still doing these Beyonce feminist think pieces? Girl bye!!! Bye felicia.

  21. vee July 26, 2014

    LOLLLL!! As if she was as ignorant as the dumb heau that posted ” #FreePalestine” . SCREAMINGGG. *Exits*

  22. DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

    DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEATH!!!!!!!!!!! THE QUEEN is that #1 Biitch that keep Dumbass Hoees pressed. By the time KING B was born, Rosie The Riveter was already seen as a Feminist Icon. The story came from women working in the mills during WW2. This dude came along after the war and start producing pics of women in men attire working. His photos was not seen as Rosie during that time. During the early 80s his photos was reintroduce to the public and people made the connection to Rosie, depicting the photos of women, as Feminist Icons. KING B had no role in this. It was already set when she was born. The biitch that wrote that article knows that too kiii. She also wasn’t calling KING B “No Feminist Icon”. They were saying Rosie wasn’t one. #REEEEEEEEEEEAD HATING BIITCHES

  23. Love July 26, 2014

    Sorry kelly did it first . The same pic but I bet Bee fans going to act like she didn’t take it..

  24. Nope July 26, 2014

    YAWNce can’t even spell feminism. Illiterate cu-nt.

  25. truth July 26, 2014

    The HIVe are messy black power bottoms with no GED’s who will forever make minimum wage. Pathetic.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Stank Hoee, don’t put us in the same catorgory as your “Struggling Welfare Cockroach Mother”.

    • QueenCeline July 26, 2014

      I pray that a woman you care never goes through the things feminists fight to protect them from.

  26. DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

    LMFAOOOOOOOOOO I can’t how KING B has these dumb muthafawkers minds Controlled & Beyond Pressed. If a critic slams her(which is really rare kii) and says, she really 47. The hating hoees minds who are already controlled and delusional will believe it lmfaoooooo. That women was saying, Rosie isn’t a Feminist. But she didn’t do her research. Just another biitch seeeeeeething over something THE QUEEN did kii kii. #AND I LUV IT

  27. Ben July 26, 2014

    guys, it’s just a photo.
    aaaaand beyonce is a powerful singer and manager in a male-dominated industry (if the photo has a deeper meaning to it)

  28. DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

    Somebody up top said Kelly did it first. True but Kelly didn’t have all these rumblings kii kii. #POWER IN HER NAME

  29. Brandys Starr July 26, 2014

    She is not the first celeb to recreate this picture. Leave her alone.
    But then I guess shes Beyonce so everything she does is more important.

  30. tee July 26, 2014

    Stupidity is rihslow begging the woman beater to knock her unconscious (into a vegetative state)

  31. YoursGrande111 July 26, 2014

    Boringt hating on Beyoncé everyday same s*** over and over *exits*

  32. Ajanni July 26, 2014

    I believe the journalist’s name is Rebecca Winston @thatgrapejuice. I think we all know why Rosie is no longer seen as a feminist once Beyonce emulates her. The story behind Rosie is that she can “bring home the bacon, and fry it up in a pan.” Women were expected to fall apart after their husbands went to war. Not only did they NOT fall apart but they managed to work full-time then go home and tend to their homes, cook dinner, and put the children to bed. When can a man…? Ms. Winston needs to fall back.

  33. tee July 26, 2014

    ^^^ well said

  34. IStanForYourFav July 26, 2014

    LMAO I’m here for the comments and dragging. However, that’s a cute pic.

  35. DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

    Just like that Rebecca biitch had an opinion, here’s critic Gillian Orr’s. With her red scarf, brown curls and determined expression, Rosie the Riveter is the ultimate American symbol of female empowerment. Now Beyonce has posted a picture to instagram of herself dressed up as the second World War poster girl. It quickly became the most popular photo on her account to date, amassing more than one million likes. Rosie emerged in the 1940s to cheer on women who replaced male workers who had gone to war, and has captivated us ever since then. Dayle discovered that she had appeared in posters only in the 1980s, when they started to be used in connection with women’s equality in the workplace. They subsequently became associated with feminism and the image was incorrectly referred to as Rosie the Riveter. It has stuck ever since. Thanks to Beyonce Rosie is femenism’s new Icon.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      As I been saying……….THE REEEEEIGNING QUEEN OF POP & POP CULTURE!!!!!

  36. Tisha July 26, 2014

    1. The author loses one point for being misinformed on her topic. ‘We Can Do It’ and Rosie the Riveter are two different media subjects, though they have similar images they were created at different times for different purposes. You can’t argue against misinformation while making false claims yourself.

    2. Rosie was indeed intended to be the man’s way of telling women what to do while dressing up the order as a patriotic lady who wanted to show how strong she was. The ‘real’ Rosie the riveter actually quit factory work less than 2 weeks after she began because the career she never wanted risked damaging her hands for the career she had before she was shoehorned into the movement.

    3. Beyonce is like a baby feminist. I won’t come down on her too hard because I imagine she wants to treated as an equal and not be forced to do things or have less opportunities simply because she is a woman. That being said she’s essentially a freshman 2 weeks into her Woman’s Rights course jumping into all realms ‘feminist’ without context or true understanding. Like I said long ago. Yeah you can have a famous poignant feminist speech on one track, but when you have another where your man calls you Anna Mae and likens himself to Ike Turner abusing his wife then clearly…you’re a little lost. I’m sure, or maybe I hope, Beyonce would never let Jay physically abuse her, so why allow him to verbally abuse her on a track?

  37. gina July 26, 2014

    The beyhive is as dumb as a bag of rocks.

    • DIGGER BEY July 26, 2014

      Says the empty head biitch who’s mother and father are first cousins kii

  38. Rihanna #1 fan t July 26, 2014

    not even that serious… that women needs to shut up !!

  39. fatusankoh July 26, 2014

    Hatemongers will do anything toto say bad things about bey you haters wish you and your favorites are as smart as queen bey bey is very smart but you all knows that you go queen bey I love what you stand you always for woman right long live queen bey

  40. Emeral July 26, 2014

    Over analyze much? Like people do with most of the stuff she does. I just think she went to
    thd museum to recreate the image. Kelly has done the same.

  41. neutral musix July 26, 2014

    how is she even allowed to put that image up? her washed out ass be talking bout n** on her dress and surboarding in the tub on a man but shes femenist? beyonce is a lame has been. thats why she gotta do 17 videos just to go platinum when people like rihanna or katy perry put out one video and go platinum. beyonces a overrated piece of s*** who needs to go get her highschool diploma

    • Amanda July 28, 2014

      My sentiments exactly. LMAO

  42. Rih Rox July 26, 2014

    Looking like a man as usual.

    I don’t believe in that feminist
    Crap, feminist are bunch of men
    Hating bulldyks.

    • Amanda July 28, 2014

      Is that you in that in that pic??? If so, you look kind gay yourself there, fuckboy. You look like you like plenty of “man love” ;).

  43. MISHKA July 27, 2014

    Much ado about nothing.

  44. Tasha July 27, 2014

    The picture is so hot!

  45. tee July 27, 2014

    The power of BEYONCE got them haters mad. Stupid m************

  46. pm30 July 27, 2014

    Its ok for some to do it but not others. The article says nothing about Beyonce but details misinformed information about Rosie. Its only brought up in Beyonce case because she is one of the biggest pop stars in America. Beyonce’s name and brand gets used to draw in attention and thats what this is doing. Take it with a grain of salt.

  47. Amanda July 28, 2014

    The criticism about the real Rosie the Riveter is all fine and good but, let’s keep it real (or one-hunnard, as they say lol)…Beyonce` is definitely not a feminist herself. She parades around half naked on stage most of the time, her husband is more than likely cheating on her and she’s being really passive about it (at least publicly), her husband boastfully referred to himself as, Ike Turner and made that, “…Eat the cake, Anna Mae..” reference in that dumbass “surfboard” song of theirs. Ike Turner made that “…Eat the cake…” comment before he smashed Tina’s face in the cake. Ike abused Tina for damn 20 yrs!!! This disturbed me that this woman would allow her husband to say that s*** to her on a record. That’s hardly an act of feminism. I think Beyonce` is just portraying herself to be a feminist just like rappers portray themselves as “badass gangsters”. It’s a fake image. As a feminist myself, Beyonce` is someone that I don’t care for.

    • Amanda July 28, 2014

      I know I damn near an essay but, Beyonce` knows damn well she’s no feminist. LOL

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