Beyonce

A lot has been said (including on this blog) about the sort of affable empowerment that is ubiquitous in Beyonce's chart-busting hits, especially on her latest record, I Am... Sasha Fierce, but the third single, "Diva" is more "fierce" than what you might expect.   More after the jump.

OK, first things first. I love Beyonce. There is no point in me pretending otherwise. I think she is an amazing performer and I totally heart her catchy dance jams. But there is more to Beyonce than a solid hook and a hot ass, and it’s time we all took a moment to recognize.

Though her name may not make it onto a plaque in the Feminist Hall of Fame (OMG, wouldn’t it be fun if there was a Feminist Hall of Fame?), Beyonce injects a healthy dose of female empowerment into just about everything she touches. She is like a feminist King Midas (right down to the gold accessories). Sure, Beyonce's not perfect, but she explores and challenges gender politics in a way that we rarely see from Top 40 pop stars. To help make my point, I give you the Beyonce power pack. A collection of music videos, audio (including a gabfest-style podcast discussion on the topic), and links that will arm you with all of the information you need to answer the burning question, Is Beyonce a feminist icon in the making?