MULTIMILLIONAIRE singer Lizzo won an award at the MTV Video Music Awards gala this Sunday, and she used her acceptance speech to deliver a political message in which she declared herself a victim of oppression.
Upon receiving the “Video for Good“ award for her song About Damn Time, Lizzo took the stage to ask her fans to “vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us,” without specifying what those laws are, which party imposes them or whether they have been decided democratically.
The singer also did not offer details about which laws she, an internationally recognized artist who has been on the cover of multiple magazines and has freely defended obesity under the banner of body positivity, is being oppressed by.
Lizzo while accepting the Video for Good award at the #VMAs:
“Your vote means everything to me, it means everything to making a change in this country … When you’re voting for your favorite artist, vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us.” pic.twitter.com/19UpJv3rkD
— The Recount (@therecount) August 29, 2022
“I don’t know what Music Video for Good means, but I do know what your vote means. And that’s a f**king lot”. Lizzo said in her curious political message. “Your vote means everything to me. It means everything to making a change in this country. So remember: when you’re voting for your favorite artists, vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us.”
Social Media answer to Lizzo
Reactions on social media soon came out. A barrage of jokes and criticisms fell on the singer almost immediately on Twitter.
One of the first to comment was media entrepreneur and political commentator Ben Shapiro, who referred to Lizzo as one of the “least oppressed person on the planet”.
This may be the least oppressed person on the planet https://t.co/SbiQ2thuOa
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 29, 2022
Shapiro later commented that Lizzo’s comment is part of the discourse of the Democratic Party, which recognizes itself as the “coalition of the oppressed”.
.@benshapiro on Lizzo claiming she's oppressed while receiving an MTV Award: "It's hard to think of a less oppressed figure than Lizzo." pic.twitter.com/lLxKDQO0E3
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) August 29, 2022
All That Remains singer Philip Labonte quipped, “It’s a bummer to hear that this millionaire is oppressed.”
It’s a bummer to hear that this millionaire is oppressed https://t.co/S2oGPtRdcD
— DISSIDENT (@philthatremains) August 29, 2022
Journalist and Western correspondent for The Federalist, Tristan Justice, stated: “A celebrity worth $12 million who’s so oppressed she can cry victim while getting an award at the VMAs to enhance her image.”
A celebrity worth $12 million who’s so oppressed she can cry victim while getting an award at the VMAs to enhance her image https://t.co/FPq8y6y7Mp
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) August 29, 2022
YouTuber Richard Cooper tweeted, “Imagine being a black female, this well fed, this rich, this famous, getting an award for awful music and still crying about being oppressed. Avoid those with a victims mindset, it’s a losers mindset.”
Imagine being a black female, this well fed, this rich, this famous, getting an award for awful music and still crying about being oppressed.
Avoid those with a victims mindset, its a losers mindset. https://t.co/5N3ITjpVmv
— Richard Cooper (@Rich_Cooper) August 29, 2022
Darrell B. Harrison, religious activist and host of the Just Thinking podcast, thinks Lizzo is not oppressed, but rather serves as “a tool of leftist celebrity elitists who are using her to propagate a baseless narrative.”
According to the website “Celebrity Net Worth,“ Lizzo has a net worth of $12M. She is in no way ‘oppressed’ by any objective definition of the term. What Lizzo is, however, is a tool—a tool of leftist celebrity elitists who are using her to propagate a baseless narrative. #NWWH https://t.co/RPwv1XwgSj
— Darrell B. Harrison (@D_B_Harrison) August 29, 2022
Journalist for National Review, Alexandra DeSanctis, understood Lizzo’s message to be a pro-abortion argument: “People sincerely believe that women are oppressed by their bodies, that the law oppresses them if they can’t kill their unborn children. This is one of the great lies lurking behind the argument for abortion.”
People sincerely believe that women are oppressed by their bodies, that the law oppresses them if they can’t kill their unborn children. This is one of the great lies lurking behind the argument for abortion. https://t.co/f5eMJpPGJ9
— Alexandra DeSanctis Marr (@xan_desanctis) August 29, 2022
Tomás Lugo, journalist and writer. Born in Venezuela and graduated in Social Communication. Has written for international media outlets. Currently living in Colombia // Tomás Lugo, periodista y articulista. Nacido en Venezuela y graduado en Comunicación Social. Ha escrito para medios internacionales. Actualmente reside en Colombia.