How can audiences ‘pick and mix’ the ideologies and messages of Formation?

• Audiences may appreciate the high production values and mainstream qualities of this song. Audiences can then form their own taste and opinion, and share it with other people 
• Education. Audiences may take pleasure in seeing a world they are not familiar with 
• Even though the representations are extremely specific, representations of black working class lifestyles will resonate with many audiences
• The song combines a range of genres (a hybrid genre), including rap, country, pop, R&B, dance, bounce… and so on!
• Audiences may enjoy the themes of black empowerment, which may inspire them in their every day life
• The range of hegemonically attractive women will be appealing to a range of audiences 
• Younger audiences may identify with the young boy at the end of the video, and see him as powerful and empowering
• White, middle class audiences can learn and take pleasure from the complex representations of black identity
• Aspects of costume, production and luxury goods 
• A range of highly hegemonic and often highly sexualised representations of attractive black women may appeal to a wide range of audiences
• Audiences may identify with the complex and empowering representation of working class black women 
• Audiences will take pleasure in the wide variety of skin tones represented in this music video, construction of black people as diverse and complex
• The hegemonically attractive Beyonce is free to wear a variety of costumes and is not judged for this. A heterosexual female audience may pick and mix an ideology of acceptance and empowerment 
• The representation of racism and inequality and the powerful reaction against it may be relatable to certain audiences (especially people of colour)
• Audiences may be inspired to help and to move towards activism 

Comparing the video to Formation (2016) and Jumpin’ Jumpin’ (1999), how have the following representations of Beyonce evolved and changed over time?

• Themes of empowerment and self worth are clearly critical across old and new Beyonce
• Formation addresses a range of political issues, such as the conflict between black people and the police, racism, slavery, and the aftermath of a natural disaster. Jumpin Jumpin is about going to a club. 
• The lyrics and attitude of DC era Beyonce is far less explicit than solo Beyonce. There is no strong language, no obscene gestures…
• While both songs are about sex, in Jumpin Jumpin the song involves ‘finding a man’, Formation includes the obscene ‘If he fuck me good I’ll take his ass to Red Lobster’, suggesting that B is in complete control of the situation…
• In Jumpin Jumpin, Beyonce’s hair is stereotypically white. Straightened and then loosely crimped, it represents an appeal to a whitewashed and hegemonically stereotype set of predominantly white European beauty standards
• Earlier Destiny's Child songs such as Jumpin’ Jumpin’ focus on themes such as going to the club and cheating on your partner. This is in stark contrast to Formation, about the struggles of existing as a working class black person in the south of America… Such openly political music was rare in mainstream music in the 90s
• In Jumpin Jumpin, Beyonce has blonde, almost straight hair. This hegemonic beauty standard is typical of white people, yet is difficult and even painful to achieve for black