When Erykah Badu hits a news cycle, she hits it hard.
First, a video started flying around the Internet in which the Dallas songstress surprised students during lunch at a Newark, N.J., high school. And then she stole the spotlight from herself, ruminating on Twitter after midnight about skirt lengths for young girls.
Early this morning, Ms. Badu posted her thoughts on an article that posited that girls should be mindful of skirt lengths so male teachers would not get distracted.
She agreed. And, even before her invitation, Twitter jumped into the still-going discussion.
We are currently discussing an article about hschool age women in control environment lowering the hem line of their skirts ...Join in.
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) April 12, 2016
Some decried her comments as "sexist" and "victim-blaming."
And stale victim-blaming NATURALLY incites homicide, but we all manage to restrain ourselves, dear.😒 https://t.co/pXNgKh1iEc
— Alby Schrödinger’s Flerkin (@albyselkie) April 12, 2016
Others were eager to join a conversation about human nature, sexuality, and ultimately, skirt length for high school girls in uniform.
@fatbellybella is rocking the boat with her views on sexuality & i'm so here for it. rock on.
— de la ghetto (@rvfiu) April 12, 2016
Starting a conversation is Ms. Badu's superpower.
On April 11, video surfaced of Badu dancing into a New Jersey high school cafeteria. Some of the students didn't know who she was. (One girl said an excited "hi" immediately, but other students seemed nonplussed.)
When "On and On" started playing, Badu spent the first verse dancing before picking up the microphone. "What's up, Malcolm X," she says. "I'm Erykah Badu."
When her host said, "We'll just go around the tables and say what's up," I don't think he thought she would take it to another level. That included singing and dancing on tables and eating food off the students' trays.
The most curious thing? Badu asks, "Y'all don't feel this?" And one could swear that there were some no's. Time for some more teaching, teach.
