Bette Midler has apologized for a controversial tweet that sparked outrage on the social media platform last week.
In a brazen attempt to call out male patriarchy in response to Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearings, the actress wrote on Twitter: “Women are the n-word of the world.”
It didn’t take long for Midler to realize her mistake either, because just a few hours later, she returned with an apology, saying that she was quoting John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Woman Is The N****r Of The World” song, whose lyrics explain the plight of women.
“I gather I have offended many by my last tweet,” she said in a now-deleted tweet (FYI: She also deleted the “Women Are the N-Word of the World” tweet). “‘Women are the…etc’ is a quote from Yoko Ono from 1972, which I never forgot. It rang true then, and it rings true today, whether you like it or not. This is not about race, this is about the status of women; THEIR HISTORY.”
Midler went on to explain that she “angrily tweeted without thinking [her] choice of words would be enraging to black women” and apologized:
“The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.”
The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) October 5, 2018
But Black Twitter was furious that Midler quoted words stolen from famed Black author Zora Neal Hurston, who died in 1960.
“So Bette Midler quoted Yoko who stole the line from Zora Neale Hurston who shed light on how the Black woman is the mule of the world in her novel. But Yoko ignored that part. And so did Bette. So f**k both of them,” tweeted @nubiansweet.
So Bette Midler quoted Yoko who stole the line from Zora Neale Hurston who shed light on how the Black woman is the mule of the world in her novel.
But Yoko ignored that part.
And so did Bette.
So fuck both of them.
— T'Amarah (@nubiansweet) October 5, 2018
“So first Bette Midler pretends black women don’t exist, and then tries to tell us to get out our feelings and that it’s not about race when she’s literally the one who brought race up??? I guess she doesn’t want us to enjoy Hocus Pocus this year…” wrote Twitter user @ShaniceDee.
So first Bette Midler pretends black women don't exist, and then tries to tell us to get out our feelings and that it's not about race when she's literally the one who brought race up??? I guess she doesn't want us to enjoy Hocus Pocus this year… pic.twitter.com/XIFTEJsDlm
— Shanice (@ShaniceDee) October 5, 2018
Rapper and activist Killer Mike told TMZ that he accepted Midler’s apology and agreed that she made a good point, but he said no group of people are treated worse than black women.
“The grain of truth whether it’s there or not in terms of women being treated by their male counterparts, it starts with White male European patriarchy,” Killer Mike said. “So in terms of the first person oppressed by White male patriarchy […] was going to be person laying next to them. But ultimately, it’s not the type of truth to try to associate yourself with because Black women are treated worse than anyone.”
He added that if she really wants to be on black women’s side, like she says she does, she needs to step up and do more, and be a co-conspirator with black women, instead of simply just an ally.
