Pop singer Beyonce Knowles performs scantily-clad dance on tomb of President Ulysses S Grant

BBC News/Entertainment On Line ^ | Monday, 14 July | staff writer

[yankeedame]

Last Updated: Monday, 14 July, 2003, 08:46 GMT 09:46 UK

Beyonce's 'grave dance' causes grief

Beyonce took part in the annual Macy's Fourth of July celebrations

Pop singer Beyonce Knowles should not have been allowed to perform a scantily-clad dance on the tomb of former United States President Ulysses S Grant, a historical group has said. The star danced in a "patently inappropriate" way on the steps to the tomb during a nationally-televised 4 July concert, according to Frank Scaturro, president of the Grant Monument Association.

The Destiny's Child chart-topper used "lascivious choreography" and her backing dancers were barely dressed, Mr Scaturro said in a letter to NBC, which filmed the performance.

Her latest single, Crazy In Love, is currently number one in the UK and US.

A certain decorum should have been observed from which popular entertainers are not exempt

Frank Scaturro Grant Monument Association And her album held onto the top spot in the UK on Sunday but was knocked off the summit in the US by Ashanti last week.

In his letter, Mr Scaturro wrote: "At that location, a certain decorum should have been observed from which popular entertainers are not exempt."

The letter also went to the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, and National Park Service director Fran Mainella.

Watch Beyonce perform Crazy In Love on Top of the Pops Ulysses S Grant was a Civil War hero who became the 18th president, between 1869-77.

His tomb, erected as a national monument in 1897, is in New York. The concert was part of the annual Macy's Fourth of July celebrations.

Also performing were American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson plus Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp.

'More thoughtful'

Ulysses Grant Dietz, the great-great-grandson of Ulysses S Grant, said he did not object to most live performances, as long as the tomb was looked after.

But organisers could have been more thoughtful, he added.

"If they're doing a Fourth of July celebration and they're doing it at a grave of a president, maybe they should look a little more closely at what the performances are."

NBC and Beyonce were not available for comment and a National Park Service spokesman did not want to comment because he had not seen the letter.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

You nailed it... and may I suggest: "The sad truth is, [FILL IN BLANK] have had and internalized a lot of negative programming about [fill in blank with particular aspect of personal appearance] from the larger society. We've been told that our [fill in blank]is not presentable without [fill in blank] and too many buy into that. While it's made and continues to make a lot of [fill in blank] rich, it's also damaged the psyches of too many [fill in blank] to count.

[jsbankston]

Luckily she did not slip and fall in the puddle left there by Robert E. Lee.

[grumple]

Oh good grief. I doubt Grant will be offended since he can't see anything. Neither would Jeffrey Dahmer, nor anybody dead for that matter...but, obviously you missed the point of responsible integrity and decency.... you are how old?

[Old Professer]

I thought he was buried in "The Unknown Soldier's Tomb."

[CFC__VRWC]

You're right - I did what I accused you of doing by painting with a broad brush. Please accpet my apology for the rant. I still think that stereotyping of Southerners as racists is all too common, but I went too far with that broadside.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

The irony of the situation is that today's true patriots mostly come from the southern states (and western states).

The extreme irony for me is that I have more in common with southerners, today, than I do the "north".

I admire southerners greatly, and they have always been first to step up for the defense of this nation, especially in WWI and WWII.

I would never insult the South. Likewise, if I listed my top ten generals of the Civil War it would be:

1. U.S. Grant
2. Robert E. Lee
2. William Tecumseh Sherman
3. Stonewall Jackson
4. Phil Sheridan
5. Nathan Bedford Forrest
6. Winfield Scott Hancock
7. George Thomas
8. James "Old Pete" Longstreet
9. James B. McPherson
10. John "Fighting Jack" Logan

So I would never deign to demean the southern command. I admire many of the generals greatly as both strategists and tacticians.

I simply feel Grant was the best, and find it insulting when certain southerners of the "Lost Cause" mentality feel the need to boost their esteem by denigrating Grant as a "drunk" or a "butcher".

[mafree]

Uppity was usually an adjective for a racial epithet.

True, though it often preceded that epithet.

[mafree]

Women period have issues with hair... it seems as if women's issues are because of what men think about them.

You're right-- I could write another book, albeit smaller, on the issues White (and other) women have with hair.

[mafree]

You're welcome.

[mafree]

Both your posts are correct.

[Trajan88]

The muszak biz is one small step below professional boxing in the sleeze department.

Trajan88

[TontoKowalski]

Re: your post #186

I've followed your posts on this thread rather closely. As a Southerner who no longer lives in the South, I find you certainly well educated on the War, and with interesting opinions that I've not considered previously.

I don't have much book-learning about the War, but I'd like to add a couple of non-scholarly points based on personal observations. Maybe you'll find them interesting... maybe not.

You mentioned a recent trip to Mississippi and Alabama, and how you enjoyed the folks, but found some Lost Cause types still hanging out. In post #186, you list your list of greatest generals. Sherman comes in third.

While I think that the South in general has reconciled itself to the outcome of the War (hey! and it only took nearly 150 years!), Southerners from Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia will NEVER forgive Sherman. He is reviled.

His march to Atlanta may have been a great tactical or strategic move, but it ruined and dishonored a very large number of families. The rape of women, the murder of non-combatants, the burning of homes and crops, the theft of treasured family heirlooms.

I once wondered why the Balkan countries were still carrying on with grievances that were hundreds of years old. Then I thought about Sherman, and I imagine that he will be detested and trashy old women will spit at the mention of his name in another 200 years.

So when you hear about the "Lost Cause" types in the deepest part of the South, keep in mind that a good chunk of that is a deep and abiding hatred of Sherman, and the frustration from not being able to avenge oneself.

Now, of course I realize that atrocities were committed against civilians by both sides throughout the War. Hey, it's the nature of war. But Sherman led a lengthy and deliberate campaign of civilian atrocity, and for folks in that part of the country, it's not just History. It's FAMILY History.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

You are of course, right on. I riled some people up a few weeks ago on another thread when I used the term "male identified", which I learned in a Women in Literature course I took a long time ago. When we base our own definition of self-worth on men's idea of what an ideal woman is, that is being male identified. Really women like boyonce and brittney (I couldnt care less if I spell their names wrong) are male identified, or at least projecting that image, and they really are not helping young or old girls at all with their behavior and phoniness, in fact they shoot themselves in the foot too, in the long run

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

I thank you for enlightening me!

[stand watie]

YEP, the very one.

free the southland,sw

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Thanks.

I can be a bit beligerent when people are just being downright obnoxious about Grant, because I personally feel they are completely misinformed, and are doing it just to be spiteful in most cases.

But I had a great time recently, in Tennessee and Mississippi. Went to Vicksburg (Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, Raymond, where Champion's used to be (sigh), Big Black River) and Vicksburg Military Park, and then up through Oxford, Holly Springs and Corinth all the way to Shiloh.

Amazing trip. Nice people. Had some great converstations (the folks in the Warren County Courthouse museum in Vicksburg were wonderful) about the Civil War, and learned lots for my research.

Anyway, had my first Mint Julip (delightful) and enjoyed the Magnolia trees, all in full bloom at the time. Had some great southern cuisine (I recommend the fried chicken at the Walnut Hills Inn - I think it was called - in Vicksburg) and enjoyed the slower pace of life down there immensely.

So, as I said before, I have no problem with the South. Tennessee and Mississippi were more beautiful than even I imagined, with fabulous scenery.

Most people were respectful down there, of my interest in General Grant, but I did encounter some "Rebel Sons" who gave me some B.S. about Grant, though after I had a friendly little argument or two, they begrudgingly admitted that Grant was the better general and whipped 'em fair and square.

And you're right about Sherman. They couldn't say the man's name without "spitting". Most folks said something along the lines of "Grant was about as good a Yankee as you could find, but Sherman...I hate that man".

I understand why southerners hate "Cump". But he did what had to be done. That's easy to say when you're a northerner who didn't suffer under it, and you won the war out of it, to boot. But I can at least understand why his name engenders such terrible hostility down there.

One thing about Sherman, though, is that he's been "demonized" by the south. All the stories about "rapes" and "murders" are a bunch of hooey. Any study of Sherman's campaign shows that almost nothing like this happened. The southerners have built Sherman up as a huge "boogeyman" and that will probably never be overcome.

There were certainly some atrocities commited along Sherman's route, but what many people forget is that Lee's army did the exact same thing when they invaded the North. But that's never talked about (well, now it is, recent books on Gettysburg have detailed the atrocities committed against northern citizens on Lee's invasion). The crimes commited by both armies (Sherman's and Lee's) are about on par.

There was certainly nowhere near the level of atrocities commited by Sherman's army as a typical southerner thinks. The cries about "rapes" are a joke, there was hardly any attacks on the citizens themselves, and Sherman himself woudl have shot or hung any man brought to his attention, that had commited such an act.

Were houses burned and family heirlooms destroyed? Yes, almost certainly. But a lot of this has to do with how far Sherman was able to go, through the south. Had Lee's army been able to get as far as Philadelphia and Washington, they would have done the same things...their early days in Pennsylvania sure show this to be likely.

Sherman was no monster, nor was he an evil man, but I can certainly understand why he's not popular in Georgia and the Carolinas.

[azhenfud]

Hey Huckberry!
The blue was meant as "Union Blue".
I see you do have a slight shade of grey, though.
BTW, Sherman was the worst of the worst. He was evil.
Read it here: http://www.lewrockwell.com/jarvis/jarvis19.html - there are several other works referenced within, some made during/immediately after Sherman's atrocities. Those contain firsthand accounts of Sherman's troops' treatment of civilians/private property.

If Lee's and Sherman's armies are to be considered "about par", could you as well show documentation of Lee's armies' similar violations against civilians?

[TontoKowalski]

One thing about Sherman, though, is that he's been "demonized" by the south. All the stories about "rapes" and "murders" are a bunch of hooey. Any study of Sherman's campaign shows that almost nothing like this happened.

Well, let's be civilized and agree to disagree. But you're wrong.

[TontoKowalski]

On a more pleasant note. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. I know it's a tourist trap, but if you ever make it down to New Orleans, you have to have the mint julip at Pat O'Brien's. Trust me. Forget the hurricane and get the julip.

In fact, it's hard to find a good mint julip. Really, I don't know why Congress doesn't do something useful for a change and set up an agency to revive interest in "historical and regional alcohol of note."

Also, I hope this wasn't your first visit to Vicksburg. I hope you were able to go before they took up gambling on the boats. It's just spoiled the city. The billboards advertising the Cemetery and "Loosest Slots" all together disgust me. Last time I went by that way, my parents were with me and my Mother almost cried, and I haven't been through there since.

You might enjoy a trip to Natchez the next time you're down. They have some wonderful antebellum homes there open to the public. I think they rival some of those in Vicksburg. Of course, if you ever make it to the Coast, you can visit Jeff Davis's plantation home... the name of which escapes me at the moment... Beau Rivage doesn't sound right, but it's something like that. Oh, it doesn't matter the name, everybody down there knows it. It has quite a display of War era artifacts.

[Sloth]

Funny that I should see that Cher pic today... I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head. Only thing is, it's not a song that I or anyone else has ever heard. Specifically, it's the Beverly Hillbillies theme song sung to the tune of Cher's 'Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves.'