What Lizzo Can Teach the Right about History

It’s tough being a social conservative these days, what with all the trolls about.

Some right-wingers were in a lather last week after Lizzo “disrespected” James Madison’s flute. Or, that’s what they would have you think.

Jenna Ellis, one of Trump’s former lawyers, said Lizzo’s performance was a “desecration, literally of America’s history.” Matt Walsh tweeted that “Lizzo playing James Madison’s flute was a form of racial retribution, according to the woke Left. And I actually have no doubt that this is part of the reason why the Library of Congress facilitated this spectacle.” Hitting the same notes, Ben Shapiro decried the “vulgarization of American history.”

Well. Let’s consider what actually took place. Aware that Lizzo would be in DC for a big concert in late September, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden sent a twitter invitation to the Grammy-winning performer.

Lizzo, an accomplished flutist, responded with enthusiasm, and visited the Library of Congress, dressed in street clothes, where she tried out some of the historic instruments, including a crystal flute that once belonged to James Madison. Here is a sample of her playing. Outstanding, right?

I wonder how many of the “conservatives” lambasting Lizzo would be able to name the excerpts she performed from Paganini’s “Carnival of Venice” and Poulenc’s flute sonata? Or whether they paused to admire her musicianship? As a classical music site noted, it wasn’t easy to play the historical instrument:

Normally she plays the modern Boehm concert flute, cylindrical bore, pitched in C with the keynote played with seven fingers down and extensive keywork for the accidentals. The Laurent crystal flute is a pre-Boehm simple system instrument, pitched in D, tapered bore, keynote played with six fingers down, only a few keys. Their playing characteristics are therefore markedly different, to the point where they are not at all interchangeable.

What really set off the cons though was what happened at the Capital One Arena the following night, when representatives of the Library of Congress brought Madison’s flute onstage. Lizzo played a few notes and then executed a little winking twerk. Now, I am no fan of this move, but I must say that Lizzo’s humorous romp was utterly tame compared with, say, Miley Cyrus’s version at the 2013 VMA awards.

But here’s the part the conservatives omitted from their accounts: Lizzo told her thousands of fans that the flute was

a gift to James Madison from a French crystal flute designer to celebrate his second term.. . . There was a fire while he was away and the only two things that were saved were a portrait of George Washington [big ovation] and this crystal flute right here. [Another big ovation.] I am the first person to ever play it, so y’all about to hear what it sounds like for the first time. It’s crystal. It’s like playing out of a wine glass.”

After playing a few notes, she exulted that “History is freaking cool you guys!”