Speaking during an appearance on The Ingraham Angle, Fox News personality Brian Kilmeade referred to pop star Beyoncé as "more vile than ever" after she announced she would remove an ableist slur from the lyrics of one of her recent hits.
Kilmeade's remarks came in response to the news Beyoncé would remove the word "spaz" from the lyrics to the song "Heated," which is featured on her hit album Rennaissance.
"Spaz" is a derogatory term for spastic, a reference to involuntary movements seen with some forms of cerebral palsy and other neurological or musculoskeletal disorders. Disability rights advocates called on Beyoncé to remove the slur from her lyrics, news that prompted Kilmeade to launch into a misogynoir attack against her.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
\u201cKilmeade: She\u2019s a parent. We haven\u2019t t really seen her in a while barely dressed dancing around and now she comes back more vile than ever\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1659410794
After Ingraham Angle guest Raymond Arroyo said he doesn't believe Beyoncé "went far enough with the cleanup and the lyric revision," Kilmeade responded with:
“Do you, like, when you get a little bit older, sometimes you mellow? I mean, she’s a parent."
“You know, you would think we haven’t really seen her in a while, barely dressed, dancing around, and now she comes back more vile than ever, putting out X-rated lyrics.”
Kilmeade was harshly criticized for his remarks and many acciused him of misogynoir.
\u201cThe misogyny at FOX News perseveres.\n\nFOX & Friends Brian Kilmeade calling Beyonc\u00e9 vile is just so\u2026 on brand. \ud83e\udd37\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\n\n#BeyHive\u201d— Jude \ud83c\udf3b\u262e\ufe0f (@Jude \ud83c\udf3b\u262e\ufe0f) 1659448419
\u201c\u201cand now she comes back more vile than ever\u201d is such a serve and the kinda promo you can\u2019t even pay for. literally only making the project hotter \ud83d\ude2d\u201d— j\u00e3y is HEATED (@j\u00e3y is HEATED) 1659413462
\u201cMisogyny with a side dish of racism.\u201d— Tiffany (@Tiffany) 1659414485
\u201cIn other words, Fox the network for old men.\u201d— Jeanne. B always follows A. The left shoe drops. (@Jeanne. B always follows A. The left shoe drops.) 1659447430
\u201cImagine if they spoke like this about a man. Yeah, it wouldn't happen.\u201d— Lisa Jane (@Lisa Jane) 1659414831
\u201cHer songs ain\u2019t for you. Move on.\u201d— Emily (@Emily) 1659440043
\u201cI have never wanted the Beyhive to skewer someone so bad as I do these two. #BeyHive\u201d— Thee Jeremy Bearimy (@Thee Jeremy Bearimy) 1659440805
\u201cI need bey to use that "Now she comes back more vile than ever" as a tour interlude\u201d— Y.\u02e3 (@Y.\u02e3) 1659442296
\u201cJust sick; these guys need a life against everything good.\u201d— Otis (@Otis) 1659440344
Yesterday, news outlets reported that Beyoncé would re-record the lyrics to "Heated" after facing criticism from disability rights advocates. One advocate, Hannah Diviney, told the BBC that hearing the song felt "like a slap in the face."
The pop star's publicist said that the word was "not used intentionally in a harmful way," adding that it "will be replaced in the lyrics."
The backlash came shortly after singer Lizzo apologized for using the word in her song "GRRRLS." Lizzo apologized and later re-released the song without the offensive lyric.