It doesn't really matter what some 55-year-old white guy thinks of Jay Z and Beyoncé. But, when that guy is likely a Republican presidential candidate — and when his views are rather upsetting — it starts to matter a bit.
In his new book God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, Huckabee claims Jay Z is "crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object." He calls on the couple's 2014 Grammy Awards performance, which he dubbed "foreplay." He just doesn't understand why Bey needs Jay in the first place, or why she insists on being sexual on stage. "Beyoncé is incredibly talented — gifted, in fact," he writes. "She has an exceptional set of pipes and can actually sing. She is a terrific dancer – without the explicit moves best left for the privacy of her bedroom. Jay Z is a very shrewd businessman, but I wonder: Does it occur to him that he is arguably crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object?"
Hold the phone, Hucks. You've got it all wrong. Bey doesn't belong to anyone — least of all her husband. Jay Z isn't exploiting her. Beyoncé's owning her sexuality, and this quote is an attempt to take her agency away from her. The Grammy performance to which he's referring is a promotion of her song from her album. Jay Z's "business prowess" has nothing to do with it.