Lizzo Plays James Madison's Very Old Crystal Flute, Leading To Discourse, For Some Reason

Before achieving massive success with songs like "About Damn Time," Lizzo was known as an up-and-coming pop star and a talented flutist. In fact, one could argue she broke through to mainstream audiences because she used to simultaneously twerk and play the flute.

Her flute has been largely absent from her pop career of late as she racks up more traditional pop hits, but recently, she was given a chance to play a priceless artifact — a crystal flute gifted to the fourth American President James Madison by Parisian craftsman Claude Laurent in 1813.

This was, to some, a very huge deal. The viral video of her performance has since racked up millions of views around the web.

Making history in DC: lizzo</a> playing James Madison’s crystal flute from <a href="https://twitter.com/librarycongress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">librarycongress tonight! nbcwashington</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Telemundo44?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Telemundo44 pic.twitter.com/kYTTacURyZ

— Vince Lattanzio (@VinceLattanzio) September 28, 2022

Lizzo playing two notes on Madison's flute at a recent concert in Washington, D.C. riled up a certain segment of Twitter, as some scandalization-prone conservatives were aghast that Lizzo tooted and twerked with James Madison's flute, such as Ben Shapiro.

This Lizzo-flute controversy is a perfect example of what I have termed Face Tattoo Phenomenon™: the phenomenon whereby someone does something deliberately controversial in an attempt to draw attention, and then acts offended when you notice.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 29, 2022

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. https://t.co/obpKb09PWo

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 28, 2022

Everyone involved in the decision to allow Lizzo to twerk while playing James Madison’s flute needs to be deported.I don’t care if they’re citizens.Deport them somewhere.

— Andrew McCarthy (@AMcCarthyNY) September 28, 2022

Some left-leaning posters interpreted Lizzo playing Madison's flute playing as a political statement since Madison was a slave-owner and the author of the infamous Three-Fifths Compromise, which enshrined in the Constitution the idea that 60 percent of a state's slave population would count towards its population and representation in the United States government.

This seems to have contributed to some of the conservative backlash, as Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh tweeted hyperbolic claims of "racial retribution" and "degradation."

Lizzo, a Black female superstar, collaborating with Carla Hayden, the first African American and first woman Librarian of Congress, to use a flute from James Madison, the Founding Father who originated the 3/5 Compromise and also the Library of Congress itself? The symbolism!!! https://t.co/n5AQsjJwKH

— Tiffany C. Li (@tiffanycli) September 28, 2022

They are outright admitting that this was done as a purposeful act of degradation. Racial retribution against one of our Founding Fathers. And yet I still see some conservatives on here like "Lighten up everyone, I think it was kind of cool!" https://t.co/wgFfzE2cF1

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) September 29, 2022

The truth is likely less complicated or politically motivated than those on either side would believe. On September 23rd, Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, publicly invited Lizzo to check out the government's stash of cool flutes ahead of her D.C. gig.

The librarycongress</a> has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800. It incl Pres James Madison’s 1813 crystal flute. <a href="https://twitter.com/lizzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">lizzo we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week. Like your song they are “Good as hell.”😉 pic.twitter.com/2FkUFZfIYh

— Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) September 23, 2022

Lizzo came and a video was made by the Washington Post of Lizzo playing some old pieces on some old flutes.

If Lizzo intended her performance with Madison's flute to be some sort of statement of "racial retribution," she didn't show it on stage. Instead, she regaled the audience with a little of the history behind the flute and excitedly exclaimed that she'd twerked and played it.

The "controversy" behind the would-be "Flutegate" proved exhausting to many onlookers, who weren't interested in another round of outrage from what they perceived as much of the same people angry that the new Little Mermaid is Black.

being excited that lizzo played james madison's flute and being mad that lizzo played james madison's flute are both subcategories of what I call "caring about flutes", and I personally will not stand for it

— america's lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) September 28, 2022

Discourse of the week???spins wheelFormer president James Madison's…throws dartAncient crystal flute…shakes 8 ballIs played by…pulls cardLizzo!

— Jon🐦🌝 (@JonMIPol) September 29, 2022