Som en af de mest medieombruste sorte berømtheder i USA har Knowles ofte modtaget kritik, som man har ment kunne bære spor af racistiske eller sexistiske antydninger.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jones |first=Vanessa E. |title=Bewitched. Bothered. Beyoncé. 1 |url=http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/08/05/bewitched_bothered_beyonc/?page=1 |work=The Boston Globe |publisher=Globe Newspaper Company |date=5. august 2007 |access-date=9. april 2008}}</ref> Forfattere fra ''Rolling Stone'' har udtalt at siden udgivelsen af ''[[Dangerously in Love]]'', "er Beyoncé blevet et sexsymbol a la [[Halle Berry]]&nbsp;..."<ref>{{cite web |author=Toure |title=Cover Story: A Woman Possessed |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/beyonce_a_woman_possessed |work=Rolling Stone |date=4. marts 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502172205/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/beyonce_a_woman_possessed |archive-date= 2. maj 2009 |access-date=23. juli 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> I 2006 modtog Knowles hård kritik fra [[Dyreret|dyrerettighedsorganisationen]] [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA]] da hun skulle have gået i pels og brugt pels i sin tøjkollektion [[House of Deréon]].<ref name="PETA">{{cite web |url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/13370421/ns/today-entertainment/ |title=PETA surprises Beyonce at New York dinner |work=[[Today (NBC-program)|Today]] |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |date=16. juni 2006 |access-date=11. januar 2011 |archive-date= 9. juni 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609062631/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/13370421/ns/today-entertainment |url-status=dead }}</ref> Organisationen har sagt, at de tidligere har forsøgt at få fat i Knowles igennem fax, breve og repræsentanter placeret udenfor hendes koncerter. Da dette ikke lykkedes, valgte PETA at konfrontere hende under en middag i New York.<ref name="PETA"/> I 2007 var Knowles på forsiden af sportsbladet ''[[Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue]],'' som den første kvindelige ikke-model eller ikke-atlet og kun den anden afroamerikanske kvinde efter [[Tyra Banks]].<ref name="People2">{{cite web |title=Beyoncé Knowles: Biography – Part 2 |url=http://www.people.com/people/beyonce_knowles/biography/0,,20004431_10,00.html |work=People magazine |access-date=1. april 2008 |archive-date= 4. maj 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504090034/http://www.people.com/people/beyonce_knowles/biography/0,,20004431_10,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Samme år kunne man også se Knowles på billboards og aviser over hele USA, der viser hende med et gammeldags cigaretrør. Billedet, der oprindeligt var bagcover til albummet ''[[B'Day]]'', fremprovokerede protester fra antirygegrupper, som sagde, at hun ikke behøvede at tilføje sig selv et cigaretrør "for at fremtræde mere sofistikeret."<ref>{{cite news |last=Dennehy |first=Luke |title=Beyoncé's ad fires up critics |url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,21255564-10388,00.html |work=[[News.com.au]] |publisher=[[News Limited]] |date=20. februar 2007 |access-date=2. april 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526215314/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/beyonces-ad-fires-up-critics/story-e6frfn09-1111113024561 |archive-date=26. maj 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Knowles har adskillige voksfigurer af sig selv stående på [[Madame Tussaud]]s Voksmuseum i større byer verdenen over, deriblandt New York,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.madametussauds.com/NewYork/OurFigures/PopMusic/Beyonce/Default.aspx |title=Beyonce's wax figure at Madame Tussauds New York |work=[[Madame Tussaud]]s |publisher=Merlin Entertainments Group |access-date=10. januar 2011 |archive-date=13. august 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813223454/http://www.madametussauds.com/NewYork/OurFigures/PopMusic/Beyonce/Default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> Washington, D.C.,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.madametussauds.com/Washington/OurFigures/PopMusic/Beyonce/Default.aspx |title=Beyonce wax figure at Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. |work=[[Madame Tussaud]]s |publisher=Merlin Entertainments Group |access-date=10. januar 2011}}</ref> [[Amsterdam]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.madametussauds.com/Amsterdam/OnzeBeelden/PopulaireMuzikanten/Beyonce/Default.aspx |title=Beyonce wax figure at Amsterdam |work=[[Madame Tussaud]]s |publisher=Merlin Entertainments Group |access-date=10. januar 2011}}</ref> [[Bangkok]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.madametussauds.com/Bangkok/en/OurFigures/PopStars/Beyonc%C3%A9Knowles.aspx |title=Beyonce Knowles' wax figure at Madame Tussauds Bangkok |work=[[Madame Tussaud]]s |publisher=Merlin Entertainments Group |access-date=10. januar 2011 |archive-date= 8. februar 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208211506/http://www.madametussauds.com/Bangkok/en/OurFigures/PopStars/Beyonc%C3%A9Knowles.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> og Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.madametussauds.com/Hollywood/OurFigures/PopStars/Beyonce.aspx |title=Beyonce's wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hollywood |work=[[Madame Tussaud]]s |publisher=Merlin Entertainments Group |access-date=10. januar 2011}}</ref>
Levende_personer Kunst Samfund Musik Kultur Samfundsvidenskab Mode