I’m going to go ahead and chime in on this issue of Beyoncé and her politically charged performance during the halftime show of this year’s 50th anniversary celebration of the NFL Super Bowl. First of all the entire halftime show clearly had a larger message that is very relevant to the times we are living in and that, in some way, resonates with a large number of Super Bowl viewers. The overall message that I assume was not hard to decipher was a message about love, acceptance for others, and unity in all of our differences. There was heavy symbolism through the bright ‘rainbow’ colors during Cold Play’s performance and again at the end of the show in the large colored cutouts in the audience spelling out “Believe in Love”. Beyoncé then took the stage and pushed the boundaries of the Super Bowl halftime show platform with her performance symbolically paying homage to historical black artists and the 50th anniversary to the founding of the Black Panther Party. The show in total rang to many as being both a message pushing an agenda for the LGBT community and an anti-cop/pro-#blacklivesmatter plug; appreciated by many, but also a message still feared and met with resistance by many Americans.
Personally I feel that people are just too sensitive when it comes to any form of political expression. Television has become a very personal inlet in today’s world of largely diverse shows representing the interests of nearly every ethnic, artistic, or political culture Something as large as the Super Bowl with its millions of fans across the nation and some even across the globe is used to insert, not only sports entertainment, but symbolic political messages into the homes of all viewers tuned in; unfortunately some feel like their beliefs and values are being challenged through the messages that are being presented without permission.
There were countless comments in the media that followed the halftime performance including that of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, “This is football, not Hollywood.” Well Mr. Giuliani I must tell you that Hollywood and football, as they have to do with American culture, are NOT mutually exclusive, just as football and waving an American flag or saluting American troops isn’t either. Mr. Giuliani, how much do you think the Department of Defense pays yearly to have American military support plugs inserted during the Super Bowl? Somewhere along the lines of 5 or 6 million dollars according to report last year by NJ.com. I guess messages spread through large platforms that reach the masses are only acceptable when they portray your message but not the others. Sure thing.
Why is it okay to spread a message for American militarism that is well known for having its own questionable agendas around the world but artists like Beyoncé or Cold Play cannot use the same platform to also spread their message about resistance to racial or sexual suppression which is very much an integral part of people’s sense of selves. The city councillor of Toronto Canada, Jim Karygannis, has also chimed in (which he’s now stepping back from) by questioning the values and loyalty of Beyoncé by stating whether or not she ought to be investigated for supporting the “radical” Black Panther Party to determine her acceptance into Canada for an upcoming May performance at the Rogers Centre Stadium in Toronto. Isn’t your suggestion of a more “wholesome” performance just another form of suppression of voices for social justice through any means necessary councillor? Funny how the voices speaking out come from a certain upper echelon with their own political agendas. Hmmm.
I think the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl was the perfect message-driven platform for these popular celebrities to use in order to spread messages that are not only relevant to today’s civil issues in the U.S., but it just goes to show where we are in juxtaposition to the world that once was just 50 years ago. Social Justice is an ongoing event much more nuanced than just overcoming one battle. Social Justice pushes for the rights of every voice to be heard, including those who speak to support censorship of others. So with that being said, all of those who just want to shut people like Beyoncé or Cold Play up, please feel free to use whatever platform necessary to get your opinions out; afterall, freedom of speech has done wonders for those who were once considered to be less than human in your very own country. They stood up and used their voices to get a message out that has gotten them to where they are today. Perhaps you too can achieve what it is you want; isn’t that part of the American Dream afterall? -Shara Love
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