At the Super Bowl, the Political Was Debatable

The N.F.L. entered a partnership with Jay-Z as a way to smooth over the rough edges left by the league’s battle with Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback whose kneeling during the national anthem touched off a nationwide debate over free speech, patriotism and the treatment of black Americans. The deal called for Jay-Z and his company, Roc Nation, to consult on live entertainment, including the halftime show, and for the music impresario to contribute to a league social-justice campaign called “Inspire Change.”

Jay-Z had supported Kaepernick’s protest, but received some flak from those who saw his cooperation with the N.F.L. as betraying Kaepernick’s cause. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Jay-Z said that he “can take a couple rounds of negative press” if it meant the deal could help convince white football fans that they should be concerned with police treatment of African-Americans.

Beyoncé herself used the Super Bowl platform to make a statement even before Kaepernick began kneeling. In 2016, her performance of “Formation” during the halftime show in New Orleans was replete with black pride imagery — featuring costumes reminiscent of Black Panther attire — and carried an implicit message about police shootings.

David M. Carter, an associate professor of sports business at the University of Southern California, said that entertainers see the Super Bowl as a platform to communicate — but any political messages tend to be toned down because of the multitude of corporate interests involved.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/arts/super-bowl-politics.html?emc=rss&partner=rss