Every year, Americans across the United States pile onto their couches or into plastic seats to witness the legendary Super Bowl halftime show. This year's show did not disappoint, yet those who were against it stood strong in their opposition. I wonder, does their apprehension toward performances of an art form dominated by people of color reflect further on their character and tolerance, or lack thereof? 

Without a doubt, the halftime show is one of the biggest performances of the year; in fact, many watch the Super Bowl not to see the game, but only to see the halftime show. Previous performers include Lady Gaga, Prince, Beyoncé, Madonna, and a myriad of other pop culture icons. This year's performance was supplied by the hip-hop and rap icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar. Never before had pop and rock music taken a backseat on such a stage like this. It was a beautiful breath of fresh air from the radio top 40 bangers that dominated the halftime show in years past. I loved the testament to hip-hop and Black culture, but found that my opinion was not as popular as I expected.

I reflected upon the conservatives in the public eye whose less-than-positive opinions bordered on resentment. Conservative author Nick Adams called the performers “hoodlums” while founder of far-right interest group Turning Points USA, Charlie Kirk, asserted that “this halftime show should not be allowed on Television.” Republican pundit Candace Owens actually spoke out to support the halftime show, calling it “undeniable hip-hop and R&B excellence.” Her fans ripped her apart for it. One wrote back to her to say that he “knew [he] wasn’t the audience for that.” 

This kind of response made me consider what actually motivated so many people to not like this show. I know that it isn’t simply because they don’t like hip hop; it’s deeper than that. These people feel as though they aren’t being seen and heard in this halftime show. Now, this is a new feeling for many of them who likely come from privilege and are used to having everything given to them on a silver platter. For the first time, people of color got to see their culture being fed to the masses on that same silver platter. People in these positions of privilege should realize that their negativity towards expression of Black culture will do nothing about its persistence. No matter how much they complain or call the performance “ghetto” and the performers “hoodlums”, Black artists’ successes will continue to grow. It’s time to recognize that Black culture, hip-hop, and R&B, should sit comfortably in the mainstream. So, next time you see something on the TV that you don’t like or don’t understand, consider just letting it happen instead of being unkind.