Playing the Super Bowl halftime show is a daunting task: no matter how well you perform, some will invariably say your show was awful. But I’m sure Lady Gaga, considering her … unique style, has a thick skin by now and was prepared for it.
However, I’m fairly sure she didn’t expect her fellow leftists to take to social media to blast her halftime show not for her performance itself, but because she didn’t exploit an opportunity to shove politics down the world’s throat.
She did open her show with a generic comment about how America stands for “liberty and justice for all.” This could have been construed as a poke at President Trump and his recent executive order restricting immigration from a handful of Islamic nations, but it could just as well have been a tribute to America. And apparently, being less than explicit is unacceptable:
Lady Gaga is the epitome of dumb white ally. Every opportunity to stand up to trump & instead preached togetherness.
— Taylor Nicole (@keepittaylored) February 6, 2017
@LadyGaGa: good show but missed stage opportunity 2 protect & defend your #Monsters from the biggest monster of all. #Resist fail #GagaBowl
— Colleen Boland (@ColleenBoland) February 6, 2017
Trump and his minions have all the power right now. @ladygaga when you have a platform that huge, you need to use it. #fail
— Baseball Fan (@LeftHandedBat) February 6, 2017
Oh to live in a privileged bubble of ignorance #gaga #queen #equality #SuperBowl2017 #trumpjabs #TheResistance #fucktrump
— Kyla Amos (@kylaamos) February 6, 2017
For the American Left, everything that can be politicized must be politicized.
Frankly, Lady Gaga was smart. While many argue her opening and her choice to include the song “Born This Way” in her set were subtle digs at Trump — and they may well have been — they were subtle enough that no one should have been alienated.
Entertainers can, of course, express political opinions, but you would think everyone would agree that a Super Bowl performer should respect the millions watching and the lifetime of effort and pain the players put into reaching this moment. And Lady Gaga did. While debate can be had as to whether she succeeded or not — my wife and I have a bit of a disagreement on that — it’s clear that she was there to wow the audience.
Far too many entertainers have forgotten the only reason they have an outsized media presence in the first place.
(Hat tip: Heat St.)
Join the conversation as a VIP Member