On Sunday, Feb. 7, 111.9 million people turned in to see the Denver Bronco's 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, a game that was not that interesting to watch, but still very entertaining. On top of this, those 111.9 million people also tuned in to see the Super Bowl Halftime Show, a tradition that lots of fans soley tune in for.
Over the past few years, there have been plenty of impressive shows, such as Katy Perry and her guest Missy Elliot last year, or Madonna and Nicki Minaj in 2012. Colorful lights, dancing sharks and amazing performances have left their mark on the history of the Super Bowl just as much as the games themselves. But, there was something about this year's show that left the audience captivated with a lot to think about.
The band Coldplay started things off, performing some of their hit songs such as "Viva la Vida" and "Paradise." After, Bruno Mars took center stage to perform his song "Uptown Funk." The attention after this song then moved to beside the stage where Beyoncé strutted out onto the field with a group of dancers to perform her newest single (which was actually released on Feb. 6, just a day before the Super Bowl) "Formation."
The controversy then begins after this, as lots of people disapproved of Beyoncé's back up dancers, who dressed up as Black Panther activists. For those of you who do not know who the Black Panthers are, the Black Panther Party, or BPP, was a black nationalist and socialist organization that was active in the United States from 1966 to 1982. The organization began to try to challenge against police brutality in California. Backstage of the Super Bowl, some of the dancers were showing support for Mario Woods, a man killed by police in San Fransisco.
Controversy also springs from Beyoncé and her squad of dancers' song choice. "Formation," has been called a "rallying call" for the Black Lives Matter movement, as the music video references racism and police brutality against black Americans. Personally, I do not think Beyoncé was in the wrong at all for performing this song or how her dancers dressed. It is a topic that needs to be addressed and she chose the perfect time to address it, with millions and millions of people watching. I am not telling you what to think, though. You can form your own opinions about the performance as you wish.
Even more controversy followed towards the end of the performance, when Coldplay's frontman, Chris Martin, said, "Whoever you are, whereever you are, we're in this together." At the very end of the show, the audience attending the Super Bowl lifted up posters, covering the stadium in a giant rainbow with the words: "Believe In Love." LGBTQ activists celebrated this, while others weren't as happy.
Many fans criticized Beyoncé and Coldplay, saying the Super Bowl was "not the time or the place to discuss Black Lives Matter or LGBTQ rights." To this, I say (again, this is my opinion) that it is 2016. We are in the midst of not only another sexual revolution, but a gender revolution as well. We are also in a time where police brutality is definitely becoming an issue again. If we don't talk about these issues now, when will they be talked about? These celebrities took advantage by showcasing these issues on one of the most watched events of the year. That's not called "shoving their opinions down America's throats," that's called being smart. Whether or not you agree with these issues, people are definitely talking about them. By talking about these issues more and more, change, and hopefully something good, can come out from it.
So, I applaud the performers of the 50th Super Bowl Halftime Show, for allowing these issues to be brought up and be more talked about by Americans. I end with the same message that Coldplay left us with after their breathtaking performance: Believe in love.
