Right-wing pundit Candace Owens loved the Super Bowl halftime show. Her followers were not happy
The Super Bowl halftime show has long been a flashpoint for cultural grievances. Just ask Janet Jackson.
While we may never be sure who at the NFL knew that Eminem was going to take a knee, or which lyric changes the league demanded of Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre beforehand, the show itself, which also featured Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent, was a celebration of Black L.A. music and classic hip-hop that was instantly deemed one of the best halftime shows of all time.
Nevertheless, some right-wing commentators were quick to criticize both the league and the performers.
“The NFL is now the league of sexual anarchy,” wrote Charlie Kirk, podcaster and founder of the far-right activist group Turning Points USA. “This halftime show should not be allowed on television.”
“Dear @NFL / @pepsi What was the message of the #HalfTimeShow ?” wrote former Trump press secretary and “Dancing With the Stars” alum Sean Spicer.
Trump-loyalist author Nick Adams opined that “Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, and Lee Greenwood would put on a better Halftime Show,” while calling the participating artists “hoodlums.”
For many locals whose lives were soundtracked by classic West Coast hip-hop, the Super Bowl was more once-in-a-lifetime concert than football championship.
When Candace Owens, a Black right-wing commentator and a favorite of Kanye West in his peak MAGA era, praised the set as “an excellent Super Bowl halftime performance. Undeniable hip-hop and R&B excellence,” her own fans revolted in the comments.
Her readership’s broad consensus: “The first time I haven’t agreed with you”; “This s— sucks. Just cuz you like the music doesnt mean it was good”; “You’ve got to be kidding. That halftime performance was painful”; and “Horrible. I knew I wasn’t the audience for that.”
Pop culture is reliable fodder for conservative broadcasters. In 2020, Ben Shapiro railed against Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s lascivious “WAP” video, while in the past weeks reimagined versions of M&Ms and Minnie Mouse became right-wing flashpoints on Fox News and beyond.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
