Super Bowl Halftime Show Complaints Focused on Lack of DEI for White People

As the most-watched halftime amusement of each time—one that exclusively featured Black performers—Kendrick Lamar's historical show during Super Bowl LIX was bound to gully immoderate complaints.

But according to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) effect to a Freedom of Information Act, oregon FOIA, petition from WIRED, the azygous biggest root of choler was not astir the show itself. It was that determination were not capable achromatic radical connected stage.

“I deliberation that it’s racist that determination aren’t immoderate achromatic radical successful this event,” 1 complainant wrote. Another from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, added: “There's thing incorrect erstwhile you can't adjacent enactment achromatic radical connected with talent.”

In effect to WIRED’s FOIA request, the FCC published 125 complaints sent to the bureau from immoderate of the much than 133 cardinal radical watching. Some complained astir the “vulgar” and “obscene” connection uses, others focused connected their inability to recognize “this rap crap,” and immoderate asked wherefore Madonna oregon Eminem weren’t performing. Despite its detractors, Lamar’s show was wide considered a taste feat, coming conscionable a fewer days aft helium won 5 Grammys for the Drake diss way “Not Like Us.”

But dozens of complainants were unfastened successful their beliefs that featuring the all-Black ensemble astatine halftime was racist against achromatic people, successful a bizarre twist connected the wider civilization warfare implicit diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI).

For years, right-wing politicians and personalities person been loudly blaming DEI policies for everything from the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, to doors falling disconnected planes, and bridges collapsing. During his 2024 predetermination campaign, Trump claimed “there is simply a definite anti-white feeling successful this country.” His medication has since cracked down heavy connected DEI policies astatine some nationalist and backstage institutions.

Some of the archetypal online backlash to Lamar’s February show accused the full amusement of being a signifier of DEI. But the FCC complaints suggest immoderate Super Bowl viewers consciousness achromatic radical should person been beneficiaries of much diversity.

“No diverseness (white, Latin, Native American, etc) but it seems the achromatic assemblage got their spotlight,” 1 spectator from Clovis, California wrote to the FCC. Another complainant alleges the deficiency of achromatic radical was someway a throwback to a erstwhile era, arsenic if determination was different play successful past erstwhile lone Black radical performed astatine Super Bowl halftime shows. “The lack of practice from different races takes america backmost successful time,” a complainant from Monee, Illinois wrote.

Many complainants wholly missed what critics said was the constituent of the show, which was to item the conflict of Black artists to execute due practice portion seeing their art, talent, and civilization appropriated by others.

Part of Lamar’s connection was delivered by histrion Samuel L. Jackson, who played the quality of Uncle Sam, but this appeared to beryllium excessively overmuch for immoderate people. “Why was Uncle Sam Black erstwhile Uncle Sam is white,” a spectator from Daytona Beach, Florida complained portion appearing to suggest that Uncle Sam was an existent humanities quality alternatively than a awesome of subject propaganda. “Racist and anti-white NFL show,” different aggravated spectator wrote. “Samuel Jackson arsenic Uncle Sam mocked achromatic people.”

Others attempted to thinly disguise their racist comments by utilizing dogwhistles, describing the amusement arsenic “very ghetto” and “low beingness trash.”

The contention implicit Lamar’s show highlights the hypocrisy astir the DEI backlash; experts accidental the word has travel to service arsenic a modern-day slur wielded against radical of color, portion astatine the aforesaid time, the radical offended by it spot themselves arsenic being victims of a deficiency of diversity.