A Tale of Three Rappers
Three rap artists figured prominently in this year’s Super Bowl proceedings, which could be seen as some sort of societal progress were it not for the messiness of two of them.
Snoop Dogg had been living a uniquely American success story.
The former gangsta rapper had parlayed his now much-loved, laid-back persona into a host of television endorsement and public appearances.
His friendship with businesswoman Martha Stewart added to his newly All-American appeal.
Then, for reasons only he can fathom, he agreed to perform at a cryptocurrency inauguration event.
Since then, his street cred and homeboy stock has tanked.
His appearance at the event was roundly and rightfully criticized as tone-deaf and illogical.
Which made his appearance in a “Stand Up to Hate” commercial with Tom Brady all the more ludicrous
(Apologies to Luda for the pun).
Sponsored by New England Patriots owner and fellow Orange Legion member Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Snoop and Brady stood and yelled at each other in what was meant to be a display of how misunderstandings can lead to hate.
The abounding hypocrisy caused the commercial to appear like a Saturday Night Live parody:
· For the Super Bowl, the NFL replaced its “End Racism” slogan with “Choose Love,” ostensibly to appease the president who was in attendance.
· Brady, Kraft, and Snoop are supporters/apparent supporters of the president, who has repeatedly demonstrated racist and antisemitic behavior. This support emphatically cancels the intended impact of the ad.
Advice one would give to Snoop would consist of sitting down, being quiet, and contemplating who has and hasn’t earned his tacit support.
He might be cool with MAGA, but most of the rest of us will leave him alone.
Now onto another display of MAGA hypocrisy – the virulent reaction to Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance versus the non-reaction to Kanye West’s self-serving, and subsequently racist and antisemitic Super Bowl ad.
Lamar put on a riveting politically outspoken halftime show that castigated the president.
Needless to say, the president’s loyal supporters were incensed.
Disgraced former Florida congressman Matt Goetz tweeted:
“The halftime show you just watched is clearly the regime’s response to Trump’s historic gains with black men.”
Colorado congresswoman Lauran Boebert wrote:
“Tell me I’m not the only one needing subtitles for this!!”
Arizona politician and MAGA member Kari Lake said:
“Halftime Show 0/10.”
George Santos, the former New York representative who claimed to be everything except Bigfoot exclaimed:
“The Super Bowl Halftime show was absolute TRASH!”
Many other GOP faithful chimed in, aghast that a Super Bowl halftime performer would take a stand against the president.
Meanwhile, these same people have been remarkably silent on Kanye West’s Super Bowl ad.
His bizarre commercial touted his Yeezy.com website.
By the time would-be shoppers accessed the site, they found previously listed merchandise had been replaced by one item.
A white t-shirt.
With a swastika on it.
Moreover, the T-shirt merchandise code is HH-01, a code for “Heil Hitler.”
While the Anti-Defamation League and other civil rights organizations have decried the ad, MAGA Nation has been notably silent.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning musician causes an uproar for speaking his mind with patriotic symbols like Uncle Sam and the American Flag.
But another musician who runs a commercial selling a Nazi T-Shirt results in the Sounds of Silence.
This is exactly what Lamar was talking about.
America in all of its hypocritical glory.
Defender of freedom and liberty abroad.
Purveyor of systemic racism and hatred at home.