Super Sunday is the biggest promotion of capitalism in the world and I’m good with that. But is there any room left for social conscience?
This year’s Super Bowl isn’t just an epic showdown between the two best football teams in the NFL, it’s a three-way bare-knuckle brawl between the perpetually dueling American values of competition, commerce and conscience. As usual, it looks like commerce will be the undisputed winner. This conflict in no way detracts from the thrill and joy of watching elite athletes in action. We can still admire the artistry of a fashionable outfit, even if it’s worn by a despicable person. But at some point we have to ask ourselves whether we want to continue to contribute to this dysfunction because it entertains us, or demand some accountability because we’re responsible adults.
This clash of conscience is one of the reasons why the NFL struggled to find performers for its halftime show, even though an appearance would mean being exposed to over a hundred million viewers in the United States alone. That can translate into a lot of money. Yet famous singers such as Cardi B, Jay Z, and Rihanna refused to perform out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, who has been blackballed for his non-violent, non-verbal message that there is racial inequality and injustice in America. Instead, they have Maroon 5, Big Boi, Travis Scott, and, to sing the national anthem, Gladys Knight. The backlash against the NFL and these performers resulted in the league cancelling the traditional pre-game news conference for the half-time show performers, with the excuse, “As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday.”
Written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/02/super-bowl-patriots-rams-commerce-conscience-social-justice under the title “
“. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
