Lady Gaga has been far from apolitical throughout her career. About as far away from apolitical as possible, actually. There was the meat dress, her outspokenness about sexual assault in America, and her support for gay marriage and rights even when it wasn’t convenient for her career. So leading into her performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show on Sunday, many people around the NFL were reportedly concerned about her penchant for making a big political statement at the most inopportune time for them and their brand. Of course, Gaga both sang the National Anthem before last year’s Super Bowl and performed at a rally for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Election, so both of those polished events clearly trusted her.
But now, the “will she or won’t she” question about the possibility of a political statement seems to have been answered by the artist herself in a recent post. She claims,
“The only statements that I’ll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I’ve been consistently making throughout my career. I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality, and that the spirit of this country is one of love and compassion and kindness. My performance will uphold those philosophies. I want to, more than anything, create a moment that everyone that’s watching will never forget.”
Naturally, this can all be taken with a grain of salt. Seeing as her entire career has been political on one level or anotherit’s safe to say that she will be mixing her artistry with her political activism the same as she always has. Especially considering recent developments from the desk of Donald Trump and their effect on the country. If Lady Gaga does go too far for the NFL’s taste though, they won’t be afraid to pull the plug faster than you can say “Brady loves Trump.” A Houston Super Bowl was the last time a catastrophe occurred during the half time performance, after all.
Plus, the chances Gaga will do something too egregious are slim seeing as her duetting partner Tony Bennett will be there for at least a song or two.
(via The Huffington Post)
