I didn’t watch the Super Bowl last Sunday, but tonight I watched a recording of the halftime show. Even though that style of rap isn’t generally my thing I see why so many people in my age cohort were so hyped over the performances. That show was a HUGE deal for Black Gen X, particularly people who can personally relate to those performances and don’t usually get to see them on that kind of stage. I’m happy for all of the people who got to see performers from their school days featured that evening. The hype was well deserved.
I read somewhere 3 of the 4 male performers are known abusers. It is hurtful for survivors to be living with the scars–physical, mental, and emotional–inflicted on them while their abusers are lauded and featured on such a large stage in spite of their crimes. Their careers haven’t really suffered, which isn’t fair. I feel bad for the survivors, especially since the abuse of Black women is not taken as seriously as the abuse of non-Black women, which is not taken seriously enough as it is. The criticism I have seen for that reason is well deserved.