Here is another work of art to share with you all. Quite different from what we usually see and chat about, but I’m finding it fascinating because it’s completely unfamiliar to me. I don’t watch football, or any TV very much anymore, and I admit to not being completely up to speed with all the latest in music and culture. But I was curious to investigate after seeing this performance trend yesterday. When I watched the video yesterday, there were a few hundred thousand views. Today as I share this, there are 26 million.
Here is the video of the halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar. He has won 22 Grammys and is the only non-classical or jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. He is a true artist and storyteller, and very deliberate with every detail of his art. His performance is packed with symbolism.
Notable is the call to action for change and the world to unite and organize, as we are in crisis. I don’t listen to rap, but I appreciate the artistry, message and performance. And I’m curious to learn more about this artist and his music.
Reading some of the comments regarding the performance, (there are millions, and, as with all art, everyone has their own interpretations), this is an example of just one analysis that I found interesting:
“I also thought the tic tac toe set up kind of represented the two major political parties of America.
It feels like we aren’t really progressing as a nation but playing a game of obstruction, in the same way that in tic tac toe you’re trying to obstruct the other player from getting three in a row. You can also have a situation in tic tac toe where neither player wins (cat’s game), and nobody in this country is really winning except for the billionaires.
Also, the Eagles were trying to stop the Chiefs from getting three in a row (and succeeded).
His mind. This is why he has a Pulitzer.
ETA: also on the “Cat’s Game” aspect of tic tac toe, a lot of working class white people often vote against their own self-interests if it aligns with their racists beliefs and denies POC from getting a piece of the pie. In the end, they hurt themselves while also hurting POC. Again, a cat’s game where no one wins.” credit: reddit/u/Jasminewindsong2
More Photos From Susan Walker (click to enlarge)
