Were Beyoncé and Jay-Z making a political statement when they sat during the national anthem? Was Jennifer Lopez alluding to President Trump’s immigration practices by having children sitting in cage-like orbs? What about that Puerto Rican flag? At the Super Bowl, the most widely viewed television event of the year, political statements from international superstars can be only so overt.
And since representatives for the three celebrities didn’t respond to questions about the meaning, if any, behind the gestures, viewers rushed in to fill the void with speculation. Jay-Z and Beyoncé were not part of the televised presentation during Demi Lovato’s singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The celebrity news website TMZ obtained a video of the two of them, along with their daughter Blue Ivy, seated during the song while most everyone else around them was standing.
The royal couple of hip-hop were not ignoring the song; both appeared to be swaying to it. But given the circumstances of Jay-Z’s partnership with the National Football League, many readers wondered whether their attachment to their seats was part of some message. One conservative author and pundit, Nick Adams, called it a “disgusting act of shame" on Twitter; others wondered whether it was all a manufactured fuss.
