The Halftime Show that Had No Chance

This week my social media feed has been filled with explanations of the symbols, imagery, and messaging of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show. The comments sections have been a predictable mess. Behold the most recent skirmish in the culture wars. 

There are two, largely disconnected, reactions.

Defenders of the halftime show have emphasized Lamar’s ability to speak to the alienation many feel right now: of the head-spinning events of our political moment, of the experience of Blacks and other minorities in America, and of the capacity of rap to say something substantive about our culture.