Jay-Z and Beyoncé were seen on video seated during a portion of the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and a lot of people are riled up: Some at the power couple for not showing respect for the flag; others at folks who're angry at them, ET reported.
The clip shows Jay-Z and Beyoncé, as well as their daughter, Blue Ivy, in their seats while Demi Lovato sings the lyric, "Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there":
Beyoncé and Jay Z watching Demi Lovato perform the National Anthem at the #SuperBowl. https://t.co/XJjnIVNjWl— Demi Lovato Charts (@Demi Lovato Charts)1580690366.0
ET pointed out that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were "far from the only ones who chose not to stand during the performance."
Mixed reaction
The reaction on Twitter to the couple sitting down during the anthem was decidedly mixed:
- Any news on any white people who didn't stand?
- Nothing says "OPPRESSION" like a bunch of American, CAPITALIST multi-millionaires sitting on their behinds for the National Anthem.
- They are an embarrassment. They should be both respectful and thankful that America has given them the opportunities to be successful multimillionaires.
- It's the them using the 1st Amendment
- White people calling out Beyonce and Jay-Z for not standing for the national anthem is peak whiteness.
But national security proponent Brigitte Gabriel didn't like the optics one bit:
Listen Up Beyonce and Jay-Z!! You don’t think it’s necessary to stand for our Anthem and our Flag!? Countless liv… https://t.co/pJZRg7qwYd— Brigitte Gabriel (@Brigitte Gabriel)1580701310.0
Anything else?
Some interpreted the couple sitting as support for former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began the trend of kneeling during the anthem to protest police brutality and oppression of minorities. Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z have been supportive of Kaepernick's cause.
However, when Kaepernick canceled his highly publicized NFL workout in November as a precursor to possibly returning to the league, Jay-Z — who reportedly pressured the league to host the workout — took issue with Kaepernick's actions and said the quarterback turned a "legitimate workout" into a publicity stunt.
ET reported that Kaepernick shared a screenshot of someone else's social media post seemingly implying that Jay-Z was hypocritical for sitting during the anthem after partnering with the NFL on entertainment events — including the halftime show — despite how the league handled anthem protests.
The outlet said it reached out to representatives for Beyoncé and Jay-Z for comment.
