So I'm Racist and Anti-Woman: Diary of the Woman Who Doesn't Go With the Flow

There are lots of opinions on the Super Bowl halftime show. And many of those opinions judge the opinions of others.  Which, well, in the age of “I am accepting of everyone” just makes me laugh. 

I’m one of those people who is “Puritanical,” “racist,” and “anti-woman” because it was not my cup of tea.  I actually switched it off and went to a Lifetime movie instead, did nothing for me.

Personally, especially in the light of the fact that the Super Bowl, wherever held, is one of the largest events known to attract sexual trafficking, it made me cringe a little that people celebrate what was a show that was very sexually tinged.  Yes, I know, you’re going to call me racist, but I live in Florida and am pretty entrenched in the Latin culture, married into it even, and with many of my friends being of the various Latin cultures.  Oddly, none of them ever included crotch grabbing and pole dancing in their celebrations, so I guess maybe I just don’t know the right people.  And, just in case no one realized it, Shakira and JLo were already big stars, we’ve all already accepted them as such, this wasn’t actually a huge breakthrough.  Yeah, I’d think it was cool if someone sang Polish up there, but, really, it wouldn’t be some big Polish breakthrough, and if people didn’t like it, well, they just didn’t like it.  I can get that.

Then there are those that claim this as a celebration of women, but then in the next breath are lamenting that they don’t look like them.  HELLO.  If what this is telling you is that you are not good enough, how the heck is this empowering?  And if you think your significant other, or they guy at the next table in the bar, or your coworker that is all over this performance is thinking “My goodness, how strong and empowering are they!  I have more respect for women now, especially Latinas!” you are very sadly deluded.  Read your timelines on social media.  You know, the ones with the pictures of rear ends and guys drooling over them.  This is not empowering.  This is putting us back years from where feminism actually began from.  I’m not empowered by some jerk looking at my ass, and I’m still struggling to be taken seriously in a very male environment at work.  This does not further my cause.

So that is where I stand.  Call me whatever names you want, throw me into some stereotype, you’ve likely done it a million times anyways.  I don’t like it for what I don’t like it for, not for what you are going to pretend I don’t like it for.  And, please, if you have some feeling to say “But you think Melania” is OK, you need to examine how you think, because you are way too entrenched into some political position that you don’t understand actual reasoning anymore.  I am not a fan of nude posing either.

And if you are looking for someone to gush over at the Super Bowl, look at Demi Lovato.  Classy performance by someone who is trying really hard to overcome shortfalls, and we all have shortfalls.  You want a strong woman, here is one for you.  Yep, we should not celebrate her drug use, but we should celebrate her willingness to overcome, educate, be open about herself, and her strength.  Her honesty is much more empowering than dancing in a skimpy outfit on a pole, any day.  Any day.

That’s why they have wine.