A different drummer

At the risk of further offending some folks, I'd like to revisit the half time show at this week's Super Bowl.

I playfully posted that I had pushed the Mute Button on during the game shortly after the 1st half ended. I had no intention of watching Kendrick Lamarr. In fact, in the 50 plus years I've been watching Super Bowls, I never watch any halftime show.

It's just not what I'm there for. I want to see a good competitive football game. And some killer commercials that might even harken back to the 80's. Or better yet the raucous, Let's Spend-Internet-Money 90's. 

It was fail on all three counts.

What I didn't expect, however, was to get lumped in with the myopic, racist crowd that calls the January 6th Insurrection a Tourist Visit. If I'm reading the room right, there are quite a few people --nationwide-- weighing in on the Kendrick Lamarr extravaganza.

Let's be clear here, my musical tastes are my musical tastes. And no one has a right to be all judgey about them. Particularly when the issue of race is being brought into it. A quick scan of my musical library will show everything from Sonny Boy Williamson to Louis Jordan to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

I know that's sounds like the equivalent of, "Some of my best friends..." 

I also don't want to sound too defensive here. Mostly because frankly I have nothing to be defensive about.

This, I believe, is where wokeness has gone off the rails. And handed the reigns of power over to Right Wing Fascists. The Left is just as guilty of painting with a broad brush as the brown shirts across the aisle. 

I don't want to listen to Kendrick Lamarr. And if it's any consolation, I don't want to listen to Drake either. Even less interesting is their 'beefing' with each other. Who give's a rat's ass? Arm wrestle. Run a 100 yard dash. Play chess. Just get it over with. 

Frankly I'd rather watch Steve Scalise have his ass whupped by Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. That's a beef I can savor.

To also be clear, I believe the Black story in America needs to be told. Particularly these days. Black America is America. The good, the bad, and the ugly systemic racism which has brought us a self-evident white supremacist in the White House. 

That story can be told with music. Or with film. Or with the written word. There is no monolithic approach. Nor any monolithic response.

If anyone still feels the need to chide me over MY personal tastes in music, so be it. I'll live.

But if Roger Goddell is listening, I suggest the Super Bowl 60 halftime show be headlined by the Klezmatics. And bottle dancers. Gotta have bottle dancers.