The Super Bowl and The Hypersexualization of Everything
Even though the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in a stunning comeback during the last five minutes of the game, it was the halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo) and Shakira that garnered the most attention because of the risqué, provocative, and oversexualized performances of the women. Indeed, millions of viewers, including children, witnessed a scantily clad J-Lo as she shimmied down a stripper pole, and saw both women repeatedly grab their respective crotches and shake their behinds for the cameras. I had the pleasure of watching with my husband, who chose to play candy crush instead of watching the show, and my 80-year old father, who wrinkled his brow in a disapproving manner and said, “What happened to Frank Sinatra?”
While this behavior might be deemed acceptable to those who pay for tickets to their concerts and movies, it is not appropriate as Super Bowl halftime entertainment. Millions of families, including those with children, watch the Super Bowl every year, and hypersexualized content should not be aimed at this type of viewership.
One of the things that struck me the most was the timing of this performance. Specifically, it took place just two days after President Trump created a much-needed White House position to focus solely on human trafficking. An estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S. are victims of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation each year with the majority of those being children. Moreover, sex trafficking is at its highest on Super Bowl Sunday. In fact, each year, dozens of pimps are arrested for running underage sex rings with young girls being trafficked from throughout the United States to the city where the event is being held so they can engage in sexual acts at hotels and strip clubs.
To add insult to injury, there is a direct link between abortion and sex trafficking. Since the goal of traffickers and pimps is to make money, it stands to reason that pregnancy would pose a problem for them. Consequently, victims of sex trafficking are often forced to have abortions so their handlers can put them right back onto the street. A recent study by the Beazley Institute found that 66 human trafficking survivors had a total of 114 abortions, and a majority of those women reported that coercion played a factor in at least one of their abortions.
The NFL is aware of the increase in sex trafficking during the Super Bowl, yet for some reason, they thought it was appropriate to air Shakira and J-Lo rubbing their behinds together and then having the cameras repeatedly zoom in on their private parts. This was not only distasteful to a multitude of viewers including myself, but it did not show empathy or concern for the poor young girls and women who were being exploited as a result of the event. Wouldn’t it have been more prudent for Shakira and J-Lo to send a message of female solidarity and empowerment to their viewers, than one that promotes the exploitation and objectification of women?
To be honest, I am surprised that Hollywood and the Music industry – both known for their left leaning views -- aren’t voicing this same sentiment. After all, it was they who jumped on the #metoo bandwagon after it was founded in 2016 in an effort to help survivors of sexual violence find pathways to healing. Instead, it is these same folks, who came out against all forms of sexual violence and harassment by way of #metoo commercials and adding the #metoo moniker to all of their social media posts, who have been trying to tell us that last Sunday’s halftime show was just ordinary, middle-of-the-road entertainment AND that it actually promoted female empowerment. I call hogwash…everyone responsible for putting on the halftime show knew that controversy would ensue as a result of the salacious performance AND they did not care.
