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A Crash Course to Kendrick's Super Bowl Performance, from a Black Woman

Note: this does NOT go in depth into all of the song's lyrics. I don't have time to recount two decades of his discography. This is just a summary of the performance itself.

Let's start with the first visual we get:

UNCLE SAM - most notably recognized from WWII American wartime propaganda, Uncle Sam is the personification of American patriotism and freedom. The term "uncle" is also evocative of Uncle Tom from Uncle Tom's Cabin, an abolitionist book that aided in inciting the Civil War. Uncle is also a very common term (both endearment and derogatory) towards Black men (eg. "unc"). Samuel L Jackson was fantastic.

Uncle Sam also resembles a circus ringleader, notable for my next point:

THE GREAT AMERICAN GAME - no, not Super Bowl. The GAG is us the people being pitted against each other: through late-stage capitalism, through the culture war, through class warfare, through being built of the backs of slaves. We are all players in the GAG because none of us on this site were the oligarchs seated at the inauguration.

This is also seen as Kendrick's stage was a Play Station controller. Not only did it remind of circus rings visually, but it was a game battle stage. The Great American Game is a battle royale of the commoners for the amusement of the rich whites.

Remember the foods / Them color was tin and brown / But now they 100 and blue - For this I'll just say, look what the last election said about lowering the price of eggs... and look at the prices now.

The revolution about to be televised / You picked the right time / But the wrong guy - Election 2024 once more.

THE FLAG DANCERS - yes, the dancers formed the US flag... off of the backs of Black people. Not a single white person in sight, and that's true of the cotton pickers in the fields. Plantations are part of how the US came to economic prominence after being a "backwater" colony. Remember tobacco? Cotton? Our bloodlines do.

The red and blue dancers are also notable for representing the Crips and Bloods, two infamous street gangs. The dance in Not Like Us is the Crip Walk. I recommend researching more on your own time about them, but just know they are a large part of the stereotype of Black people being "ghetto."

TOO LOUD, TOO RECKLESS, TOO GHETTO. Do you really know how to play the game? - This is exactly what Black people, especially Black men, get told all the time. It's why we change our names on resumes if they sound "too Black." It's why we codeswitch in non-Black company. This is especially rich considering how non-Black people love our culture and love to make money off of us, as the latter part of the quote points to. And it's even more profound during the Super Bowl-- the NFL is majority Black players.

STREET LIGHT A CAPELLA -- "thug" stereotype dancers to counteract the a capella connotations, with Uncle Sam then saying that Kendrick figured out "bringing other street guys around being a culture cheat code." Yes, this is a direct hit at Drake (listen to "Not Like Us") but also politically. Look up "model minority". Notably I would point to Candace Owens, or the Miami Venezuelan political group that's been in the news recently, especially as this directly led to Kendrick being surrounded by...

DANCERS IN WHITE -- it's white America. That's... that's the allegory.

NOT LIKE US TEASER -- Kendrick says "Not Like Us" is "their favorite song." -> he means white people specifically here. It comes after he's surrounded by all white dancers, the women around him who are his call and response are also in white (my opinion, they represent the industry). He's saying "Not Like Us" is the favorite of yts because it is about BLACK MEN FIGHTING. This again is reflected in the video game stage and ringleader Uncle Sam.

SZA -- instead of giving what they want, we see SZA. She's one of Drake's exes and Kendrick has always supported her.

ALL THE STARS -- This was in the first Black Panther movie, which I recommend you watch. Rest in Power Chadwick. Notably, this movie was incredibly mainstream as a major Marvel movie, and then we have Uncle Sam say...

"THAT'S WHAT AMERICA WANTS: NICE AND CALM. DON'T MESS THIS UP" -- translation: Marvel (the industry, America, etc.) wanted a safe, semi-pop song because white American likes safe pop songs, not Kendrick's usual heavy rap style about his life as a Black man! Don't mess up what you've got going mainstream for having this "Black rap feud" with Drake, who is an R&B model minority to white people because he's safe.

So what does Kendrick say?

IT'S A CULTURAL DIVIDE / IMMA GET IT ON THE FLOOR -- He was warned not to be political or apologetically Black for this Super Bowl performance, but he is using this big stage opportunity to speak out.

40 ACRES AND A MULE / THIS IS BIGGER THAN THE MUSIC -- 40 acres and a mule are what the freed slaves were promised. Instead, this land went to white sharecroppers. Research Jim Crow laws.

THEY TRIED TO RIG THE GAME / BUT YOU CAN'T FAKE INFLUENCE -- rig the election, rig the industry like with model minority Drake, rig the Great American Game with culture war to distract from active class warfare.

NOT LIKE US -- the only thing I'll mention because it made me holler is Serena Williams crip walking on Drake's metaphorical grave. She's another one of his exes.

TURN THE TV OFF -- exactly like he said! The TV is a distraction, the Super Bowl is a distraction, the mainstream news is often a distraction. Turn it off and get with your people!

GAME OVER — could not see this on my stream but at the end of the performance, the lights in the stadium spelled this out. The world is watching, America…

In conclusion, Kendrick Lamar is a visionary and thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

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KENDRICK LAMAR

⎯ Super Bowl LIX

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Just a thought. but Goldie and Freddy’s hat symbolism has to be my favorite little analysis quirk thing ever (as of recent). I was looking at how these brothers reflect each other in the way they mope about and slope their shoulders when they feel ashamed or guilty, and it’s such a great parallel with their ear movements signifying distress especially.

I mean, just look- they emulate each other so well >:U

But I was thinking about how Freddy was shown to be nice in recent comics, old ones too (because come on, the fandom demonized him way too much and he’s not as mean as he seems—except for when it comes to Goldie—just very grumpy at times!). And just him comforting his friends, and being there for them, more than just a leader or dictator like he’s made himself to be, which is enabled by the company too. I loved how he brought himself down to their level in this scene.

Not physically, because he’s already there lol, but emotionally, and almost mentally. From his ears in the panel before we know he’s nervous, but most importantly he takes his hat off. The hat that illustrates his status as their leader, and also how he dictates over them. Like it’s an added pedestal to his stance. It demands authority when reminders are needed, and he takes it off for his friends, his bandmates.

BUT WHEN GOLDIE APPEARS!!!!

Freddy puts his hat back on, like he’s demanding authority and respect (or rather fear in Goldie’s case) once again. He hasn’t taken his hat off for Goldie in years. And I just love that. Like a lot.

Bonus points for when Goldie’s hat is removed and now he’s vulnerable again. (They barely take their hats off because they’re always in their roles/positions)

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Live laugh love Fredbear 🩷 (and Goldie too!)

First (ever) time ever drawing animatronics, but I decided to make this since I've (finally) introduced Fredbear into my fanfic- so in case you didn't know he might actually be a favorite...

Read my aga story here!

Alt version under the cut-

There's gonna be like. two ships in the entire fic. (this makes me cringe but i pull through)

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Arcane s2 trailer is top tier...AMBESSA specifically

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Wait, no...what if it's just ugly sonic all over again? If there's enough backlash, they can fix it before it's too late. (I'm delusional and shedding tears right now)

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KAKEGURUI'S FINALLY BACK LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I found out yesterday but it wasn't available yet, and I was finally able to get the ebook version!

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Okay but what if when Ambessa says "Your council is dead," she's actually speaking to Mel? Because it's the aftermath of Jinx's bomb and now the Council can only proceed with war. And Mel, she's faced with no other options and is forced to "let the war unfold" even after refusing her mother's offer. Or maybe I'm just hoping she survived because IT'S MEL I ADORE HER SO MUCH PLEASE DON'T LET HER DIE PLEASE-

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I still find it so crazy that Spinel was basically a neglected child raised by a neglected child

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Posting this here so people on Wattpad don't find it...

“You really think I’d fall for a trick like that?” Freddy scoffed. In his mind, the golden bear only wanted to lead him into the backroom as a trap.

“I-It’s not a trick.” The bear murmured with a tinge of guilt. “I mean it. Just think about everything before, Faz!” Goldie would always deny the desperation in his words. Besides, this was all an act, to make sure his plan worked out in the long run! He didn’t actually want to be brothers with Freddy again.

Right…?

Update: I posted it 😭 Finally came out the trenches

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I don't even know how this happened, the AGA fandom just...came back? On Tumblr?? AND IS THRIVING???

...I am astonished.

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I wish we could've seen asks about the Golden Freddy/Fredbear Plush when GraWolfQuinn's account was still up 😭 I love him so much and I love every panel he was in with Goldie shdhsjjsbcjs

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Bro Mash defeating Innocent Zero was his canon event 💀