Lady Gaga’s promise to celebrate “inclusion” and “equality” in her Super Bowl halftime show was enough to leave the country bracing for a politically charged performance.
Previewing her act, Gaga told reporters at pre-game presser late last week, “The only statements that I’ll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I’ve been consistently making throughout my career.”
She continued, “I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality, and that the spirit of this country is one of love and compassion and kindness. My performance will uphold those philosophies.”
In a normal world, where concepts like “inclusion” and “equality” had not been reappropriated as progressive buzzwords, Gaga’s pledge would have sounded entirely apolitical.
That is not the world in which we live.
Instead, her statement was met with headlines like “Lady Gaga Is Going To Get Political At The Super Bowl After All,” and “FAIL: Lady Gaga to Sing About ‘Equality’ and ‘Inclusion’ at Super Bowl.”
Fair enough. The public understands that words like “inclusion” and “equality,” when deployed by progressives like Lady Gaga, more often than not are meant to be interpreted as political statements.
Take the recent Women’s March on Washington. The official Facebook page for the event advertised the march as an “inclusive” production where “everyone” who “supports women’s rights” was welcome. The organizers then promptly refused to “include” women’s groups that did not support abortion rights.
This happens nearly every day on college campuses where universities embrace diversity and inclusion by excluding anybody to the right of Chomsky.
As usual, though, Lady Gaga was different. She took her own pledge literally and delivered a performance that actually honored the definitions of the words she used.
Despite her open disdain for President Trump, Gaga refused to use her platform as a political soapbox and put on a surprisingly patriotic performance centered around her immensely popular catalog of chart-toppers.
At the press conference last week, Gaga remarked, “I don’t know if I will succeed in unifying America. You’ll have to ask America when it’s over.”
It’s over, and while America remains divided on politics, we’re united in thanking her for avoiding them.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
