Some woke celebrities returned to the 2023 Super Bowl, despite their past support for Colin Kaepernick’s protests in the NFL.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest the NFL’s alleged social and racial injustices.
The move ignited the ‘woke’ mind virus, which began infecting sports in the U.S. and worldwide.
In response, Cardi B and Rihanna, and Amy Schumer declined to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show in solidarity with Kaepernick’s political protests.
However, all three made appearances at the 2023 Super Bowl.
Rihanna headlined the halftime show after previously telling Vogue that she “couldn’t be a sellout” and that she “did not agree” with certain aspects of the NFL.
Meanwhile, Cardi B was featured in a McDonald’s commercial during the game, despite declining a previous offer to perform in support of Kaepernick.
Comedian Amy Schumer, the second cousin of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, also boycotted the Super Bowl over the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick.
In a 2019 Instagram post, she wrote that she “wouldn’t do a Super Bowl commercial this year” and believed that “hitting the NFL with the advertisers is the only way to really hurt them.”
However, she appeared in a Google Pixel Super Bowl commercial that aired during the game on Sunday
In 2019, several other celebrities and musicians boycotted the Super Bowl in support of Colin Kaepernick and his protests against racial and social injustices in the NFL.
Director Ava DuVernay and musician Usher were among those who supported the boycott, with DuVernay tweeting about her decision not to watch the game and Usher performing at a protest rally in support of Kaepernick.
The boycott was seen as a way for celebrities to use their platform to b to virtue signal and protest against the NFL’s treatment of Kaepernick.
The boycott, along with other forms of activism and advocacy, helped to keep the issue in the public eye and generated further discussion and action.
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