Super Bowl Halftime Show Complaints Focused on Lack of DEI for White People

https://www.wired.com/story/super-bowl-halftime-show-kendrick-lamar-complaints-focused-on-lack-of-dei-for-white-people/

44 comments

  1. As the [most-watched halftime show](https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kendrick-lamar-2025-super-bowl-halftime-show-most-watched-all-time-1235899552/) of all time—one that exclusively featured Black performers—[Kendrick Lamar’s historic performance](https://www.wired.com/story/true-story-behind-kendrick-lamar-super-bowl-halftime-show/) during [Super Bowl LIX](https://www.wired.com/tag/super-bowl/) was bound to draw some complaints.

    But according to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) response to a Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, request from WIRED, the single biggest source of anger was not about the performance itself. It was that there were not enough white people on stage.

    The controversy over Lamar’s performance highlights the hypocrisy around the DEI backlash; experts say the term has come to serve as a [modern-day slur](https://www.npr.org/2025/03/05/nx-s1-5318671/how-did-dei-become-part-of-a-larger-political-agenda-and-a-slur) wielded against people of color, while at the same time, the people offended by it see themselves as being victims of a lack of diversity.

    Read more: [https://www.wired.com/story/super-bowl-halftime-show-kendrick-lamar-complaints-focused-on-lack-of-dei-for-white-people/](https://www.wired.com/story/super-bowl-halftime-show-kendrick-lamar-complaints-focused-on-lack-of-dei-for-white-people/)

  3. I remember when watching it I kept thinking, “Ohh man I can’t wait for Breitbart to post about it and I’m gonna dive in them comments”. Sure enough it went about how you expected, but one caught me off guard and it was a comment that just said, “I couldn’t understand a single word he said!” and his profile pic was Eddie Vedder.

  4. People were saying he missed an opportunity to protest, and it was like “that was the protest and point they were making.”

  5. Most beneficiaries of DEI were white women, so they just want DEI.

  6. Aren’t 125 complaints pretty low for a half time show historically speaking? So 125 people were upset. Is that really worth an article? This is just rage bait meant to divide people even more. Shame.

  8. 125 out of hundreds of millions of people, that’s like nothing

  12. Barely any complaints. I’m white and I realize he was proving a point by only having people of colour. It’s genius.

  13. Smh. I hope this isn’t true but sadly I’m sure it is. I just can’t anymore. This is going down the evolutionary ladder of stupidity like an express train. You need therapy if you are white and worried about white ppl not getting enough attention.

    Seek help. Please.

  15. This is such a nothing article. Barely anyone called and complained, and the ones that did are idiots.

  17. These are like the people complaining when the BET television network was created. They didn’t like that it existed even though there were 60 other channels to watch.

  21. Let’s be honest with ourselves. This show followed the new DEI rules because all those performers were hired *based on merit*.

  22. I love how against DEI they have been until they found a way it can be used for racism and then they weaponize it. 125 might seem low, but we all know that was only the amount who could figure out how to complain to the FCC.

  23. I was looking at Shania Twain’s old SB show, so many DEI back then 😉

  24. Yeah, DEI was banned. Looks like stupid actions have stupid consequences

  26. The majority of NFL players are black, but they aren’t complaining about that, are they?

  28. Im white. Im not mad.

    I also didn’t watch it.

  29. Like no one complained. Stupid rage bate story. 120ish people is not worthy of a news story. Shame on the writer.

  30. I’m a white guy and who gives a fuck? Stop trying to put people against each other even more with shitty articles from want to be journalist like OP I’m sure

  31. I’m sure some did not like Paul McCartney. I’m a huge Beatle fan, but I’m not offended if you do not like them or him.

  33. The showed sucked plain and simple. A mumbling midget was the best they could do?

  34. I mean it was Merrit based the best dancers got the job why are ppl mad.

  36. The complaints are garbage. The show may not have been cool for everyone. It was fine with me.

  38. When The Who played do you think the whites cared how black people felt about it?

  39. The .000027% of the population pining for a Kid Rock/Ted Nugent halftime show

  40. 133.5 million people watched that halftime show. 125 complaints is approximately 0.0000937%

  41. For me, it wasn’t a black or white thing. I just thought it sucked.

  42. So they’re saying by hiring the most qualified people based on merit is not diverse enough?

  44. Are you telling me the halftime show wasn’t the celebration of whiteness they were expecting?

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