The story is a couple of days old, but it’s inauguration day, so anything regarding the incoming or outgoing president takes on extra relevance.
ETonline.com reports that Lady Gaga, who’ll headline the halftime show at Super Bowl LI, has been asked not to mention politics or Donald Trump during the event.
“Lady Gaga was told by the NFL that she cannot say anything or bring anything up about the election, or mention Donald Trump,” ETonline.com said.
The league denies it.
“The Super Bowl is a time when people really come together,” the league told ETonline.com in a statement. “Lady Gaga is focused on putting together an amazing show for fans and we love working with her on it; we aren’t going to be distracted by this.” The league also called the matter “nonsense from people trying to stir up controversy where there is none.”
There is no controversy yet, but it would hardly be the first time the Super Bowl halftime creates controversy. From Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction to M.I.A.'s middle finger, the league has had unfortunate events during the gigantic stage that the biggest event in American sports provides.
Regardless of anything the NFL has or hasn’t said to Lady Gaga about what she can or can’t say or do, her rights and responsibilities undoubtedly have been outlined in detail in the contractual documents that were signed weeks ago. And if the league didn’t have the foresight to ensure that Lady Gaga won’t create some sort of spectacle via an attempt to interject politics into a musical event, the league has only itself to blame if/when she does.
