It's curious how the cycle works. Pundits such as the conservative Tomi Lahren make a living out of expressing resentful takes on the behavior of her adversaries. And yet if said adversaries didn't behave in such fashion, what would she have to talk about it? It's become common practice for televised events to feature some degree of sociopolitical commentary and the Super Bowl is no exception. Even if it's not intentional, the fallout is often as damaging as the act itself. For Tomi Lahren, the inciting incident arose when Jay-Z and Beyonce remained seated during Demi Lovato's lovely take on the National Anthem.
At this stage, neglecting to stand for the National Anthem is equivalent to shaking up a can of worms and cracking it open. It didn't take long for Lahren to get good and riled up at the Power Couple, whose combined net worth is staggering to say the least. Falling back on her old favorite insult, which is to say "former crack dealer," she made sure to give the duo a piece of her mind.
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"Beyoncé & Jay-Z (former crack dealer) sit for the national anthem because apparently the United States of America has oppressed them with millions upon millions of dollars & fans. Sounds rough. Maybe they should try another country that allows them a little more freedom & success?" she writes, neglecting to mention that Jay-Z is the greatest of all time. "You hate police, Donald Trump, and the spirit of this nation so much you can’t pick your privileged asses off the chair for 2 mins to pay some respect? Despicable."
Now, to Lahren's credit, she knows exactly what she's doing here. As did Jay-Z and Beyonce when they made the call. Perhaps the simple act of writing this is akin to tossing gasoline on the fire. Still, at its core, there's always amusement to be found whenever Lahren dips her toes into the subtle art of hip-hop commentary. Because let's be honest: the critics would be just as up in arms if they stood up. Was Radiohead's "Sit Down, Stand Up" foreshadowing to this fateful day?