Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter-themed NFL halftime show performance showcased Black Americana, and drew in millions of viewers, but it left some viewers asking: Is she America's greatest propagandist? And which version of America is she promoting?Brittany Luse is joined by music and Black feminism scholar Daphne A. Brooks and mass communication historian Nick Cull, to unpack what is and isn't propaganda, and how we can sift through political messaging to be more savvy consumers of media.Support public media and receive ad-free listening & bonus. Join NPR+ today.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. This week, we're connecting the dots between the American flag, the Catholic Church, and Beyonce. I know, I know. How are all of these things connected?
Well, we're going to find out with music and Black feminism scholar, Dr. Daphne A. Brooks, and mass communication historian, Dr. Nicholas Cull. Daphne, Nick, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Great to be here. Thanks for having us, Brittany. Okay, so I got a real quick question for you. Have you ever watched something on TV and thought, okay, now this is propaganda.
Have you ever had that moment? Whenever I see Lean Greenwood singing, proud to be an American.
Well, I not only notice when things are propaganda, but I also quite enjoy it because I can see that it's meant to connect to me and I enjoy that feeling.
You mean you enjoy the feeling of being reached out to?
Yeah. Yeah. You know, Brittany, I tear up for everyone's national anthem. So you're highly susceptible to nationalism across the board. These are universal themes that are invoked.
I get that. I don't know. I used to watch that show on NBC. It's not on anymore called This Is Us. I felt like watching that show every week. They were trying to tell me that I needed to have three children. I don't, but that's a story for another time. Our story today begins with none other than Ms.
Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter, who spent her Christmas day performing the NFL halftime show in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
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