Super Bowl

Taylor Swift Is a Threat to the Right—and So Is Travis Kelce

The right is worried about Taylor Swift—and they are right to be. Her influence on millions of young women is legendary, and the way she chooses to wield this influence could make a difference in a close presidential election this November, not to mention electoral battles in years to come.

But there’s another reason MAGA should fear Swift’s cultural power in this volatile political moment. It has to do with Kelce, and the impact he could possibly have on young men.

Travis Kelce, especially if he votes Democratic, profoundly disrupts the right-wing appeal to (white) male identity.

Menopause Went Prime Time at the Super Bowl. Now the Federal Government Must Step Up

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Menopause has been sorely neglected by the mainstream medical establishment, by lawmakers, by employers and by just about everyone. As a result, millions of women are left to navigate its most debilitating symptoms with little support.

Menopause is clearly having a prime-time moment—and we think that’s worth cheering. We challenge the National Institutes for Health to design and launch a modern initiative to assert the long-term benefits of hormone therapy and accurately assess its risks.

Shine Bright: Rihanna, the Super Bowl, and Performing While Black and Pregnant

Rihanna’s pop star persona has always maintained this edge of “regular woman” meets “island girl” realness. During her 13-minute halftime show, America rejoiced at the simple magic of a Black woman being herself and resonating across the spectrums of humanity. 

Such hopeful images are especially powerful against the backdrop of disturbing stories of Black women experiencing higher maternal death rates and the realities of how Black pregnant people are devalued in our healthcare system.

I’m Sounding the Alarm Now About Media’s Response to Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

The Super Bowl Halftime Show is a time-honored but impossible set-up. Women artists have experienced especially harsh post-show takes. So what will it be in Rihanna’s case?

There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on her performance post-baby, her first live appearance since 2018. The gendered expectations and sexist labeling of women in music vary by individual, and racism has a significant impact in certain cases. But this abuse in all cases works to enforce norms of behavior expected of women.

Perhaps if we recognize the cycle, we might better tune out the toxic takes to come.

NFL Sends Mixed Messages About Gender Violence With Super Bowl Halftime Lineup

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During the Super Bowl on Sunday, most of the rappers featured on the biggest stage in the world are known not only for their great talent, wealth and power, but for their misogynous attitudes—and in some cases abusive behavior—toward women, and some of the most gratuitously anti-woman lyrics ever.

“Dr. Dre, Snoop and Em have reached such an elevated status that it’s important to take a step back and think about their body of work. Read or recite their lyrics out loud and you will hear just how anti-woman their music has been over the past 20 years—and not just their music.”

‘A Woman’s Work’: The Film the NFL Doesn’t Want You to See

The Not-So-Secret Sexism of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl cheerleaders are frequently forced to work long hours for no benefits and illegally low wages, while experiencing sexist discrimination.

It’s an all-too-familiar story for working women—low pay, long hours, zero benefits and near-impossible standards of sexiness and appearance not applied to male-dominated jobs. To top it all off, this particular tale also includes not just “the usual” discrimination, but outright wage theft.