The original post: /r/music by /u/AncientBrain4957 on 2025-03-13 21:50:15.

There’s a few pieces of symbolism I noticed in Kendrick’s half time show that I found super moving (aside from all the well known and well discussed ones). These ones that stuck out for me I havnt seen mentioned anywhere online and wondered if anyone else noticed/felt this?

1. The huddle of ladies dressed in white surrounding Kendrick throughout the show. They’re in all white except their wigs are black and red. To me this represents white America’s failed attempt to ‘cleanse’ or rid itself of black and indigenous culture. The culture remains in the mind and the brain of the person. Another concept could be that white America failed to cut the head off the snake, so Black and indigenous Americans have continued to live on.
2. 10.30mins - The Birds Eye view of the dancers, standing with still legs and arms moving side to side in a machine-type motion. To me this looks like everyone is a ‘cog’ in the machine. This looks to be a representation of not only black America, but the general population as a whole, the working class etc. You are all just cogs in the machine playing your part, nothing you can do to change it. You’re a part of the game, helping to churn along capitalism, political power and the mega rich etc.
3. 10.40mins - All these ‘cogs’ in the machine or ‘players’ in the game fall over and die. A small circle of people remain standing and prance with joy in a circle - notice the ones who survive are dressed in white! This links back to the squid games/playstation reference. The game is rigged, the black and the majority don’t make it. They work as cogs in the machine, never getting out of poverty, then they die. The lucky few who ‘make it’ in life are white or privileged.

Thoughts?