Admit it — no one would dare criticize Rihanna’s halftime performance

If it deserved to be criticized.

Did it?

Well, I found it underwhelming and boring. Of course, my opinion is subjective, and I’m not a professional reporter. But I am an avid lover of pop music. I have been for decades. From behind the Iron Curtain in my very young years, during my years in England (the era of “Brit pop”), and always. I’ve attended stadium concerts, and I know the history of the Super Bowl’s halftime performances, even though the actual sporting event is not a huge deal in the life of our family because we are immigrants.

Nothing is off limits in my appreciation of pop music. I like all genres from different decades and appreciate different artists. I adore Radiohead, and I’m in awe of Taylor Swift, especially her last three albums (Folklore is a masterpiece!). I like Rihanna too. I’ve had her songs on my iPhone on my playlist for many years — the individual hits and I especially love her “Loud” album from 2010.

I’m not trying to add credibility to my judgment of Rihanna’s performance in the 2023 Superbowl. But I do have an opinion, however subjective. Like I said, I was totally underwhelmed and bored.

But my story is not about my opinion per se.

Today in my social media feed, I came across these expressions: “dazzling”, “stole the show”, “did not disappoint”, “set the world aflame” and so on. I’m talking about professional media publications like the…