If you saw Beyoncé kill it during her spectacular half time performance, you probably thought she was giving viewers a mini Super Bowl-ish show. But not everybody saw it that way apparently. And Tina Knowles is not here for the BS. She now is defending her super star daughter Beyoncé against critics of her Christmas Day halftime performance.
After the show aired during the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game on Netflix, Beyoncé’s dazzling performance sparked a wave of mixed albeit weird reactions. While many fans celebrated the spectacle, some detractors took to social media to criticize the lack of a Christmas theme and the heavy reliance on cover songs.
Sounds like excuses to just hate on Queen Bey, but that’s just our opinion.
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Anyways, the performance, dubbed the “Beyoncé Bowl,” saw the pop icon take the stage in sparkling white Western wear, delivering a live version of “Texas Hold ’Em” from her latest album, Cowboy Carter. She was joined by fellow musicians Shaboozey, Post Malone, and her 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, who danced alongside her mother. However, despite the star-studded display, critics weren’t impressed, calling the performance “off-theme” for Christmas and questioning Beyoncé’s creative choices.
As for Tina Knowles, always the ever the protective mother, she was quick to respond to those clownish comments. Sharing a fan’s post that expressed frustration with the constant negativity Beyoncé faces, Knowles took to Instagram with a powerful message for the trolls.
“How mind-boggling that you would spend your precious Christmas day watching someone you don’t like or think has talent just to talk bad about them later,” Knowles wrote. “Obviously, you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them, wish you could be them, that you cannot help but to watch and critique and say dumb ridiculous stuff that makes you look like a joke!!”
Mind boggling is right.
She continued, “So go to another channel during halftime—watch goofy cartoons or Bozo the Clown or something you can relate to and see yourself in. Said with love.”
Tina ended her message with a nod to Beyoncé’s resilience, writing, “I have learned so much from her warrior spirit, of when they go low I work harder.”
Get this, Beyoncé’s response wasn’t left unnoticed by her famous friends. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer both applauded Knowles’ message, while LeToya Luckett, a founding member of Destiny’s Child, chimed in with a supportive “Period!!! Ms. T” alongside clapping and heart emojis. Actress Uzo Aduba shared her mother’s wisdom with the comment, “As my mother would say, ‘my dear, don’t mind them,’” while Octavia Spencer simply replied, “All. Of. This!!!!!!” accompanied by a series of fire emojis.
What’s more, Food Network star Sunny Anderson offered a thought-provoking take, writing, “There’s a thin line between love and hate and often haters lack the introspection to realize they are actually in love.” Meanwhile, Vivica Fox summed it up with the powerful words, “NUMBERS DON’T LIE! SO NOW WHAT?”
Despite the mixed reception, Beyoncé’s halftime show was a resounding success. Netflix reported that the 13-minute performance drew 27 million U.S. viewers. It became the most-watched Christmas Day game on record, particularly among viewers ages 18-34, with 5.1 million U.S. viewers tuning in for the Ravens-Texans matchup. The performance is now available as a standalone special on the streaming platform.
That part.
The day after the show, Beyoncé teased fans with a new clip of herself riding a white horse, waving an American flag, and a cryptic message for January 14th. “Look at that horse,” she captioned the post, keeping her fans on the edge of their seats for what’s next.
Yup – we saw it.
As the Knowles family continues to defend Beyoncé’s artistry and resilience, it’s clear that no amount of criticism can dim the light of one of the world’s most celebrated performers.