ktvb.com: The pinnacle of nationwide, televised performances is perhaps none other than the annual Super Bowl halftime show.
But it may surprise you to know that despite all the extravaganza and hefty price tag to operate the halftime show, the NFL ends up paying the singers and headline performers nothing.
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Honestly, this article astounded me. I remember reading a news quiz on the same subject a few months ago but that one focused on how the dancers weren’t being paid. I was displeased with that, but I assumed that the artist or artists heading the super bowl would be compensated generously because of their status. FInding out that they were not, flabbergasted me. I do not understand the ethics of this situation as I feel like professionals just should not be doing jobs for free, even if they are unimaginably rich and famous, they should be compensated for their work. This constantly annoys me, because in all other industries, people are simply paid for their work, especially high ranking people. Why does this keep happening in the entertainment industry? Like, can we just please be paid our dues? Its really quite annoying because it happens even up to major events like the superbowl.
This is frustrating. Obviously, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem don’t need the money. But this is a problem that consistently bites new artists in the butt. It is hard to make money as an artist as it is. It certainly doesn’t help that the industry doesn’t want to pay us. Aside from that, it makes a career in the entertainment industry incredibly inaccessible to people who don’t have financial support outside of themselves. This is something that terrifies me about going into this industry. I am incredibly grateful for all of the support I have received and my family supports me in all that I do but what if I can’t make enough to have this be my career. Luckily, I am pursuing stage management so worst-case scenario I can manage something somewhere. There is a stigma around the arts that you shouldn’t go into it because you won’t make money. Stuff like this is why and it needs to be addressed.
I've always heard people talking about the power of advertising at the Superbowl but WOW was I not expecting to see these kinds of numbers. The fact that the Weeknd's music sales "soared by 385%" is absolutely wild to try to rap my head around. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, too, with 335% and 230% increased streams, respectively! However, I wonder if the article is leaving out some information by stating only that the NFL doesn't pay the performers. It is, after all, the Pepsi halftime show. Maybe Pepsi cuts a deal with the performers either to share the ad revenue, or in the event that they do get paid nothing, at least cover some costs of production. However, given that the NFL isn't involved in paying people, it becomes a bit less of a surprise to me other performers aren't getting paid. In an article from a few weeks ago, they described there being a large number of unpaid movers volunteering to dance in the halftime show. So, there's a precedent in this event for performers not getting paid, and it seems to me that there's much more payoff for the top-bill performers than for those volunteers.
It’s funny how before clicking into the article, I thought it’s going to talk about how much the performers got paid. Instead, the article reveals that none of them were paid for their performances at the Superbowl Halftime show. But, the article does mention all the other commercial benefits which performers could get, and it really makes me wonder what their contracts look like. Because quite frankly, no one can guarantee that your performance is definitely going to become the next big hit. But I guess it's a mutual benefit for whoever’s hosting and the performers because both parties get exposure. Though like others have commented, I do wonder whether this is really the most ethical thing to do. It makes me think about how in recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about whether celebrities in China are getting paid too much because they can make millions of dollars just for one small event. And this huge income gap created between celebrities and ‘normal people’ is really worth questioning, especially when you consider comparing an actor to a scientist and their contribution to society is also vastly different.
If I’m being completely honest, this screams “you will be paid in exposure/experience” when inquiring about wages in an internship/job. I understand that they really are and it is helpful, but it feels wrong that these artists spend hours rehearsing the numbers, looking over the tracklist, sitting through tech runs, to be paid nothing. I have also heard that not even the backup dancers get to watch the show from the bleachers, since they have to stay backstage until half-time and are then instructed to go home. (I’m sure the performers can stay in some booth, but I’m assuming they also have to partially miss the show to get ready to go out for half-time). It really is a big thing and I appreciate the numerical proof of it, but it doesn’t erase the fact that their work is being compensated. Not that they need the money, but if they can do it without pay then other people can too right?
The shocking thing to me about this article wasn't that the whole "exposure/experience" thing literally permeates throughout the entire entertainment industry, because I already knew that the people at the top tend to make every effort to avoid paying fair wages for the work they are asking for. No, I was shocked that the very performers and names at the top of their respective fields and talents decide to accept this. Sure, when you get to be such a big name, your work is just as much about business as it is about the art, if not even more so. Still, you'd think that something that gives them little more than a pat on the back and a temporary boost in downloads, listens, or subscriptions wouldn't look very appealing to performers who regularly pull in millions of dollars. That might be why they're okay taking the performance for no direct compensation, but I really wish that they of all people would be willing to take a stand against practices like this, especially because they are in the position to be able to do so without losing their livelihoods or being screwed for the rest of their life. That kind of mentality trickles down the vine down to the people who can't hope to fight against it for fear of never being able to advance their careers, and those people in turn tend to do the same thing eventually because after all, they suffered through it. It's a never-ending cycle, and one that could start to be broken if those that have the platform to create that change chose to actually make use of it.
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