(photo via Us Weekly)
At last night’s Super Bowl, the pre-game ceremony kicked off with a performance of “America The Beautiful” by former “Hamilton” stars, Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones. The women, who recently portrayed Eliza, Angelica and Peggy Schuyler in the hit Broadway musical, did an impeccable rendition of the classic song. Nearing the end of their performance, the trio modified the penultimate line by adding “and sisterhood” to the original line, “and crown thy good with brotherhood.” The addition of “and sisterhood” had one Falcons coach smiling and many on Twitter responding with nothing but praise.
To my surprise, however, this feminist message caused an incredibly negative response from the male-dominated room I was sitting in. Upon hearing Goldsberry, Soo and Jones harmonize on “and sisterhood,” I was left physically unable to hear the rest of their performance. To the crowd I sat down to watch the game with, this was an un-American and uncalled for move by the “too sensitive” trio onstage. Their complaints rang throughout the rest of “America The Beautiful” and over the start of our national anthem. In seeing this response, I was shocked that not a single one of them realized that this reaction is exactly why the addition of “and sisterhood” was necessary.
The moment impressed many not only for social reasons, but also because it challenged institutionalized sexism in front of male America’s largest audience. The Super Bowl is famously the most-watched night on television, upholding endless gender stereotypes and reinforcing male dominance in our society. To hear these already-fierce champions of intersectional feminism include women in “America The Beautiful” made a statement no one could have seen coming. A popular notion in communication studies suggests that language reinforces our cultural values–specifically including those about gender. Through the use of the “male generic,” women are erased from many corners of our language entirely. Words like “policeman” “serviceman” and “mankind,” allow our vocabulary to fail to recognize women as legitimate contributors to society. With the use of these types of words, women have become an exception. In conversation, we oftentimes must use modifiers such as “female police officer” to ensure the receiver of the story is on the same page and is not assuming the subject of the story is male. Vocabulary very much defines our assumptions of reality, and the need to add female modifiers is one of the most basic examples of how language has shaped our understanding of gender’s place within our system of societal norms.
In short, the inclusion of “sisterhood” highlights the patriarchal vocabulary that undermines our everyday lives. It is a reminder that most ideologies that become ingrained in society perpetuate male dominance and inhibit progress for other groups. Although “and sisterhood” will probably never be added permanently to the lyrics of “America The Beautiful,” the message stands strong. Emphasizing that women are perpetually seen as a modifier to the otherwise male-dominated public sphere, Renee, Philippa and Jasmine took this chance to demonstrate just how seamlessly vocabulary is able to control our realities and hold us within a certain system of ideals. The response from the men around me was proof enough that this message continues to fall upon deaf ears, but this powerful moment definitely put yet another crack in the glass ceiling and demonstrated the need for feminism within all aspects of social life.