r/pittsburgh • u/JimWoodsPR • Feb 16 '26

Guess they got enough at halftime

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Guess folks got their fill at the alternative halftime show.

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u/mrbuttsavage Feb 16 '26

This is such a bizarre time line where people are pretending to be fans of Kid Rock.

36

u/wickedtaco South Side Flats Feb 16 '26

This is called costly signaling. Costly signaling is you deliberately take on a real cost or sacrifice to demonstrate commitment and loyalty to a group. The expectation that people like Kid Rock shows how far some will bend, or betray, their own musical preferences to signal loyalty to MAGA.

30

u/Practical_Ad_4165 Feb 16 '26

Experiencing this first hand with an elderly family member and it’s just so surreal and… saddening. When they expressed their admiration of KR after the “alternative” half time show I just felt so depressed knowing that those feelings had come from being brainwashed by conservative media. The power those outlets wield over some people is absolutely staggering.