OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
CBS has taken action after a performance by LGBTQ artists Sam Smith and Kim Petras offended many on the Internet for what they said were “satanic” themes.
But the action CBS took, deleting a tweet where the network said it was “ready to worship” prior to the performance, was not enough for many of those who were offended.
The tweet was in response to a tweet by Smith that said: “This is going to be SPECIA” followed by a devil horns emoji.
This is going to be SPECIAL 👅 #GRAMMYs @RecordingAcad @kimpetras pic.twitter.com/oIA0dhP8bm
— SAM SMITH (@samsmith) February 5, 2023
CBS responded with “….you can say that again. We are ready to worship!” A tweet it has since deleted.
. @CBS has deleted their tweet after saying they’re “ready to worship” ahead Sam Smith’s Satanic Grammys performance pic.twitter.com/2vxZCmt1C5
— Jillian Anderson (@Jillie_Alexis) February 7, 2023
Smith identifies as nonbinary and Petras identifies as a transgender woman. The duo won the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance for the song “Unholy.”
The performance, complete with red lighting, devil horns, cages, and fire, had many Christians and conservatives furious.
“This…is…evil,” Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said.
This…is…evil. https://t.co/SBrOgHfFcX
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 6, 2023
“The reason so many on the Right are riveted by the #Satanic ritual at the #GRAMMYs is that, deep down, we’ve long suspected Satan is the guiding light of the cultural Left. So this unholy tribute in the name of art struck us with a strong sense of both recognition & confirmation,” Dinesh D’Souza said.
The reason so many on the Right are riveted by the #Satanic ritual at the #GRAMMYs is that, deep down, we’ve long suspected Satan is the guiding light of the cultural Left. So this unholy tribute in the name of art struck us with a strong sense of both recognition & confirmation
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) February 6, 2023
“The Grammy’s featured Sam Smith’s demonic performance and was sponsored by Pfizer. And the Satanic Church now has an abortion clinic in NM that requires its patients to perform a satanic ritual before services. American Christians need to get to work,” Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie taylor Green said.
The Grammy’s featured Sam Smith’s demonic performance and was sponsored by Pfizer.
And the Satanic Church now has an abortion clinic in NM that requires its patients to perform a satanic ritual before services.
American Christians need to get to work.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) February 6, 2023
Pfizer responded to the controversy by explaining that it sponsored the entire show and not any individual performance.
“We sponsored the overall Grammy’s event, not any particular performance. Beyond that, we don’t comment on our efforts to raise awareness,” a spokesperson for the company said to Newsweek.
“Maybe it’s art, but why is it always this kind of art? Why is it never, like, regular art?” Donald Trump Jr. said.
Junior says the Sam Smith performance proves that right-wingers were right that Hollywood and the music industry are all Satan worshippers. “Maybe it’s art, but why is it always this kind of art? Why is it never, like, regular art?” pic.twitter.com/nuJJDPIZAj
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) February 6, 2023
“Pfizer’s got the best business model in the history of business, don’t they? The government sends Pfizer billions of your tax dollars, then forces you to buy their products, and then if the products hurt you, you’re not allowed to su. (Laughs) Pretty great! Wish you had that, huh? Pfizer made billions and billions from that arrangement. How are they spending the money? Here is one of the things they’re paying for,” Tucker Carlson said before playing a clip of the performance whose lyrics read like this.
Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot
At the body shop, doin’ somethin’ unholy
He’s sat back while she’s dropping it, she be popping it
Yeah, she put it down slowly
Oh-ee-oh-ee-oh, he left his kids at
Ho-ee-oh-ee-ome, so he can get that
Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot
At the body shop, doin’ something unholy
That was followed by the announcer saying “The 65th Grammy Awards is sponsored by Pfizer.”
“Sponsored by Pfizer! Little devil worship. So let’s say you’re a modern American who doesn’t believe in the supernatural at all. You reject the ideas that have formed the basis of every society in all human history, you think it’s bunk, good and evil doesn’t exist in the absolute sense. Even if you believe that, as some Americans do, is it really a good idea to mimic devil worship, because what if it is true? Probably not going to end well, right? No one is asking those questions. Sam Smith, the performer there, has gotten rich doing it. His latest music video shows him wearing nipple pasties and being urinated on in a men’s room. Yeah, they stormed Omaha Beach for that. Trans ideology plus Satanism, popular entertainment,” he said.
After the performance, Petras spoke about religion.
“I think a lot of people, honestly, have kind of labeled what I stand for and what Sam stands for as religiously not cool,” the musician said.
“I personally grew up wondering about religion and wanting to be a part of it, but then slowly realizing it doesn’t want me to be a part of it. So it’s a take on not being able to choose religion and not being able to live the way that people might want you to live, because, you know, as a trans person, I’m kind of already not wanted in religion,” Petras said.
