In honor of the Super Bowl this weekend, I thought it would be an interesting time to consider the image behind a national controversy surrounding American football and politics: Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem before competing in NFL games.
This subject is one that, as Americans, we have, at the very least, heard of and talked about to some extent in the past year. We have heard the battle between political parties and their beliefs about it, accusations of being unpatriotic, and the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement. But we don’t often discuss what is actually the core of unrest when it comes to the act of kneeling vs. standing during the National Anthem. Using the concepts that we have discussed in class so far this semester, rather than merely discussing the politics of the matter, I’ve decided to rhetorically analyze this image with attention to the implications of kneeling vs. standing as a sign, and consideration for how the technological and social modalities influenced its reception.
First, I think it is important to think about the traditional social implications of kneeling. In many cases kneeling, or “taking a knee,” is seen as a sign of respect and devotion. For example: kneeling in the presence of royalty, athletes “taking a knee” on the soccer field when another player is injured, or a man getting down on one knee while proposing. Typically when we see the gesture of kneeling, we do not associate it with protest or anger. The image of someone kneeling being positive or respectful has developed from cultural norms and expectations over time. When we see a man and a woman together and the man gets down on a knee, we can assume what is going to happen because that gesture signifies a proposal in our brains. Kneeling is a sign to us. Think about this: Would it be odd to if your significant other did not get down on one knee when proposing? Would that be right or wrong? On the flip side, would you consider proposing to someone without committing this gesture? Or is that already something you would do without conscious thought?
My point is that the cultural expectations that can come with certain signs, even things as simple as the body’s physical positioning during specific cultural situations, is incredibly important to the people within that culture. If the expected behavior is not carried out, it can cause significant confusion or concern.
Likewise, during the playing of the National Anthem, it is expected that Americans stand. The act of standing is meant to signify respect and honor to the American flag, the military, and the country. Therefore, the juxtaposition of a traditionally respectful body posture (kneeling) during a time when there is a cultural/social expectation for standing confuses the viewers. They do not seem to go together. The sound of the National Anthem is a signifier for people to stand to signify their respect. Choosing not to do this is choosing to go against an agreed upon social expectation, and with that comes the confusion. Is Kaepernick being disrespectful of the American flag or displaying ignorance? Is he trying to signify respect for something else by kneeling?
Even without any political context, when people watch an NFL match over television or while they are standing in a stadium, whether or not they are consciously aware that they are looking for it, they will notice when someone is doing something that disrupts their expectation. With this in mind, it is clear that Kaepernick knew he would be seen when he made the choice to begin kneeling rather than standing during the National Anthem before games. He has taken advantage of his access to the modality of the media and widespread communication to illustrate his message. By doing so he directs attention to himself and displays an image of himself that illustrates his lack of approval for something that he believes the National Anthem or the flag might symbolize to him or the American people. This image makes people think. It is not the words that he is saying, but rather the image that he is displaying, and it’s incongruence to cultural expectation that causes unrest and implies his message.
-Sarah Bergin 02/03/19
Thinking Rhetorically at GCSU 