Does Bethenny Frankel Have A Bone To Pick With Black Women?

Bethenny Frankel’s criticism of Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance reeks of a privileged White woman.

As Rihanna’s fans gushed over her Super Bowl halftime performance, flawless makeup, and adorable baby bump, naysayers quickly flooded social media with their critiques and criticisms. Former reality television star Bethenny Frankel gave her two cents on Instagram, saying Rihrih’s performance was more of a business opportunity than a demonstration of her passion for music and that Rihanna and her beauty line “won the super bowl.” Although I would typically file Frankel’s opinions under “unsolicited, attention-seeking, and irrelevant,” her thoughts highlight a strikingly common theme that is hard to overlook. Her inconsequential rant in isolation seems innocent, but Frankel has a track record of coming for Black women who have not sent for her.

On Monday, Bethenny Frankel took it upon herself to share her reactions to Rihanna’s halftime performance during Super Bowl LVII. The Real Housewives of New York alum, 52, said Rihanna was motivated to perform at the Super Bowl by the perfect opportunity to help her makeup and lingerie empire. She also recalled seeing Rihanna and Pink perform at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, a few years ago. Despite loving Rihanna’s “vibe,” “energy,” “fashion,” and “music,” Frankel felt she did not measure up to Pink in terms of passion in her performance. Frankel finally wrapped up her monologue by pointing out that Rihanna powdered her face with Fenty makeup during the performance and that Rihanna more than likely performed so that she could “take care” of some of the influencers she works with by treating them to a trip to the Super Bowl.

It is no secret that entertainers are not paid for performing during halftime at the Super Bowl. So, it is not a stretch that most perform because of their passion for music and for a host of other reasons that benefit their careers and brands. During Rihanna’s performance, searches for Fenty’s Invisimatte Blotting Powder climbed 833% after the performance, further illustrating the genius businesswoman Rihanna is and how she has created a mega lingerie and beauty empire.