CBS deleted a tweet directed at Sam Smith just prior to his performance at the Grammys. The publication, in which the American network intimated that "We are ready to worship!," referring to the singer, raised criticism from the spectators of the musical gala, who defined the performance of the British singer and Kim Petras as a "satanic show."
. @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
CBS could not avoid the ensuing criticism. The network, despite deleting the tweet in which it clearly intimated that they were ready to worship, could not escape the backlash of numerous personalities who criticized the support shown by the television network before the performance. Producer Jillian Anderson, the same person who discovered that CBS deleted the tweet, claimed that the message proved that the television industry was indded satanic:
You don’t have to say the entertainment industry is satanic, they’re doing it for you.
— Jillian Anderson (@Jillie_Alexis) February 6, 2023
The editor-in-chief of The National Pulse, Raheem J. Kassam, also voiced his discomfort at the support CBS showed minutes before Smith and Pietras went on stage to perform the controversial display:
CBS tweeted, at Sam Smith, that it was “ready to worship” just before Sam Smith performed a Satanic ritual.
Riiiiiiighhhhhht. https://t.co/34NbJWtIAi
— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) February 6, 2023
Music video producer and director Robby Starbuck, also took a dim view of the CBS television network's position, which he accused of being "compromised by evil:"
This is what CBS said to Sam Smith right before he did his demonic performance as Satan. Think about that. They aren’t even trying to hide how compromised by evil they are anymore. It’s all out in the open now. https://t.co/9zFLXP2Xc4
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 6, 2023
Pfizer, sponsor of the performance or the Grammys?
The performance ended with a Pfizer logo, implying that the company was sponsoring the show. The show featured Sam Smith dressed as the devil with a group of women adoring him as he performed alongside Kim Pietras, Unholy, the song for which they won the award in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category at the Grammys. However, it was not very well received by a large majority of the audience. Ted Cruz was one of them. The Texas senator tweeted that the performance was "evil:"
This…is…evil. https://t.co/SBrOgHfFcX
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 6, 2023
The senator continued to express his discomfort with the performance and in a subsequent tweet asserted that Pfizer, the company that sponsored the performance, "is taking the whole truth in advertising thing very literally...":
Pfizer is taking the whole truth in advertising thing pretty literally…. https://t.co/PWsHjo4Lkk
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 6, 2023
In response to the criticism, the pharmaceutical company offered its own version of events. In statements given to Newsweek, a company spokesperson pronounced that they had sponsored the gala in general, not that, or any other particular performance: "We sponsored the overall Grammy's event, not any particular performance. Beyond that, we don't comment on our efforts to raise awareness."
