Tina Knowles hits back at 'Beyoncé Bowl' critics: 'You look like a joke'

Tina Knowles is clapping back at criticism of daughter Beyoncé’s headline-grabbing halftime performance.

The pop icon owned Christmas Day with her show at the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens game on Netflix. Donning her best sparkling white Western wear, Beyoncé unveiled her live version of “Texas Hold ‘Em” (from her latest album, “Cowboy Carter”) and was joined by Shaboozey and Post Malone, as well as daughter Blue Ivy Carter, 12, who danced alongside her mom.

After fans (and the occasional critic) predictably complained about the performance being heavy on cover songs and lacking a Christmas theme, Beyoncé’s mom issued a stern response.

Knowles shared fan @iamkrisiman’s observation that “no matter how undeniably talented you are, people will always, ALWAYS, always have some negative ish to say” and endorsed the sentiment.

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“It is mind-boggling to me that you would take your precious Christmas day and watch a performance of someone you hate and you don’t think has talent so that you can go talk ish about it later," Knowles wrote on Instagram. "Obviously you are so obsessed with them, addicted to them, and secretly admire them, wish you could be them, that you cannot help but to watch and critique and comment and say dumb ridiculous stuff that makes you look like a joke!!

“So go to another channel when it’s halftime watch goofy cartoons or Bozo the clown or something you can relate to and see yourself in. Said with love.

“PS,” she added, “I have learned so much from (Beyoncé’s) warrior spirit, of when they go low I work harder.”

Beyoncé’s famous friends, including Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, applauded the message.

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“Period!!! Ms. T,” LeToya Luckett, a founding member of Destiny’s Child, wrote with clapping and heart emojis.

“As my mother would say, ‘my dear, don’t mind them,’ “ Uzo Aduba responded.

“All. Of. This!!!!!!” Octavia Spencer wrote, with a series of fire emoji.

“There's a thin line between love and hate and often haters lack the introspection to realize they are actually in love,” Sunny Anderson concluded.

“NUMBERS DON’T LIE! SO NOW WHAT?” Vivica Fox wrote.

The 13-minute halftime show, dubbed “Beyoncé Bowl,” drew 27 million U.S. viewers, according to Netflix. Among viewers ages 18-34, the live Ravens-Texans matchup was the most-watched Christmas Day game on record with 5.1 million U.S. viewers. The show is available as a standalone special on the streaming site.

A day later, Beyoncé capped off her triumph with a teaser for fans: She posted video of herself astride a white horse, waving an American flag, and a black screen bearing the date Jan. 14. “Look at that horse,” she simply captioned it.

Contributing: Cache McClay

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tina Knowles defends Beyoncé Christmas halftime show from haters