The Super Bowl, that most American of all cultural touchstones, has historically brought America together. But not this time. Naturally, there’s a wild political backlash against the chosen halftime headliner, a wildly popular entertainer known as Bad Bunny.
His critics won’t come right out and say it, but the reason is obvious, with apologies to last year’s halftime performer, Kendrick Lamar: He’s not like us.
When Puerto Rico’s genre-defining Spanish-language rapper was announced, people freaked out, especially in the MAGA-sphere. Bad Bunny (real name: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) refuses to tour U.S. cities, worried that his fans will be targeted by ICE agents. Not only that, he doesn’t sing in English.
President Trump called the choice “crazy.” His Homeland Security people promise to be “all over” the stadium in California hunting for illegals (even though Puerto Ricans are legally U.S. citizens). Greg Kelly, a host on right-wing Newsmax, said: “What a rotten pick.”
Worldwide popularity
First came the complaint that nobody has heard of him — except those who have listened to his music more than 100 billion times, making him second only to Taylor Swift as the most-streamed artist of all time. Or the people who snapped up more than 400,000 tickets in a few hours to his 31-concert residency in San Juan. Or who made his sixth album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” (I Should Have Taken More Photos) one of the year’s best sellers.
Not to mention the people who have seen Ocasio in acting roles, including his recent SNL hosting gig, which he did for a second time for the Oct. 4 season opener, along with two turns as the musical guest.
Those who are howling over Bad Bunny’s insistence on performing in Spanish somehow overlook that upwards of 40 million American citizens speak, and think, of Spanish as their primary language (about 13% of the population).
His upcoming world tour has no dates in the continental U.S., and he’s been blunt about why: He’s afraid Immigration and Customs Enforcement will target his shows to round up Latinos — with little regard for whether they are in the country legally or even native-born citizens, as all Puerto Ricans are.
Given the scope of the injustice ICE is visiting on millions of innocent people — those detained and those living in abject fear — a little criticism in a Super Bowl halftime show is not too much to bear.
The Super Bowl as stage
But in this era of severe free speech oppression, there are fears that he will use his enormous worldwide stage to speak out against the injustices many Americans and legal residents face.
Finally, to those who say the NFL is selling out its core audience with a nontraditional performance, what’s “traditional?”
Was it New Kids on the Block’s notably torpid 1991 set, which included, for some reason, a rendition of “It’s a Small World (After All)”? Justin Timberlake’s apparently calculated decision to rip off Janet Jackson’s top in 2004? Maroon 5’s decision to play in 2019, despite brewing controversy over the NFL’s treatment of Colin Kaepernick?
Previous Super Bowl halftime performers have included Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and Shania Twain — none of them Americans. And who can forget those insipid “Up with People” shows, with their awful Motown medleys in the days before halftime became a marquee event?
Growing the audience
Those who say the NFL should “know its audience” are hopelessly out of touch.
The NFL knows exactly what it’s doing: For most Americans, football is the most-followed sport — but there are always wider audiences to capture.
The league hopes to reach viewers who haven’t considered American football worth watching before Super Bowl LX (yes, the big game will soon turn 60).
The halftime show is another way to make money.
In terms of musical and cultural influence, Bad Bunny is a great Super Bowl pick. He’s a worthy advocate for Puerto Ricans, both at home and those who have spread through the continental United States — to the great benefit of Florida, where hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have made their homes.
He’s a massive talent, well-placed in the pantheon of halftime show greats such as Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Beyoncé.
Bad Bunny’s selection has created a huge national buzz, which is what the NFL (and its broadcast partner, NBC) wanted all along. And to his credit, he’s giving English-only speakers in this country four whole months to learn Spanish — so they can understand his lyrics. Gracias, Bad Bunny.
The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Opinion Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman, and Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant. To contact us, email at letters@sun-sentinel.com.
