It is not a controversial take to say that Super Bowl LX was one of the most disappointing games in Super Bowl history. Between the advertisements being universally terrible compared to previous years and the game itself being rather boring, very few people were overly excited with the conclusion to this season of the National Football League (NFL).
However, despite the advertisements infested with artificial intelligence and the lack of touchdowns in the first three quarters of the game, the halftime show with Bad Bunny really stood out. For some, it was the only quality part of the whole game, while for others, it was the worst part of the broadcast. However, many people are misunderstanding the performance and what made it special, and much of this misunderstanding is derived from hate, judgement and lies.
Bad Bunny’s performance was considered controversial from the moment it was announced that the Puerto Rican rapper would headline the halftime show. A common complaint leveraged against the show was that Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, only speaks in Spanish in his music. Many people posted online about how the performer at the halftime show needs to speak English and be American. The outrage that Ocasio “was not American” even led to conservative political organization Turning Point USA to sponsor its own “All-American Halftime Show” headlined by American musician Kid Rock.
This claim, that the performer at the halftime show needs to be American, is extremely misguided for two reasons. First, the Super Bowl halftime show has featured non-American performers before. As recently as 2023, singer Rhianna from Barbados headlined the halftime show. Canadian singer The Weeknd, Colombian singer Shakira and English band The Who also performed in 2021, 2020 and 2010, respectively. The second reason why this point is redundant is because, unlike the performers mentioned, Bad Bunny is American. He is actually from Puerto Rico, which has been a U.S. territory since 1898. All Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Additionally, many people have made the claim that the halftime show should be in English, not Spanish. While there is some ground for this argument to stand, since English is the most common language in the United States, it falls apart when you consider that there is no official language in the country. The representation of a Spanish-speaking artist in the Super Bowl halftime show is unique to this year.
Regardless of the controversy, Bad Bunny still performed at the halftime show to very split reception, and the show was misunderstood by many. The performance was a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and American unity. Bad Bunny and many of the dancers dressed in white as an ohmage to the white working clothes that Puerto Rican cane farmers would wear. The actual wedding that took place during the performance and that featured Lady Gaga resembled real Puerto Rican weddings. The kid sleeping during the wedding is considered a rite of passage for Puerto Rican children since weddings often last throughout the night, long after the kids would normally go to bed. One of the most viral moments of the show was when Bad Bunny said, “God bless America,” followed by listing every country in North America and South America. The main thesis of the show was that the only thing stronger than hate is love. At a time when the United States is more divided than ever, the notion that we need to join in love should be one shared among all citizens.
Yet, despite this strong message of love, the show was met with hate. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.” And, many viewers claimed that it criticized the actions of the current administration. Another common theme among posts online criticizing the show is that they did not talk about the show’s content; they just spouted off about how “no one understood it” or how “it was inappropriate for children” – as if the halftime show has always been “appropriate” in the past. A lot of this negative feedback is driven solely by hatred and racism and a misunderstanding of everything that made the halftime show special.
Luckily, while the show’s haters are loud, they seem to be the minority. For every post claiming that Bad Bunny was the worst halftime performance in Super Bowl history, there were even more praising Bad Bunny for his representation of Puerto Rican culture, his inclusion of every country in the Americas, his genuinely good music and his powerful message that hatred is bad, which really should not be a controversial statement.
While entertainment is subjective and people are free to their own opinions, it is important to recognize the passion that was poured into this show and not allow your own biases about the lead performer or the style of music blind you to how much effort was poured into making this halftime show a cultural celebration.
