OMG. What hypocrisy! Dancers are exhibiting debauchery, but “Kid-diddler” Rock, who has a decades old song and other statements promoting child rape, is the “All American” alternative??? Just completely vomit worthy!
Also this fake nationalism about football being “our” game by avowed racists completely ignores that more than half the players are black, including the MVP!!! Also, this year’s Heisman trophy winner is a fabulous QB by the name of Fernando Mendoza. So spare the outrage over the halftime show and put that energy into solving the many, many problems this country faces!
You make some valid points about what is appropriate for children as compared to adults. Exposure of adult sex acts to prepubescent children is a form of sexual abuse and debauchery. Human beings giving erotic pleasure to each other may not be debauchery depending on issues of mutual consent, age and intent. I find it strange that acts of love and pleasure are often considered immoral while we tolerate exposure to gun violence, the murder or genocide of the Palestinian people, Sudanese, Haitians and Ukrainians as something children can be exposed to. To my mind, this violence is the true human debauchery. It dehumanizes us far below our animal companions.
Look up the lyrics. Debauchery is not the same as giving love and pleasure. And I can think that and also have no tolerance for the violence across the US and the world right now.
I agree. The lyrics were disturbing and misogynistic. The music was great but the words were very crude. I am not a prude. I speak Spanish but I rarely hear all the words clearly in modern pop performances in any language and this was no exception. There was no love in those lyrics, just sex and objectification. I thought that the songs were something a sex addict would write. Look up the playlist of his songs for the half time. Then google the translation to English. I liked the inclusivity of all the Americas and the rhythms but when reviewers and the general public write about how the show went through the culture and history of Latinos and ignore the lyrics, I thought they just didn’t understand Spanish (which they often said.)
I agree on ‘twerking’ as well. It does not represent either African, Afro Caribbean or Latino dance forms.
It still boggles my mind, how determined the MAGAts were to see hatred for the United States in that half-time show. When I watched it, I saw love and joy - all the more remarkable, since it was all coming from people who are FAR from the most privileged group in the US. But no... the Trump-heads had told themselves it was all about hating America, and that was what they were hell-bent on seeing. How do they live? It's got to be miserable.
And yet in extreme maga lunacy world we have several maga congress members calling for a full FCC investigation on how this was inappropriate for children to view! And we, as taxpayers, get to pay for this rabid lunacy. The same people who sexualize their daughters in toddler beauty pageants, the same who sexualize their daughters as pop warner cheerleaders, the same who sexualize their daughters for Miss Cornhusker, Miss John Deere, etc. The same people who don't blink at ted nugent's filth filled lyrics, kid rock's filth filled lyrics that celebrate statutory rape, the same who listen to country music filled with lyrics about cheating on your spouse, driving drunk and having illicit sex with teenage girls. The hypocrisy of these pearl-clutchers is stupefying.
Although I grew up in a large minority Hispanic town, to my regret I don't speak Spanish or understand it, but I understand exuberance. I understand joy. I understand the story telling and the love of life exhibited by Bad Bunny and those involved in the show. Do magas take joy from anything besides hating and bashing liberals, gays, minorities, the educated, the North East liberals, and whomever else they slander daily? What a sad existence when your life is so consumed by envy and hate.
I have spent a great deal of time in Mexico, often spending months there living among and getting to immerse myself in Hispanic culture. And what I found was an amazing culture that you so correctly stated - one of joy, exuberance and life of life.
It is not that Bad Bunny reminds them that they are losing. Americans and citizens of the Planet are losing. And why? Because Donald Trump is making everyone lose. It is the most losing Administration in American history. When professional athletes are playing a game and they are losing badly-what happens. They fire the coach and get a new one. Donald Trump should know about firing. We all watched "The Apprentice" program, when our not-yet-in-office POTUS fired just about everybody on that show. Man, I wish he could fire Bondi, Lutnick, RFK, Jr., Hegseth, Noem and the other cast of losers in his cabinet. We can win and not lose. How do we do that? By quietly (and even loudly) to protest and proclaim our voice. Attend Democratic Party events. Talk to our elected officials. We need not get out of America and go to some other foreign country as expats. We need to stay in the USA. But above all, we must collectively have conversations ourselves and tell us that we will win. We will not lose.
I read it was about 6.5 million. But we know that trump and his stooges at MAL weren't among them, because he was critiquing BB. Ha ha! and I don't think I read anything from him saying how wonderful the Kid Rock show was. Are his folks even paying attention at all???
Yeah, the crowd hated it so much that they were dancing to the music. This old man grew up in Puerto Rico. His show brought back so many happy memories. I'm a new fan!
Great post, thank you. I was just talking with a friend about Bad Bunny embracing qualities ascribed to both masculine and feminine tendencies. This is threatening to those who hold everything feminine, lgbtq+, non white as lesser. The fact that we take increasingly loud JOY and ownership of not accepting being toxic-testosterone driven as a society (giving them presumed authority) is the way to go. It helps us to strengthen our voices and reminds the haters that they can not overcome our determination. Sad thing is that embracing diversity would make them healthier and ultimately happier. God knows, it would make our lives better, as well.
Jon. This a beautiful piece of truth and writing. Thank you for expressing all that I felt watching the halftime show with all its dancing and at the end patriotism for all the Americas. Love is stronger than hate. I loved it.
Well crafted and well said, John. The architects of the Trump "11 million Immigrants Deportation Plan", Steve Bannon and his fascist counterpart, Steve Miller are seeking to erase as many Brown, Black, Asian, Transgender & Queer people they can get their dirty hands on. They know that their brand of White Supremacist politics is doomed to failure according to the current demographics of this country so their only path to victory is to eliminate as many minorities as possible through exile, incarceration or extermination. Just today, the National Park Service pulled down the rainbow flag and plaque at the ONLY national monument to LGBTQIA+ history at the Stonewall Inn in NYC. As we plan to commemorate the Semiquincentennial Anniversary of the founding of this country, we need another cultural revolution that embeds the promises of the 1776 Declaration of Independence to fully include all people, not just land owning White Dudes, into our civic reality.
"...they swore they wouldn’t watch but couldn’t look away from..." I love that. They were probably watching between their fingers, but they were watching. Else they'd not have anything to complain about. I appreciate that they don't need to have seen something in order to claim they hate it, but some of them must have been watching. And there's the 'No-one' Trumpism again too - 'No-one understood what they were singing...' Lying bastard. If he didn't *ask everyone*, then how can he know that *no-one* understood it? And so on. Sooner that shithead croaks, the better....
As I said in a comment on another Substack, I haven’t understood the lyrics in a halftime show for years. I love the music and the pure joy evidenced in that excellent performance. Language doesn’t matter, it was full of love and acceptance.
The irony and hypocrisy of Trump and the right is so astounding (again and as always). For Trump to rant about how disgusting the half time show was and so inappropriate for family viewing is laughable coming from a man who daily, may I say hourly, acts and speaks in the most disgusting ways. And disgusting is putting it much too mildly.
Yes they claim that they don’t like bad bunny because he sang in Spanish. I know it’s because he is brown. I know that the people that go to operas don’t understand the words.
Luciano Pavarotti to Maria Callas , Placido Domingo and Jessye Norman. I forgot, magas are not that cultural and have no idea of what class is. Bad bunny has four songs in the top ten in music. Yet like the president we have fallen off the radar of the world stage.
John, this was one of your best ever essays. Thank you.
Wholeheartedly agree! And they’re all great!
There’s reason why some hated the performance. We have to admit, there’s a difference between culture and debauchery: https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/the-super-bowls-trojan-horse
OMG. What hypocrisy! Dancers are exhibiting debauchery, but “Kid-diddler” Rock, who has a decades old song and other statements promoting child rape, is the “All American” alternative??? Just completely vomit worthy!
Also this fake nationalism about football being “our” game by avowed racists completely ignores that more than half the players are black, including the MVP!!! Also, this year’s Heisman trophy winner is a fabulous QB by the name of Fernando Mendoza. So spare the outrage over the halftime show and put that energy into solving the many, many problems this country faces!
You make some valid points about what is appropriate for children as compared to adults. Exposure of adult sex acts to prepubescent children is a form of sexual abuse and debauchery. Human beings giving erotic pleasure to each other may not be debauchery depending on issues of mutual consent, age and intent. I find it strange that acts of love and pleasure are often considered immoral while we tolerate exposure to gun violence, the murder or genocide of the Palestinian people, Sudanese, Haitians and Ukrainians as something children can be exposed to. To my mind, this violence is the true human debauchery. It dehumanizes us far below our animal companions.
Well Put!
Look up the lyrics. Debauchery is not the same as giving love and pleasure. And I can think that and also have no tolerance for the violence across the US and the world right now.
I agree. The lyrics were disturbing and misogynistic. The music was great but the words were very crude. I am not a prude. I speak Spanish but I rarely hear all the words clearly in modern pop performances in any language and this was no exception. There was no love in those lyrics, just sex and objectification. I thought that the songs were something a sex addict would write. Look up the playlist of his songs for the half time. Then google the translation to English. I liked the inclusivity of all the Americas and the rhythms but when reviewers and the general public write about how the show went through the culture and history of Latinos and ignore the lyrics, I thought they just didn’t understand Spanish (which they often said.)
I agree on ‘twerking’ as well. It does not represent either African, Afro Caribbean or Latino dance forms.
It still boggles my mind, how determined the MAGAts were to see hatred for the United States in that half-time show. When I watched it, I saw love and joy - all the more remarkable, since it was all coming from people who are FAR from the most privileged group in the US. But no... the Trump-heads had told themselves it was all about hating America, and that was what they were hell-bent on seeing. How do they live? It's got to be miserable.
And yet in extreme maga lunacy world we have several maga congress members calling for a full FCC investigation on how this was inappropriate for children to view! And we, as taxpayers, get to pay for this rabid lunacy. The same people who sexualize their daughters in toddler beauty pageants, the same who sexualize their daughters as pop warner cheerleaders, the same who sexualize their daughters for Miss Cornhusker, Miss John Deere, etc. The same people who don't blink at ted nugent's filth filled lyrics, kid rock's filth filled lyrics that celebrate statutory rape, the same who listen to country music filled with lyrics about cheating on your spouse, driving drunk and having illicit sex with teenage girls. The hypocrisy of these pearl-clutchers is stupefying.
Although I grew up in a large minority Hispanic town, to my regret I don't speak Spanish or understand it, but I understand exuberance. I understand joy. I understand the story telling and the love of life exhibited by Bad Bunny and those involved in the show. Do magas take joy from anything besides hating and bashing liberals, gays, minorities, the educated, the North East liberals, and whomever else they slander daily? What a sad existence when your life is so consumed by envy and hate.
I have spent a great deal of time in Mexico, often spending months there living among and getting to immerse myself in Hispanic culture. And what I found was an amazing culture that you so correctly stated - one of joy, exuberance and life of life.
It is not that Bad Bunny reminds them that they are losing. Americans and citizens of the Planet are losing. And why? Because Donald Trump is making everyone lose. It is the most losing Administration in American history. When professional athletes are playing a game and they are losing badly-what happens. They fire the coach and get a new one. Donald Trump should know about firing. We all watched "The Apprentice" program, when our not-yet-in-office POTUS fired just about everybody on that show. Man, I wish he could fire Bondi, Lutnick, RFK, Jr., Hegseth, Noem and the other cast of losers in his cabinet. We can win and not lose. How do we do that? By quietly (and even loudly) to protest and proclaim our voice. Attend Democratic Party events. Talk to our elected officials. We need not get out of America and go to some other foreign country as expats. We need to stay in the USA. But above all, we must collectively have conversations ourselves and tell us that we will win. We will not lose.
I wonder how many of my MAGA relatives watched Klanchella instead.
I read it was about 6.5 million. But we know that trump and his stooges at MAL weren't among them, because he was critiquing BB. Ha ha! and I don't think I read anything from him saying how wonderful the Kid Rock show was. Are his folks even paying attention at all???
Or, maybe Duck Dynasty?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeah, the crowd hated it so much that they were dancing to the music. This old man grew up in Puerto Rico. His show brought back so many happy memories. I'm a new fan!
Great post, thank you. I was just talking with a friend about Bad Bunny embracing qualities ascribed to both masculine and feminine tendencies. This is threatening to those who hold everything feminine, lgbtq+, non white as lesser. The fact that we take increasingly loud JOY and ownership of not accepting being toxic-testosterone driven as a society (giving them presumed authority) is the way to go. It helps us to strengthen our voices and reminds the haters that they can not overcome our determination. Sad thing is that embracing diversity would make them healthier and ultimately happier. God knows, it would make our lives better, as well.
Jon. This a beautiful piece of truth and writing. Thank you for expressing all that I felt watching the halftime show with all its dancing and at the end patriotism for all the Americas. Love is stronger than hate. I loved it.
Well crafted and well said, John. The architects of the Trump "11 million Immigrants Deportation Plan", Steve Bannon and his fascist counterpart, Steve Miller are seeking to erase as many Brown, Black, Asian, Transgender & Queer people they can get their dirty hands on. They know that their brand of White Supremacist politics is doomed to failure according to the current demographics of this country so their only path to victory is to eliminate as many minorities as possible through exile, incarceration or extermination. Just today, the National Park Service pulled down the rainbow flag and plaque at the ONLY national monument to LGBTQIA+ history at the Stonewall Inn in NYC. As we plan to commemorate the Semiquincentennial Anniversary of the founding of this country, we need another cultural revolution that embeds the promises of the 1776 Declaration of Independence to fully include all people, not just land owning White Dudes, into our civic reality.
Excellent!
I am laughing my head off reading John's commentary! This is so TRUE! Thank you for adding a little levity to these dark days.
"...they swore they wouldn’t watch but couldn’t look away from..." I love that. They were probably watching between their fingers, but they were watching. Else they'd not have anything to complain about. I appreciate that they don't need to have seen something in order to claim they hate it, but some of them must have been watching. And there's the 'No-one' Trumpism again too - 'No-one understood what they were singing...' Lying bastard. If he didn't *ask everyone*, then how can he know that *no-one* understood it? And so on. Sooner that shithead croaks, the better....
As I said in a comment on another Substack, I haven’t understood the lyrics in a halftime show for years. I love the music and the pure joy evidenced in that excellent performance. Language doesn’t matter, it was full of love and acceptance.
Always the truth will be revealed. YEAAAA
Elmo said it best. He's a GOOD bunny.
The irony and hypocrisy of Trump and the right is so astounding (again and as always). For Trump to rant about how disgusting the half time show was and so inappropriate for family viewing is laughable coming from a man who daily, may I say hourly, acts and speaks in the most disgusting ways. And disgusting is putting it much too mildly.
Yes they claim that they don’t like bad bunny because he sang in Spanish. I know it’s because he is brown. I know that the people that go to operas don’t understand the words.
Luciano Pavarotti to Maria Callas , Placido Domingo and Jessye Norman. I forgot, magas are not that cultural and have no idea of what class is. Bad bunny has four songs in the top ten in music. Yet like the president we have fallen off the radar of the world stage.
I would like to suggest we call it B2DS (the B2 for Bad Bunny) - superscript the 2 - it wouldn't do it here. They will never figure it out.