Bad Bunny has been announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LX following a 61-day residency in his homeland, Puerto Rico. This announcement has drawn mixed reviews among football fans and politicians, with some excited and others going as far as to say that they plan to boycott the upcoming Super Bowl due to his performance.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance will go down in history as the first halftime show performed entirely in Spanish. His vibrant tunes echoing through Levi’s Stadium in California will serve as a rebellion against racist, conservative values that wish to oppress Hispanic voices. Bad Bunny’s anticipated Super Bowl performance allows the artist to share his Puerto Rican culture with millions of eager viewers.
The National Football League’s announcement of Bad Bunny’s performance has brought joy to fans who thought the artist would not bring his music to the U.S. this year due to fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An advisor in President Donald Trump’s administration, Corey Lewandowski, has attempted to reinstate these fears by threatening that ICE will be at the Super Bowl, stating, “There is nowhere you can provide a safe haven to people in this country illegally,” during an episode of “The Benny Show” podcast.
Lewandowski is implying that there will be illegal immigrants at the Super Bowl because Bad Bunny is performing. The executive advisor stereotypes both the artist and his fans by claiming that reggaeton music is only listened to by illegal immigrants. Such a racist declaration should not be tolerated in a place called “the land of the free.” This harsh response from an official government worker demonstrates the challenging political climate in the U.S., thus promoting the importance of Bad Bunny’s musical advocacy.
The Trump administration is trying to come up with a senseless action plan — however, there would be no way to determine who is an illegal immigrant at an event as big as the Super Bowl. People from all over the world travel to watch this event. The traffic of diverse citizens in Levi’s Stadium next February will make it difficult for ICE to track down illegal immigrants. Even if there was some type of system set to detain people, it is unlikely that anything will be done to negatively impact one of America’s most highly monetized events.
Regardless of political standpoint, Americans only have two options: They can watch the Super Bowl and enjoy the historical, reggaeton-filled halftime show or sit out one of the most important sports events of the year due to a lack of perspective. Although many liberals are supporting Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance, conservative America has shown an unwillingness when it comes to embracing different cultures and languages. The negative comments made by right-wing supporters reflect close-minded ideologies that aim to pursue racial suppression.
Despite the controversy surrounding Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance, the attendance roster will not stop this history-making halftime show. With that being said, conservative Americans should take this performance as an opportunity to learn about Puerto Rican culture through music rather than rejecting the importance of Hispanic roles in America through hatred and ignorance.
