This week, I studied the debate on whether the NFL would consider finding someone else to perform at the Super Bowl. The post claimed that the NFL would not reconsider its current halftime performer. I was unable to fully research the person who made this post, as their name did not appear on LinkedIn or any Google search results. Furthermore, on their account, I was able to see that they are from Portland, Oregon, and joined News Detective two weeks ago, and have only posted twice. This claim lacks credibility from the author, but regains trust and transparency with credible sources. The author Gavin Shafer does not have any other posts on this topic, so it is not their expertise.
With my own research, I was able to determine that many other sources directly aligned with this claim. ESPN put out an article stating that the NFL would not think about hiring any other halftime performer and would continue on with Bad Bunny as planned. The article includes statements from Roger Goodell, who is the current commissioner of the National Football League: "It's carefully thought through," Goodell said. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching." (NFL). These quotes remind us that almost every halftime performer has received backlash from fans. Last year at Super Bowl 58, rapper Kendrick Lamar performed and received some criticism for his performance: “Conservatives who seemed outraged by the very existence of Lamar’s performance crystallized America’s cultural divide” (Rolling Stones). This aligns with Goodell’s idea that there will likely never be a win-win performance, as someone is likely always going to be unhappy.
The backlash stems from people who dislike the fact that Bad Bunny performs the majority of his music in Spanish; he has also been a huge advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Current president Donald Trump has also spoken out regarding this announcement, “I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s like, crazy” (Intelligencer). Many people who are making these claims have never even given his music a chance and are strictly basing their opinions on his ethnicity and the language he performs in. Additionally, it is also key to mention that Bad Bunny just completed a three-month tour and is about to embark on an eight-month world tour, without making stops in the United States. This is the result of huge concerns regarding ICE deportation. He wanted to protect his fans' safety, “But there was the issue of — like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about” (Intelligencer). Despite skipping the US on a world tour, he is still headlining the Super Bowl, and that made many conservatives upset.
The sources that I found had many direct sources, which mainly came from direct quotes. Quotes from the performer Bad Bunny and Roger Goodell represented the agreement with the performer and his message. Lines from Donald Trump showcase the opposing sides of the argument.
I believe that one key concept that is misunderstood by many is that Bad Bunny is not a Mexican rapper; rather, he is Puerto Rican. Additionally, it is likely that critics forget that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. On social media, I have seen many people confused about why the Super Bowl would hire someone who is not an American citizen, which demonstrates a lack of education. Bad Bunny is an American citizen, as all people born in Puerto Rico are. I have seen these assumptions all over, including on the News Detective claim made by Gavin Shafer, claiming that Bad Bunny is a “Mexican rapper”.
Overall, I think all of the critiques and people who believe in broad assumptions demonstrate a lack of openness and respect for people and their cultures. Despite criticism from the public, it is clear that Bad Bunny is not going anywhere and will be continuing to perform at Super Bowl 59.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46684916/roger-goodell-nfl-reconsider-bad-bunny-sb-half-show
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/kendrick-lamar-super-bowl-halftime-criticism-controversy-conservatives-1235264062/
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bad-bunny-super-bowl-2026-controversy.html
