The reaction to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance has ignited a familiar culture war, with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement leading the charge against the Puerto Rican artist. But the intensity of the backlash, and the increasingly unhinged rhetoric surrounding it, has prompted a surprising question: is MAGA itself becoming “woke” – adopting the very censorious and reactive posture it once derided in the left?
The debate was sparked by commentator Piers Morgan, who, on his show “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” observed a shift in the conservative response to Bad Bunny. Morgan noted that the right, having previously positioned itself as a bastion against “woke” culture, now appears to be exhibiting similar sensitivities regarding cultural representation and perceived affronts to traditional values.
The core of the controversy centers on Bad Bunny’s decision to perform his entire set in Spanish. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, appearing on Morgan’s program, characterized the performance as a “middle finger to the rest of America,” arguing that prioritizing Spanish over English was exclusionary and disrespectful to the majority of the U.S. Population. “We don’t need a Spanish-speaking non-English performer,” Kelly stated, adding that the Super Bowl should be a “unifying event for the country.”
Morgan challenged Kelly’s assertion, pointing out that the United States does not have an official language. Kelly then pivoted to a broader critique of cultural change, expressing concern about the perceived erosion of American culture and invoking the example of Great Britain. “You ceded your culture to a bunch of radical Muslims who came in and took over and now it’s gone,” she told Morgan. “We’re not allowing that here.”
The criticism extended to former President Donald Trump, who labeled the halftime show “absolutely terrible” and a “slap in the face” to the country on his Truth Social platform. He complained that “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying” and deemed the dancing “disgusting, especially for young children.” This prompted supporters to organize an alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, and Lee Brice, though its viewership of 6 million paled in comparison to the 128.2 million who watched Bad Bunny’s performance.
The NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny was, according to reports, strategically motivated by a desire to expand its reach to Latino audiences and increase its international footprint. Charlotte Jones, chief brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys, told Katie Miller (wife of former White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller) in November that the league recognizes the importance of its “Latino fan base” and the value of celebrating America’s “mixed culture.”
However, this embrace of diversity has been met with resistance from within the MAGA movement. Conservative commentators have framed Bad Bunny as a “woke” musician who would “bash the United States” and challenge traditional gender norms. Tomi Lahren, for example, incorrectly asserted that Bad Bunny is “not an American artist.”
The backlash highlights a deeper tension within MAGA politics: a desire to maintain a narrow definition of American identity based on factors like language, race, and political alignment. As one analysis points out, the reaction to Bad Bunny exposes how the American conservative right has narrowed its ideas about who truly “belongs” in America. The focus on borders – both physical and cultural – is central to this ideology.
The controversy also underscores the evolving dynamics of the culture war. While MAGA initially positioned itself as an opponent of “woke” excess, its reaction to Bad Bunny suggests a growing intolerance for cultural expression that doesn’t align with its worldview. Whether this represents a genuine shift in ideology or simply a reactive response to perceived threats remains to be seen, but it raises questions about the future of the movement and its ability to appeal to a diverse electorate.
The incident serves as a reminder that the Super Bowl, despite its attempts to be a unifying event, is often a battleground for cultural and political anxieties. Bad Bunny’s performance, whether intentionally or not, has become a focal point for these tensions, exposing the fault lines that continue to divide the nation.
