Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Bad Bunny’s presence at the Super Bowl halftime show was subjected to plenty of backlash before he even performed, and there was also some pearl-clutching in the wake of it. A number of politicians called for the FCC to launch an investigation into potential broadcast violations, but it sounds like it may be over before it even really started.
We live in a world where far too many people feel the constant need to be mad about something that is objectively not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. I would argue that is the case with the Super Bowl halftime show, which has slowly but surely transformed from an afterthought to a fairly massive spectacle but is still ultimately an approximately 15-minute segment of added entertainment during the biggest football game of the year.
Being picked to perform at halftime is a pretty big honor for the artists who get the nod, and it goes without saying that the powers that be make it a priority to find a crowd-pleasing performer who has the potential to draw in people who couldn’t care less about the contest they’re crashing.
As you likely know, Bad Bunny was tapped for the halftime show at Super Bowl LX, a decision that sparked plenty of criticms from people who were Big Mad about someone who primarily performs in Spanish being selected.
Turning Point USA was able to leverage that outrage to drum up hype for a halftime show of its own that featured Kid Rock as the headliner, and while there is evidence that suggests the NFL did take a hit on the ratings front when the Puerto Rican sensation took to the field at Levi’s Stadium, his performance seemed to be pretty well-received.
However, that didn’t stop some people from clamoring for an FCC investigation into his set, but they are probably going to be disappointed with what the agency has to say about the matter.
Bad Bunny did not appear to violate any broadcast regulations based on the results of a very brief FCC investigation
On Monday, Randy Fine, a Republican Congressman representing Florida’s 6th District, called on the FCC to look into Bad Bunny’s performance while boldly claiming the “disgusting halftime show was illegal” and supporting that claim by posting the translated lyrics to “Safaera.”
That would have potentially been a big deal if the lyrics in question were delivered uncensored on the broadcast, but it did not take long for people to point out they were, in fact, edited out with the help of the self-censorship that virtually every artist with vulgar lyrics agrees to when they’re performing on television.
Andy Ogles, a Republican who serves Tennessee’s 5th District in the House of Representatives, also got in on the action while rattling off some grievances of his own, saying “children were forced to endure gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively, and Bad Bunny shamelessly grabbing his crotch while dry-humping the air.”
He called for a “formal congressional inquiry” into the matter, so while there’s a chance this saga continues to unfold on that particular front, the New York Post reports the FCC will not be doling out any fines or discipline after reviewing the performance.
The outlet spoke with a source who said the show was absent of any violations, saying “the act and the songs that the Puerto Rican rapper belted out during the halftime show…were scrubbed of lyrics that normally include references to sex acts and genitalia” and that the FCC has “shelved any additional scrutiny barring further evidence.”
As I mentioned above, there’s always a chance Congress devotes more resources to the issue than it probably should, but it seems like this whole thing is inching closer to a merciful end.
Have some thoughts of your own? Feel free to yell at me (or agree with me) by shooting an email to connor@brobible.com.