Even earlier than Dangerous Bunny took to the sphere, his Super Bowl halftime performance drew controversy, especially from MAGA influencers upset over the Puerto Rican star’s feedback towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the truth that he sings in Spanish.
Following the efficiency, which was watched by greater than 128 million folks, these complaints continued—however they had been largely targeted on perceived vulgarity within the artist’s efficiency.
Following a Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) request from WIRED, the Federal Communications Fee, which regulates communications together with broadcast, launched 2,155 complaints the company acquired concerning the Tremendous Bowl, most of which had been concerning the halftime present. Lots of the complaints targeted on the truth that the present was not in English, however a piece of these folks had been upset about indecency within the Spanish lyrics. Others expressed discomfort with the dancing they noticed onscreen.
“Dangerous Bunny carried out these lyrics dwell with out obvious censorship,” wrote one viewer from Leighton, Alabama. “Dancers engaged in perreo-intense grinding, hip thrusting, and twerking simulating sexmirroring the lyrics [sic]. Cameras captured close-ups of suggestive contact and pelvic motions, amplifying the express nature.”
Some viewers complained that their youngsters perceive Spanish they usually didn’t like these children listening to Dangerous Bunny’s lyrics. Nonetheless extra, like one viewer from Indiana, mentioned that despite the fact that they didn’t communicate Spanish, they appeared up translations of the lyrics later and had been upset.
An evaluation of the FCC complaints over Dangerous Bunny’s halftime present by WIRED discovered the highest three states for complaints had been Texas, Florida, and California, in that order. 4 hundred and ninety-seven complaints contained the phrase “vulgar,” 735 contained the phrase “Spanish,” and 919 contained Dangerous Bunny’s title.
The variety of complaints pale compared to the quantity of people that watched the historic present, which featured Girl Gaga, a marriage, and a cameo from Maria Antonia Cay, the beloved proprietor of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Membership. All instructed, the efficiency was watched greater than 4 billion instances on broadcast, YouTube, and social media, according to the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation, which produces the halftime present.
Not less than one grievance made reference to the immigration standing of the performers. “There are illegals on my TV display screen,” mentioned the viewer from Raleigh, North Carolina. “I do not perceive Spanish, however I feel I heard inappropriate language.” (Dangerous Bunny is Puerto Rican, and as such a US citizen.)
A number of days after Dangerous Bunny’s efficiency in February, Republican lawmakers known as for the FCC to investigate the NFL and NBC, which broadcast the occasion. FCC commissioner Anna Gomez subsequently requested transcripts of the efficiency, which aired on NBC and located no violations. “I reviewed them rigorously, and I discovered no violation of our guidelines and no justification for harassing broadcasters over an ordinary dwell efficiency,” Gomez told Reuters.
Representatives for Dangerous Bunny and NBC didn’t instantly reply to emails searching for remark.
Some 30 complaints referenced the 2 males seen dancing with one another through the efficiency. “On high of extremely inappropriate songs and lyrics there was additionally depictions of homosexual intercourse overtly on the display screen and different inappropriate sexual innuendos,” wrote a viewer from Winstead, Connecticut. “That is extremely inappropriate and never okay when there are CHILDREN WATCHING.”
“I watched this at my native Dave and Busters and noticed many mother and father visibly disturbed through the halftime efficiency with many leaving the viewing space till the occasion concluded,” complained one viewer from Incline Village, Nevada.
Thirty of the complaints concerning the Tremendous Bowl halftime present comprise President Trump’s widespread Reality Social sign-off “Thanks on your consideration to this matter.”
Tremendous Bowl halftime performances incessantly obtain FCC complaints, usually reflecting sociopolitical speaking factors. Whereas the Dangerous Bunny complaints appeared reflective of the US’ discourse over immigration and ICE, Kendrick Lamar’s show final 12 months acquired 125 complaints, lots of them specializing in the performance’s lack of white people amidst right-wing outcry over DEI.
