LDT. The All American Halftime Show vs. Bad Bunny: A Cultural Flashpoint at Super Bowl LX
As the Super Bowl LX approaches in February 2026, the halftime show has become far more than a moment of entertainment — it has become a battleground for competing visions of American identity. The NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican global superstar who performs primarily in Spanish, has sparked a fierce debate about culture, inclusion, and what constitutes “American” entertainment.
In response, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) announced the All American Halftime Show, a counter-programming event designed to run concurrently with the official show. TPUSA frames the event as a celebration of “faith, family & freedom,” promoting English-language performances, country, rock, and Americana — what organizers describe as the “true American spirit.”
Supporters: A Stand for Tradition
Proponents of the All American Halftime Show argue that the NFL’s choice represents a break with tradition. For them:
- The Super Bowl halftime should reflect mainstream American culture, rooted in English-language music and patriotic themes.
- A Spanish-language performance on the nation’s largest stage sidelines a traditional notion of Americana.
- By organizing an alternative event, TPUSA allows audiences to “reclaim” the halftime show in line with what they see as cultural heritage.
Supporters see the initiative not as exclusionary, but as a necessary counterbalance — a way to ensure that the Super Bowl stage represents the values of a significant segment of the audience.
Critics: Politicizing Pop Culture
Critics argue that the backlash and the All American Halftime Show are rooted in exclusion rather than celebration:
- Bad Bunny, a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico, embodies a valid facet of American culture. Denying representation on this stage implicitly marginalizes Latino and Spanish-speaking communities.
- The counter-event politicizes what has traditionally been a unifying entertainment moment, turning a pop-cultural celebration into a cultural referendum.
- Critics see the framing of “All American” as a thinly veiled rejection of diversity, masking intolerance under the guise of patriotism.
The Broader Debate: Identity, Representation, and Entertainment
This controversy illustrates a larger conversation about America in 2025:
- Who defines “American” culture? Is it determined by tradition, language, or evolving demographics?
- How should entertainment balance inclusion and audience expectations? Globalized media and a diverse population make the question more urgent than ever.
- Can the Super Bowl remain neutral, or is neutrality impossible? Both sides claim to be preserving core values — yet the event has become a symbolic battlefield for identity politics.
What to Watch
- Lineup announcements: Will TPUSA attract performers with mainstream appeal, or will it remain niche?
- Public and media response: Will audiences embrace the counter-event, or dismiss it as politically motivated?
- Cultural impact: The outcome could set a precedent for how major entertainment events balance representation, politics, and tradition.
The Verdict
The clash between Bad Bunny and the All American Halftime Show goes beyond music. It’s a debate over identity, inclusion, and what it means to be “American” in a country that is increasingly diverse yet politically polarized. As February approaches, the Super Bowl isn’t just a football game — it’s a stage where America’s cultural tensions are playing out live.
