Why some Republicans are calling Bad Bunny's halftime show 'illegal' after it was in a different language
A handful of Republican lawmakers have branded Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show as an ‘illegal’ act and called for a formal investigation to be launched.
Entirely in Spanish, the Puerto Rican singer made a statement during his 13-minute show on Sunday (February 8), with his ability to get people up and dancing, while celebrating his culture and that of those across the US on the world stage.
Not only did he have touching messages hidden in plain sight, but he left fans gobsmacked and raving online when a number of surprise guests made an appearance.
But Republicans Randy Fine and Andy Ogles have asked for the lyrics of Bad Bunny’s songs, ‘Tití Me Preguntó,’ ‘NUEVAYoL’, and ‘DtMF’ to be analyzed in light of claims they contain explicit material.
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Taking to X on Monday (February 9), Fine claimed: “You can’t say the f-word on live TV.”
Just one day later, Fine then posted a letter he sent to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, where he said the ‘woke garbage we witnessed on Super Bowl Sunday needs to be INVESTIGATED and put to an END’.
The Republican, who has represented the state's 6th Congressional District since April 2025, claimed that ‘real Americans’ were ‘outraged by the vulgar, indecent, and offensive content’.
"The degenerates behind it must be held accountable," he added while naming NBCUniversal, which broadcast the game, as well as the National Football League (NFL).
He added: "... If they knowingly allowed this content to air, then dramatic action, including fines and the revocation of broadcast licenses, should be taken."
Ogles similarly sent a letter about the show, but he instead chose to approach the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The representative called the performance ‘pure smut, brazenly aired on national television for every American family to witness’.
In his letter, he also asked for an inquiry into the NFL and NBC over their ‘prior knowledge, review, and approval’.
"Children were forced to endure explicit displays of gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively, and Bad Bunny shamelessly grabbing his crotch while dry-humping the air," Ogles wrote on X, adding: "And if that weren’t outrageous enough, the performance’s lyrics openly glorified sodomy and countless other unspeakable depravities. These flagrant, indecent acts are illegal to be displayed on public airways."
He then claimed that the songs ‘Safaera’ and ‘Yo Perreo Sola’ featured sexual content that is ‘readily apparent across any language barrier’.
However, Axios debunked claims that the singer used the 'f-word' and reported that Bad Bunny actually bleeped out sexually explicit words, or shortened his songs by taking out some of the more suggestive stuff.
UNILAD reached out to representatives of Bad Bunny, NBC and the NFL for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Bad Bunny, Super Bowl, Music, Politics
Britt Jones