Because the NFL despatched out a remaining advertising blitz for Dangerous Bunny’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present on Sunday, the official Democratic Celebration X account shared an image of Dangerous Bunny in entrance of the American and Puerto Rican flags below the textual content “All-American halftime with Dangerous Bunny.” It didn’t sit proper with one Republican.
“Unpopular: Republicans have to unite and get on higher messaging as a result of this branding is implausible and permits all dems to get behind it. Additionally – tremendous aesthetic,” wrote the political commenter and nation singer Alexis Wilkins on X, quoting the publish from @TheDemocrats in her message to her 88.2K followers.
Wilkins, who’s relationship FBI director Kash Patel, continued her argument on X the following day, after Dangerous Bunny’s present had already turn into a much-viewed and much-discussed sensation. She hadn’t watched, she mentioned, however that wasn’t the problem. “My level was that we will’t give the left an inch of the bottom we gained within the final election. … All of us thought Dangerous Bunny was going to return out in a costume that mentioned ICE OUT – however he didn’t. This may’ve all been simpler to message if he did. They’re pulling the unity trope and we will’t allow them to have it.”
As Wilkins fretted over how the American public would obtain the halftime present, President Donald Trump was already venting his outrage on Reality Social.
“The Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present is completely horrible, one of many worst, EVER!” Trump posted. “It is senseless, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t signify our requirements of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. No person understands a phrase this man is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, particularly for younger youngsters which can be watching from all through the usA., and all around the World.”
Embedded in each Wilkins’s unease and Trump’s fury was the identical concern. Dangerous Bunny’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present was an plain smash from probably the most in style entertainers on the earth proper now. It was additionally undeniably involved with the dignity and humanity of residents of Dangerous Bunny’s native Puerto Rico and all of Latin America — which is to say, it had “woke” themes. And that didn’t cease it from being a success in any respect! What may that imply for the tradition wars?
After the 2024 election, a story developed amongst members of American media. The “vibes” (loosely outlined) had “shifted,” they mentioned, and America was now not taken with leisure or celebrities that have been “woke” (additionally very loosely outlined). Now, for the primary time for the reason that fast aftermath of 9/11, it was the correct’s flip to outline tradition.
As Ezra Klein famous within the New York Occasions final January, the shift didn’t appear fully justified by Trump’s slim electoral win. “Trump’s cultural victory has lapped his political victory,” Klein wrote. “The election was shut, however the vibes have been a rout.”
But, a yr into Trump’s administration, it appears much less clear that the vibes are nonetheless in Trump’s favor. The cultural success tales of the previous yr have included Sinners, a crowdpleasing blockbuster that can also be a parable concerning the horrors of racial appropriation, and Heated Rivalry, a style romance about two homosexual hockey gamers struggling towards the homophobia of the NHL. The Grammy for Album of the 12 months went to Dangerous Bunny himself, marking the primary time a Spanish-language album received the award. The largest political star of 2025 was New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, an avowed socialist who managed to win over Trump himself. In the meantime, JD Vance is getting booed on the Olympics, and even the manosphere podcasters who helped propel Trump to victory in 2024 have been criticizing the insurance policies he’s enacted in workplace. “Are we actually gonna be the Gestapo, ‘The place’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?” Joe Rogan requested in January.
It actually doesn’t seem that Individuals en masse are falling into matches of patriotic rage about the concept that the Tremendous Bowl halftime present was sung largely in Spanish; the complaints look like coming from the same old suspects, like former Actual Housewife Jill Zarin and YouTuber Jake Paul. Viewers additionally don’t even appear to thoughts the political message that was on show. As Izzie Ramirez defined for Vox, the entire routine was a love letter to Puerto Rico and a celebration of Puerto Rico’s id as a tradition in its personal proper. It could have been in character for Benito to take it farther (he likes to play with gender norms in his outfits, and he started his Grammy exception speech final week with the phrases “ICE out!”). However the message got here throughout anyway, partially as a result of the existence of an individual of coloration talking Spanish at an “all-American” occasion just like the Tremendous Bowl is seen as inherently “left” by some individuals.
Finally, although, Benito ended his efficiency with two messages: “The one factor extra highly effective than hate is love,” and, “Collectively, we’re all America.” These are each sturdy, in style concepts that a lot of individuals within the US agree with and that it will really feel nearly perverse to take problem with.
In the meantime, the correct provided counter programming that didn’t have almost the identical cultural influence. Turning Level USA, the conservative campus group that was the brainchild of the late Charlie Kirk, ran a live performance billed as “The All-American Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present” (the identical language that Democrats would wink at once they posted their Dangerous Bunny advert). The present’s most distinguished entertainer was perennial Trump supporter Child Rock, who appeared to lip sync at the very least a part of his set.
Trump, along with his animal intuition for the place the general public’s consideration is drifting, didn’t publish concerning the All-American Halftime Present as soon as. Early estimates have it drawing 18 million views. Dangerous Bunny’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present, in distinction, is projected to have gotten 128 million.
If an occasion as plainly, brutally capitalistic and unconcerned with social justice because the Tremendous Bowl can convey a cheering, joyous viewers to its toes with a present celebrating the vibrancy of Latino tradition — even because the Trump administration is violently arresting Latino immigrants with out due course of and claiming to be doing so on the behest of the American individuals — nicely, is the anti-woke vibe shift really over? Did it even ever occur in any respect?
Final yr, we witnessed a slew of billionaires excited that Trump’s win gave them an excuse to cease pretending to care about social justice, whereas irony-poisoned groypers felt emboldened to have splashy events the place they may shout their beloved slurs as loudly as they happy. However that didn’t imply that your complete nation had all of the sudden embraced the cruelty of Trumpism. It doesn’t imply that they’re prepared to disregard the ability of an unimaginable groove as a result of the lyrics sung over it are in Spanish. And it doesn’t imply they’ve soured on the concept of affection beating hate. In truth, they appear to search out it particularly compelling and price celebrating when the results of the Trump administration’s xenophobic hatred are taking part in out within the streets proper now, in plain view of everybody.
Trump’s supporters are actual, and they’re dedicated. Nevertheless it’s price contemplating that maybe American tradition by no means really belonged to Donald Trump in any respect.
