Keep in mind when snack selections fueled probably the most contentious debates round Tremendous Bowl halftime? Cheetos versus Doritos. Sizzling wings versus garlic knots. And who the hell introduced carrot sticks?!
Now Turning Level USA, the far-right group based by slain MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, has introduced its followers with extra robust selections: Who ought to play at Tremendous Bowl LX’s halftime present?
By no means thoughts that the NFL already introduced earlier this month that Puerto Rican famous person Dangerous Bunny had landed the spot. Turning Level USA introduced Thursday that it could be staging its personal counterprogramming in protest of the league’s selection. It’ll be referred to as “The All American Halftime Present” — and it most actually gained’t be in Spanish.
Ever because the NFL introduced that Dangerous Bunny (whose actual identify is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio) would play the Large Recreation on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, critics have been decrying the choice as an assault on Americanism.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned reserving Dangerous Bunny was “a horrible resolution.”
President Trump, who admitted he’d by no means heard of Dangerous Bunny earlier than the late September Tremendous Bowl announcement, mentioned the NFL’s reserving of the performer was “completely ridiculous.”
White Home advisor Corey Lewandowski mentioned it was “shameful they’ve determined to choose any individual who appears to hate America a lot.”
But compared with different artists and celebrities who’ve broadly criticized the president and his insurance policies, Dangerous Bunny is just not all that political or outspoken. He has, nevertheless, expressed issues concerning the potential of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detaining followers at his live shows. The artist mentioned final month that he wouldn’t guide any U.S. dates for his tour over fears that followers could be swept up by ICE. “There was the difficulty of — like, f— ICE may very well be outdoors [my concert]. And it’s one thing that we have been speaking about and really involved about,” he informed i-D journal.
That was sufficient to deem Dangerous Bunny an enemy of the MAGA state and to characterize his Tremendous Bowl present as half of a bigger, hostile Latino invasion.
However let’s name it what it’s: politicians and their pundits leveraging Hispanophobia for votes, affect and donations. The performer represents a inhabitants that’s been focused by the present administration through unconstitutional sweeps of brown folks in American cities, no matter their immigration standing. Dangerous Bunny is a U.S. citizen, like lots of the of us with no legal data who’ve been detained and even deported. Vilifying the artist and people who look and converse like him has generated votes for the fitting and deflected from issues concerning the fragile financial system and skyrocketing price of dwelling below Trump.
Turning Level advertises its deliberate counterprogramming as a present “Celebrating Religion, Household, & Freedom” and asking followers to weigh in on music genres they wish to hear on the different halftime present. The primary choice on the poll? “Something in English.”
The survey is located proper below a donate button, and one other choice to click on “sure” to approve receiving “recurring automated promotional & fundraising texts from Turning Level.”
Even though the 79-year-old president had by no means heard of the wildly well-liked artist earlier than, Dangerous Bunny is a three-time Grammy Award winner, a worldwide famous person and has bested Taylor Swift’s Billboard chart numbers within the U.S.
So who does MAGA suppose it might probably get to upstage Dangerous Bunny at its unofficial Tremendous Bowl aspect present? Home Speaker Johnson prompt that “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood would entice a “broader viewers.” However as Selection identified, the Nineteen Eighties nation icon boasts fewer than 500,000 Spotify listeners, in contrast with Dangerous Bunny’s 80 million.
Turning Level USA seems to be engaged on that drawback. “Performers and occasion particulars coming quickly,” mentioned an announcement on its website.
Throughout his “Saturday Night time Stay” visitor look final weekend, Dangerous Bunny derided the MAGA freakout round his forthcoming Tremendous Bowl present, delivering his monologue in Spanish. He earnestly thanked his followers for acknowledging the contributions of Latinos within the U.S. Then in closing, he switched to English: “Should you didn’t perceive what I simply mentioned, you may have 4 months to study.”
No phrase but if chips, salsa and guacamole will grow to be the subsequent goal of performative, fundraising outrage on the fitting. Make Pretzels Nice Once more.
