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 underneath the textual content “All-American halftime with Dangerous Bunny.” It didn’t sit proper with one Republican.
“Unpopular: Republicans must 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 put up from @TheDemocrats in her message to her 88.2K followers.
Wilkins, who’s courting FBI director Kash Patel, continued her argument on X the following day, after Dangerous Bunny’s present had already grow to be a much-viewed and much-discussed sensation. She hadn’t watched, she stated, however that wasn’t the problem. “My level was that we are able to’t give the left an inch of the bottom we gained within the final election. … All of us thought Dangerous Bunny was going to come back out in a gown that stated ICE OUT – however he didn’t. This might’ve all been simpler to message if he did. They’re pulling the unity trope and we are able to’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 Fact Social.
“The Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present is totally horrible, one of many worst, EVER!” Trump posted. “It is unnecessary, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t characterize 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 united statesA., and everywhere in 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 simple smash from one of the in style entertainers on this planet 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 successful in any respect! What would possibly 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 stated, and America was now not serious about leisure or celebrities that have been “woke” (additionally very loosely outlined). Now, for the primary time for the reason that instant aftermath of 9/11, it was the suitable’s flip to outline tradition.
As Ezra Klein famous within the New York Occasions final January, the shift didn’t appear completely 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 most important 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 suits of patriotic rage about the concept that the Tremendous Bowl halftime present was sung principally 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 identification as a tradition in its personal proper. It will 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 shade talking Spanish at an “all-American” occasion just like the Tremendous Bowl is seen as inherently “left” by some individuals.
In the end, 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 might really feel nearly perverse to take challenge with.
In the meantime, the suitable supplied 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 no less than a part of his set.
Trump, along with his animal intuition for the place the general public’s consideration is drifting, didn’t put up 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 deliver 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 — effectively, is the anti-woke vibe shift actually 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 might shout their beloved slurs as loudly as they happy. However that didn’t imply that all the nation had instantly 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. The truth is, they appear to search out it particularly compelling and value 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. But it surely’s value contemplating that maybe American tradition by no means actually belonged to Donald Trump in any respect.
