OPINION: Bad Bunny halftime show not half bad

My assignment for this column, negotiated over pingpong with my city editor Friday night, was to watch the Super Bowl halftime show and come up with three things I liked about it.

I was in rare form and won all three pingpong games in the cafeteria, but I accepted the challenge anyway. A newspaper columnist worth his byline, even perhaps the most Republican one in the Land of Enchantment, should be able to articulate either side of any argument.

Bad Bunny's selection as the halftime act had become a cultural flashpoint, prompting Turning Point USA to livestream alternative programming, "The All American Halftime Show," promoted as more middle America and dedicated to the late, great Charlie Kirk.

Both shows were broadcast live simultaneously on local TV stations accessible with only TV rabbit ears, but I stayed focused and tuned into the official halftime show although the ratings duel had been elevated as a preprimary for November's midterm elections, and a microcosm of America's political divisions.

I tuned into NBC with some trepidation. Would Bad Bunny come out in a dress? Would his camisole say "No one is illegal" or "ICE out?" Would there be subtitles for his Spanish-language songs? Would there be another boob flash like Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show?

No, the Puerto Rican rapper's attire was a cream-colored suit and tie and rather noncontroversial. There were no subtitles, which there probably should have been, because it appeared to me the tens of thousands in attendance didn't understand his lyrics or stray comments because they drew little crowd response.

There was no nudity to test the censors, although the Bunny's dancers weren't bashful about twerking for the millions of children watching at home and he did appear to reference his junk on occasion, like a batter between pitches.

I was prepared for some woke as the boring first half wound down following hours of nauseating pregame hype and long celebrity-laden commercials.

I had heard the six-time Grammy Award winner on the radio a couple times and really didn't think much of his Latin trap and reggaeton music. Not enough bass for my taste, although I do like calypso and Mariachi music, which has some Latin similarities.

The much-anticipated halftime performance could have been worse. For one thing, there was no wardrobe malfunction, but the lack of a negative really isn't a positive, so I'll dig deeper.

The show was festive and energetic, beginning with the Bunster carrying a worn football through a sugar cane field as farmers chopped stalks. It was the start of numerous nods to Caribbean and Latin American life.

Although I couldn't understand many of his lyrics, I caught the drift with Bad Bunny walking through the production set that included abuelos playing dominoes — Puerto Rico's unofficial pastime — outside a replica barber shop and bodega called La Marqueta. There were tributes to Latino boxing legends, scenes of vendors selling piraguas tied to street life on the island, and Bad Bunny singing from the roof of a vintage pickup truck.

The most cinematic portion of the performance for me were the numerous violinists playing in the sugar cane field, not something commonly seen in life or art, that blended folk music and hard work. That certainly didn't offend me. The symbolic imagery of Puerto Rico's sugar cane fields transcended any language barriers.

The wedding ceremony that followed was also very good, with an actual live wedding, keeping up the festive feel with numerous couples dancing and expressing the joy only known at weddings. That's pretty universal.

Lady Gaga also performed a short segment, but she and everyone else was clearly overshadowed by Bad Bunny, who commanded the entire production.

Researching for this column, I saw that the most streamed artist on Spotify in recent years is a former professional wrestler — the fake wrestling kind — and that he was a guest performer in the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.

The Bunster showed his athleticism and crowd ease in a few scenes, falling through the roof of a pink casita, falling backward from the roof of La Marqueta into the hands of other performers, and climbing a sparking utility pole and singing "El Apagón" in a scene I didn't initially understand referenced Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico's failing power grid.

The performance ended on a seemingly unifying note with dancers carrying flags from many countries and Bad Bunny shouting out the names of countries in the Americas before spiking a football emblazoned with "Together, We Are America." Upon further review, I learned the Puerto Rico flag carried by Bad Bunny with its light blue triangle has become a symbol of Puerto Rican independence.

The political symbolism that was subtle for most of the show was blatant at the end, with "The only thing more powerful than hate is love" displayed on the big screen behind Bad Bunny. He might as well have spat on a red MAGA hat.

The high-tempo Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show was over in just 13 minutes. It's fast-changing scenes made it captivating.

Overall, I thought the medley of songs and performances was more a fun tribute to Caribbean culture, heritage and pride than an indictment of capitalism, ICE, President Trump or the United States.

I walked away from it unoffended, slightly more informed about Puerto Rico, and impressed by Bad Bunny's command performance that celebrated the charming aspects of Caribbean life while recognizing its challenges.

Jeff Tucker is a Journal columnist and the former Opinion editor. He is also a member of the Journal Editorial Board. He may be emailed at jtucker@abqjournal.com.