Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show,” an event created to compete with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, was an all-around bummer. So down on its own purpose, in fact, that it appears not even President Donald Trump tuned in, opting instead to complain about Bad Bunny’s performance on social media.
But what exactly took place at MAGA’s halftime show? Outside of Kid Rock, the lineup was unlikely to be familiar to many Americans. It included third-place American Idol winner Gabby Barrett, a country singer named Lee Brice, and Brantley Gilbert, whose biggest claim to fame before Sunday’s event was a 2023 concert where he smashed a Bud Light can in solidarity with transphobes. The moments that did get shared widely were not positive and included footage of Kid Rock hopping around with his backing track out of sync. I also appreciated Kid Rock’s costume change from party jorts to serious pants during a memorial for Charlie Kirk.
But overall, it was what was missing—semblances of joy—that seemed to overshadow all of that. That it resonated like a gathering united by a disdain for others was unsurprising, given that it was born out of anger that Bad Bunny was performing the biggest show on the planet. This outrage was reflected in the YouTube livestream’s comment section, where endless praise for the show’s English-language songs flowed, and keyboard warriors furiously typed that Bad Bunny sucked in all caps. Others insisted that TPUSA’s show was attracting a larger audience than Bad Bunny’s show. (It didn’t.) Outside the comments section, a preachy vibe emanated throughout the show, including the reminder that outside of God, one “should be getting married, having children.”
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny’s performance erupted as one big party with everyone welcome. Each feature achieved a goal to enhance the show’s celebratory atmosphere: the piragua stand, Benito giving his Grammy to a younger version of himself, and the inclusion of Lady Gaga, who did a salsa-inspired version of “Die With a Smile.” As for the topic of marriage, Bad Bunny’s performance did include a real-life wedding. But there was no preaching. No judgment against those who aren’t married. No instructions. Just an invitation for all of America to join this happy couple in a heart-warming and memorable moment that they’ll surely remember.
As my cousin texted, Benito’s show reminded both of us of the parties my Panamanian grandparents used to throw while growing up, nudging the distant memories of when we both were, at some point, the child sleeping at the function, as Bad Bunny cleverly referenced during his set.
