Bulwark Takes — “Kid Rock was Laughably Bad”

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: JVL (The Bulwark), with Sarah Longwell and Adrian Carrasquillo

Overview

This energetic post-Super Bowl episode dives into the 2026 halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, its cultural and political ripples, and the right-wing “counter-programming” of Kid Rock’s alternative show. The panel—JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Adrian Carrasquillo—explore how pop culture intersects with politics, representation, and authenticity. The conversation is lively, insightful, and full of memorable critique, humor, and references to wider cultural shifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

• Panel’s Fandom & Entry Points

  • Sarah admits she’s not the target audience but finds Bad Bunny riveting and fun, noting how out of the loop she felt until the performance and that her introduction came through his protest of Trump’s Puerto Rico comments. (01:32, 04:35)
  • Adrian has been a dedicated fan since 2017, purchased merch at Bad Bunny’s residency, and highlights Bad Bunny’s originality and political impact, especially his ability to provoke MAGA ire. (02:16)
  • JVL found Bad Bunny through wrestling, appreciating how he won over WWE fans and denotes the dual audience Bad Bunny reaches—including some “bro-culture” conservatives, making him culturally disruptive. (02:44)

• Performance Themes & Theatricality

  • Sarah highlights the show’s theatrical staging, the joyful and celebratory energy, and its ability to bring people together for a fun cultural moment.

  “He is handsome and big and stylish and then whoever built the sets...the theatricality of what they did. I was laughing my head off this morning as they were playing the videos of people, the brush that they were using or the bamboo or the, whatever they were that were bushes that he was kind of walking through. Well, they all got up and walked.” — Sarah Longwell (04:35–05:39)

  • JVL notes the “literary deconstruction” present in the show, referencing nods to Latin American history, colonialism, and inclusivity (same-sex dancers, Spanish-language performance).

  “I got a great deal of joy just knowing how many conservative tears were going to be shed because of that show.” — JVL (06:17)

  • Adrian unpacks powerful symbolic moments, citing the wedding scene as evocative of Latino family parties and the segment where Bad Bunny names countries—breaking the “America = US” assumption.

  “...when he says America, and then he lists all the countries in Latin America...and then he ends with United States and Canada, because America, we just think that America’s us.” — Adrian Carrasquillo (09:01)

  • Easter eggs discussed include references to “In the Heights” in set design, a barber shop scene, Puerto Rican cultural cues (powerlines as Hurricane Maria nod), and Bad Bunny handing a Grammy to his younger self—a moment mistaken for referencing the recently spotlighted Liam Rob.

  “They said it was, like, meant to evoke him as a kid. Like, he’s giving a Grammy to him as a kid. But we all thought of Liam in that moment…” — Adrian (13:27)

  • Panel appreciates that the NFL did not bend to right-wing outrage over Bad Bunny’s selection, contrasting this with other institutions’ willingness to capitulate.

  “The NFL, like, never even blinked...and then turned in, like, the highest rated super bowl halftime ever. And, like, I don’t know. I kind of like that energy.” — Sarah (13:43)

• Bad Bunny’s Cultural Impact

  • JVL and Adrian praise Bad Bunny’s authentic, multi-talented persona—funny on SNL and Hollywood, musically and performance-wise a true crossover star.

  “He seems like he’s genuinely talented across a whole bunch of different things. I kind of love him.” — JVL (15:00)

  • Adrian:

  “He’s just, like, authentically himself, and he really doesn’t give a shit. He literally has an album called ‘I Do What I Want.’” (16:02)

2. Kid Rock’s Alternative ‘Counter-Programming’

• Sarah’s Scathing Review

  • The Kid Rock show is described as “half-assed,” pre-recorded, horribly lip-synced, and visually amateurish.

  “He’s like a 55 year old man in jorts. He was wearing these like jeans. A very bad pirate. Super, super toy. I like a 55 year old man with stringy hair.” — Sarah (20:45)

  • The comparison to right-wing influencers’ forced praise highlights how inauthentically they tried to “own the culture,” failing to match Bad Bunny’s charisma or relevance.

  “They are taking what was a moment of cultural supremacy. They are sacrificing it on the altar of Kid Rock...It was relentlessly embarrassing. It was embarrassing.” — Sarah (24:26)

  • JVL’s humor:

  “It was like if this was the 1988 Super bowl and Madonna was the halftime. And there were a bunch of people who thought that, like, oh, see, she’s blasphemous. We’re going to counter program with Perry Como. That’ll show people what real entertainment is.” (24:43)

  • Adrian brings the numbers:

  “Bad Bunny has 87 and a half million monthly listeners and Kid Rock has 5 million...” (25:03)

3. Cultural & Political Underpinnings

• Race, Representation & Political Weaponization

  • Bad Bunny’s show is dissected both for its artistry and its political resonance; the panel discusses how MAGA and the right have politicized enjoyment of such pop culture moments.
  • Adrian:

  “One thing that I hate about this administration and MAGA is that they've taken away that I can just watch Bad Bunny without thinking about politics the entire time.” (08:04)

• Shifts in Pop Culture

  • Sarah notes a trend: television and culture pivoting to formulas that distance from “woke” themes, reflecting shifting audience targeting post-Trump.

  “Trump won the culture by more than he won the vote. That there’s been this real sense of...retreat from things that I guess code woke...” — Sarah (18:27)

  • The panel points out right-wing influencers’ inability to generate compelling counter-pop cultural moments, as evinced by the Kid Rock effort failing to connect with the spectacle and reach of the Super Bowl.

• Authenticity vs. Manufactured Culture

  • Adrian discusses the meaning of “authenticity,” referencing past political branding failures and how Bad Bunny’s approach lands differently.

4. Commercials & Government Spots

• Panel Commentary
  • Discussion of odd ad buys, like Mike Tyson being cast as an authority in a government nutrition spot, and the racial makeup of US Army advertising, which seems discordant with reality. (26:12–28:09)
  • All note a shift away from traditional “corporate America” Super Bowl advertising towards spotlights for AI, crypto, and government initiatives—lamenting the loss of quirky, familiar consumer brands.

  “You're going to miss like the Mr. Peanut of it all and the Clydesdales and the normal sort of humanizing corporate America stuff...” — Sarah (28:44)

5. Personal Halftime Show Rankings

Prompted at (29:40)

• Adrian’s Top Two:
  1. Michael Jackson (early ’90s, Buffalo Bills era)
  2. Bad Bunny (2026)
• Sarah’s Top Two:
  1. Dre/50 Cent/Eminem/Snoop (recent “for the parents” show)
  2. Bruce Springsteen (knee slide, “put down the chicken finger!”)
• JVL’s Correct Answer:
  • Prince (no debate)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Bad Bunny wedding scene:

  “...That just reminded me...this, like, Latino family wedding where there’s the kid asleep and the music’s really loud. There’s always memes about this and just like the party and the dancing, right? So, like, that was so cool.” — Adrian (08:04)

• On Kid Rock’s lip-syncing:

  “Kid Rock’s doing that thing where moves the microphone and like the voice is still coming. Like he drops the microphone down but like the song still, you’re like, oh, he’s like lip syncing super poorly.” — Sarah (19:38)

• On right-wing influencers:

  “...they’re all trying to make Kid Rock happen. Guys, that is not owning the culture...” — Sarah (21:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00]–[04:00]: Panel recounts their “origin stories” with Bad Bunny
• [04:35]–[07:00]: Analysis of the halftime show’s visuals, themes, and theatricality
• [07:56]–[11:50]: Deconstruction of show’s meaning, symbolism, politics, and artistic touchstones
• [13:27]–[14:40]: NFL’s handling of outrage and institutional courage
• [15:00]–[17:10]: Bad Bunny’s cross-disciplinary charm and authenticity
• [18:27]–[21:47]: Sarah’s critique of Kid Rock’s counter-show
• [24:26]–[25:03]: Final thoughts on cultural “ownership” and right-wing optics
• [26:12]–[29:40]: Commercial commentary and broader shifts in advertising
• [29:40]–[31:04]: All-time favorite halftime performances—panel’s picks

Tone & Language

The conversation is sharp, accessible, and laced with wit, characteristic of the Bulwark’s smart, slightly irreverent take on politics and pop culture. Critiques are pointed but grounded, and the episode blends personal anecdotes with broader cultural observation.

In Summary

• Bad Bunny’s show was lauded as joyful, culturally rich, subtly political, and ultimately fun—a testament to authentic stardom and inclusivity, even while it riled the MAGA crowd.
• Kid Rock’s alternative show was panned as “laughably bad,” demonstrating the right’s current lack of authentic cultural touchstones.
• The episode’s subtext: The American culture wars play out even on the halftime stage, but authenticity and joy tend to win over forced posturing and nostalgia.
• Panel’s verdict: The real power in pop culture comes from connecting across audiences—not from trying to “own” the culture through empty gestures.

(To experience the hilarious and insightful banter in full, listen to the full episode from the Bulwark archive.)