Podcast Summary: The Brett Cooper Show – Episode 132

Title: Who Really Mogged the NFL Halftime Show?
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Brett Cooper

Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper unpacks the cultural and political fallout from the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Bad Bunny. She analyzes the broader generational and societal implications of the NFL inviting a non-English-speaking artist with a global following, the controversy and outrage (predominantly from conservatives), and the response—namely, an alternative “All-American” halftime show from TPUSA featuring Kid Rock. Brett weaves in ongoing debates about American identity, language, assimilation, and how both left and right are increasingly reactionary and politicized in their approach to arts and pop culture.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy

• Bad Bunny Headliner:
  • Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny performed the halftime show, singing exclusively in Spanish.
  • Outrage from NFL fans and cultural conservatives due to his anti-American statements and refusal to tour in the US because of ICE.
• Internet Response:
  • Social media exploded with debates over the show, with people split over its cultural and political meaning.
  • TPUSA (Turning Point USA) put on an “All-American” halftime show alternative, further fueling division.

“So a singer who routinely craps on America, who will not even tour in the United States because of ice, and who can barely speak English, just did the Super Bowl halftime show. And the Internet is positively divided, and everyone is losing their damn minds.” – Brett Cooper (00:00)

2. Why Bad Bunny? Understanding the NFL’s Strategy

• Global Audience Focus:
  • The NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny is seen as a calculated business decision to attract an international audience and expand the league’s appeal beyond its “normal” (mostly white, male, American) fanbase.
  • Bad Bunny has been Spotify’s top global artist for four years in a row, outpacing even Taylor Swift.
• TV vs. Stadium Experience:
  • Brett argues the performance was clearly tailored for TV viewers—not stadium attendees—mirroring the NFL’s move to emphasize the broadcast experience over the live one.
  • Fans in the stadium, who paid thousands, could barely see the show, as it was choreography- and camera-centric.

“This was clearly a show that was designed for TV, not for the actual football fans in the stadium… He was not singing out to people. He was singing to the camera. He was singing to the people watching on TV, just watching.” – Brett Cooper (04:00)

• Biggest Ever?
  • Despite backlash, the halftime show drew an all-time record audience of roughly 135.4 million viewers.

3. Language, Assimilation, and American Identity

• Non-English Performance at “All-American” Event:
  • Many conservatives (and some moderates) bristled at the entire performance being in Spanish.
  • Brett admits she is “normie, white American, conservative Republican” and felt excluded by the language barrier, as did many online.
  • She argues that at America’s biggest sporting event, fans have a right to expect music they can understand—or at least subtitles.

“I will not apologize for Americans wanting to hear music at the country’s biggest all-American sporting event in English. That is very normal.” – Brett Cooper (06:03)

• Subtitles as Compromise:
  • Brett—in a conversation with Piers Morgan—notes it’s entirely normal to provide subtitles at opera and other international events, so why not here?

4. Alternative Reactions & Solutions

• Diverse Perspectives from the Right:
  • Sabrina (Brett’s friend, via TikTok) echoes frustration over the disconnect between the NFL’s core audience and the halftime show's intended demographic:

“It’s not racist to want to understand what is going on during the halftime performance…Justice for Pitbull, who is actually Mr. Worldwide… He sings in both English and Spanish and he absolutely loves this country.” – Sabrina (08:55)

• Several online comments emphasize the importance of assimilation and a shared American baseline (language/heritage), even appreciating Hispanic culture.

• Potential Alternatives:

  • Why not Pitbull (bilingual, more crossover appeal, pro-American)?
  • If inclusion is the goal, some shared understanding is necessary—subtitles at minimum.

5. Was the Halftime Show “Traditional” or “Degenerate”?

• Media Spin:
  • Some left-leaning outlets, like the Washington Post, argued the halftime show actually celebrated traditional, wholesome, family values (e.g., on-stage marriage, kids present).
  • Conservatives fired back, citing explicit lyrics and risqué dancing as evidence to the contrary.
• Lost in Translation:
  • The American audience was unable to directly interpret lyrics or nuance, as they were entirely in Spanish and, in Bad Bunny’s particular dialect, sometimes hard for even Spanish speakers to follow.
• Actual Lyrics:
  • Brett provides an English translation (14:09), highlighting the superficial messaging about “a lot of girlfriends,” “never married,” and “taking them to the VIP.”

“I would argue that thinking about having a ton of girlfriends, not marrying them and trying to get them into the VIP portion of the club is not conservative values.” – Brett Cooper (14:34)

6. TPUSA’s “All-American” Alternative: Kid Rock

• Alternative Show:
  • Kid Rock headlined TPUSA’s halftime alternative, which was immediately criticized as equally, if not more, “degenerate” by some due to Kid Rock’s prior explicit lyrics and public image.
• Online Critique:
  • Some, like Anomaly and Allie Beth Stuckey, highlight the hypocrisy of holding Bad Bunny to a different (and sometimes even lower) standard than conservative figures like Kid Rock.

“Can we just cut the toxic empathy for Kid Rock, please? Lol. Like he’s still a degenerate. He’s just your degenerate. All I’m asking for is some modesty.” – Emily (17:49, as relayed by Brett; not her original audio)

• Brett’s Nuanced Take:
  • Acknowledges Kid Rock’s showmanship of “redemption arc” (from explicit song to gospel cover), making his set more about transformation and American/Christian values.

7. Meta-Analysis: Politics, Art, and Alternatives

• Reactionary Trap:
  • Spencer Klavan (Andrew Klavan’s son) criticized the conservative tendency to create “alternative” culture as inherently defeatist and reactive:

“If you are in the business of alternatives, you are already losing big L from the jump conceptually…what you think of as your artistic taste is actually your politics in aesthetic form.” – Spencer Klavan (paraphrased and cited by Brett at 20:55)

• Need for Genuine Creativity:
  • Brett and others (Katherine Brodsky) urge conservatives to focus on creating genuinely compelling art, not just “the new conservative Disney,” citing past successes from right-leaning creators who did not lead with politics.

“When I see my fellow right wingers making great art that isn’t just marketed through their political politics, I cheer it on because it’s genuine, it’s authentic, it’s smart and you should too.” – Brett Cooper (roughly 22:50)

• Concluding Perspective:
  • You don’t have to love or hate either performance just because of your political identity; it’s okay to admit that both had strengths and weaknesses.

“You didn’t have to hate every aspect of Bad Bunny’s performance. You also didn’t have to love TPUSA’s performance just because of your politics. It can be nuanced.” – Brett Cooper (21:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Zubi’s Insight on Manufactured Outrage:

“Sometimes I wonder if people are genuinely outraged by something or just pretending to be to earn social currency within their tribe.” – Zubi (quoted by Brett Cooper, 01:16)

• Viral Player Video:

  • (02:10) NFL players admitting they don’t know who Bad Bunny is or naming a single song, highlighting the core fan base disconnect.
  • “My favorite part of that entire video is that this player does not even know whether Bad Bunny is a boy or a girl. He good music, but I don’t listen.” – Brett Cooper (02:26)

• On NFL’s Business Motivation:

“They were trying to get Bad Bunny’s audience, which is huge, which is also definitely not the normal NFL audience, to come in to turn on their TVs and watch.” – Brett Cooper (03:40)

• Sabrina’s TikTok Critique:

“Let’s not act like this wasn’t annoying for everyone else. Justice for Pitbull, who is actually Mr. Worldwide… He sings in both English and Spanish and he absolutely loves this country.” – Sabrina (09:16)

• On Not Understanding Lyrics:

“His message was about inclusion, but if I don’t understand it, how would I know? Which is such an amazing point.” – TikTok Comment (07:44, relayed by Brett)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–02:10 – Brett lays out the controversy; NFL players can’t name a Bad Bunny song
• 03:00–06:00 – Discussion shifts to NFL motives, expanding audience, business side
• 06:00–09:38 – Language, assimilation, and what’s "normal" for Americans at the Super Bowl
• 09:38–11:45 – Sabrina's TikTok and audience responses; Pitbull as “missed opportunity”
• 12:50–14:34 – Debate over the family values vs. explicit nature of the performance; translation of song lyrics
• 15:56–17:49 – Conservative alternative show; hypocrisy and reactionary art
• 20:55–22:50 – Meta-commentary on culture war, creativity, and the problem with “alternatives”
• 21:23–22:50 – Conclusion: Nuance is possible; don’t force yourself into love/hate based on party lines

Tone and Conclusion

Brett’s delivery is sarcastic, self-aware, and at times exasperated by both sides of the debate. She acknowledges her own biases but makes an earnest plea for nuance—arguing it's possible to critique the NFL’s decisions, decry cultural displacement, and still appreciate genuine creativity, regardless of politics. The episode’s main takeaway: cultural moments like the Super Bowl halftime show reveal shifting American values, but much of the online outrage is performative and reactionary—on both sides.

“It is not bigoted to want to hear and understand music in your own language when it is performed in your country.” – Brett Cooper (final point)

For listeners seeking a thoughtful, spirited, and nonpartisan breakdown of a polarizing cultural moment, this episode delivers both critique and context, encouraging reflection over reaction.