The Charlie Kirk Show — THOUGHTCRIME Ep. 115

Title: Want To Do A Super Bowl Halftime? Just Say "Ey" 51 Times
Date: February 14, 2026
Host: Charlie Kirk
Panelists: Jack, Blake, Mikey, Tyler, others

Episode Overview

This episode of “Thoughtcrime” focuses on the fallout from the “All-American Halftime Show” organized by Turning Point USA during the Super Bowl, contrasting it with the official NFL halftime performance by Bad Bunny. The panel analyzes why their alternative event "broke containment," resonated with families, and made a significant online impact. The conversation explores themes of patriotism, traditional values, and conservative culture clashing with what they view as globalist, politicized, and culturally alien mainstream events. The episode is light-hearted and features the panel riffing with humor, celebrating their perceived cultural victory, and floating even bigger plans for the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why the All-American Halftime Show Went Viral

• Family-Friendly Appeal:

  • The hosts argue that families “could confidently have their children sit in the living room and watch something, knowing confidently that booty cheeks or debauchery wouldn’t be on the screen” (03:31, Mikey).
  • The show "uplifted America, values, Christ", providing “a breath of fresh air” (03:00, Mikey).
  • Audience report not having to "hover over the remote," trusting TPUSA content (04:20, Jack).

• Contrast with Official Super Bowl Halftime:

  • Panelists skewer the Bad Bunny performance, critiquing both its quality and its cultural/political messaging.
  • “It’s something that would be inflicted on Gitmo detainees…I don’t know what he’s doing” (07:42, Blake).
  • Mocking the repeated use of “ey,” and translation of the Spanish lyrics, which revolve around having many girlfriends:

    “My auntie asked me why so many girlfriends. Hey, a lot of girlfriends. Today I got one, tomorrow I got another” (17:26, English parody of Bad Bunny lyrics).

  • The panel highlights a viral clip counting 51 uses of “ey” during his set (21:00).

2. Cultural and Political Critiques

• Perceived Anti-Americanism:

  • The NFL and Jay-Z are accused of "allowing the Spanish-only guy who hates America to do the halftime show" and politicizing the event (07:15, Blake).
  • “If you were in the stadium…everyone just didn’t know what was going on…it was really terrible if you were a fan at the stadium” (07:42, Blake).

• Cultural Alienation & “Globalism”:

  • Frustration expressed that halftime shows are "geared towards international, globalism, and non-American values" instead of “regular Americans” (33:58, Tyler).
  • Puerto Rico is discussed in the context of national identity, with jokes about Bad Bunny “colonizing” other cultures with his romantic exploits (34:14, Tyler & D).

• Music Industry Take:

  • The panel laments the exclusion of country and rock acts at the Super Bowl despite their popularity, referencing how "for 30 years there hasn’t been a headliner of country music…for 23 years not a single country artist since Shania Twain" (56:15, Jack).
  • Accusations that the NFL exploits country music for branding but avoids it for actual marquee performances (57:13, Tyler).

3. Production Details & Viral Success

• Surpassing Expectations:

  • The All-American Halftime Show was the “#1 US livestream of all time…#2 worldwide on YouTube” (01:09, Jack).
  • The event “broke containment,” far surpassing even internal expectations (41:25, Jack).

• Technical and Organizational Challenges:

  • Only had “more like two months” to organize due to intervening events, yet delivered a 22-minute show (21:51, Jack).
  • Industry sponsors and artists faced outside pressure not to participate due to NFL rivalries (21:51, Jack).
  • Lip-syncing allegations are debunked (“It was a sync issue on the stream…he was not lip syncing” — 24:06, Jack).

• Numbers & Metrics:

  • The show’s viewership counted by devices, not “households multiplied,” underrepresenting total impact—“If you had 30 million [devices], would it be 90 million?” (48:52, Jack).
  • "The numbers are much bigger than what people were trying to report it as... real possibility that this production took like, literally half the viewership" (50:47, Tyler).

Notable Quotes

• "I think same provinces in Sweden have produced more good music than all of Latin America" (24:54, Blake – tongue-in-cheek).
• “This wasn't about money, this wasn’t a grift—this was to give Americans an alternative and prove a point” (43:16, Tyler).
• “It’s just such a perfect storm…all the years of pent up demand…the anger of the average American who just wants to watch something that isn’t disrespecting them for being American” (56:15, Jack).
• “God used all that anger to turn it into something positive” (59:45, Jack).

4. Memorable Moments & Humorous Exchanges

• Bad Bunny Parody & “Ey” Counter:
  • Multiple recitations of the English translation of Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Preguntó” (17:26, 35:03).
  • Highlighting that he says "ey" 51 times – “That’s almost 4 a minute!” (21:44, Blake).
• Tongue-in-Cheek New Festival Ideas:
  • Suggestion: “All-American Pregame Show,” “All-American Music Festival” (25:29, Jack), or "do it on the moon with Elon Musk" to beat the Indian space landing stream record (63:18, Jack & Tyler).
• Shirt Ideas:
  • “I switched the channel” t-shirt for boomers, “True man doesn’t get a cart” joke about Home Depot trips (45:10-45:48, Tyler & Jack).

5. Plans for the Future

• Growing Momentum:

  • Plans for bigger, longer, more ambitious All-American shows in future years, perhaps even full festivals (25:29, 25:47).
  • Want more advance planning, more artists, “pedal to the metal – make it bigger, make it better” (40:14, Tyler).

• Community Involvement:

  • Open call for artist suggestions via email; superchat interaction with fans about who they want next year (26:31).

6. Tributes and Acknowledgements

• Team Recognition:

  • Tyler emphasizes that Turning Point USA did not use the show as a fundraiser, and credits their in-house team for all the work (43:16, 41:26).
  • Special mention of Rumble as a streaming platform enabler (54:20).

• Religious Overtones:

  • Several thanks to “God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit” for the show's success, with intent to “fight evil and proclaim truth” (00:03, Charlie Kirk; closing statement, 64:25+).

Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps

• On Family Values and Halftime Show Content:

  “Families could confidently have their children sit in the living room and watch something, knowing confidently that booty cheeks or debauchery wouldn’t be on the screen.”
  — Mikey [03:31]

• On NFL’s Halftime Selection:

  “They allowed Jay Z to dominate the halftime show…and he says, ‘I hate America. I'm going to crap on the American flag. You have four months to learn to speak Spanish.’”
  — Blake [07:15]

• On the Cultural Disconnect:

  “It’s like, the halftime show was always geared towards my parents. Now I'm a parent and it's not geared towards me. It's geared towards international, like, globalism.”
  — Tyler [33:58]

• On Rumble’s Role:

  “If it wasn't for Rumble, we may not be here today for those numbers to exist. Rumble is the unsung hero in most of Americans being able to consume even middle-of-the-road content now.”
  — Tyler [55:53]

• On Making a Point, Not Money:

  “This was…not to make any kind of revenue. The purpose of this was to live up to the expectations…to just give Americans an alternative and prove a point.”
  — Tyler [43:16]

• On Bad Bunny’s Lyrics:

  “Hey, so my auntie asked me why so many girlfriends? Hey, a lot of girlfriends. Today I got one and tomorrow got another one…”
  — English translation of Bad Bunny as played by the panel [17:26]

• Panel's Satirical Future Festival Solution:

  “If next year, we want to beat it…I already know what the venue is. Call up Elon Musk. We're gonna do it on the moon, and then we're gonna invite Modi there…”
  — Jack [63:28]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [01:09] – All-American Halftime Show described as biggest US livestream ever
• [03:31] – Audience trust in family-friendly TPUSA content
• [07:15] – Critique of NFL's choice of halftime act (Bad Bunny)
• [17:26] – Parody of Bad Bunny's lyrics, panel cracks up
• [21:00] – Bad Bunny says “ey” 51 times counter clip discussion
• [24:06] – Lip-syncing controversy and production challenges explained
• [33:58] – Tyler on halftime show’s shift from “parent-centric” to “globalist”
• [41:25] – Recognition of viewership and viral success
• [45:10] – Merch/shirt ideas reflecting audience pride
• [56:15] – Perceived cultural exclusion of country/rock at Super Bowl
• [59:45] – Emotional connection for “average Americans” seeking traditional values
• [63:28] – Moon/Mars Super Bowl halftime joke as future viral gambit
• [64:25] – Closing thanks to God and teaser for next week

Episode Tone

The tone is upbeat, irreverent, and combative with a heavy dose of camaraderie and inside jokes. The hosts use humor, cultural references, and faith-based language to critique mainstream culture and emphasize their own values and community victories.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• You’ll understand why the “All-American Halftime Show” resonated so much with its audience and how it was positioned as a protest/alternative to the official NFL show.
• The episode offers conservative takes on cultural representation, values in entertainment, and corporate influence, mixing earnest analysis with comedic asides and running gags.
• The TPUSA panel is proud, defiant, and already plotting how to build on their success—inviting the listener to participate in ideas for the next iteration.

End of Summary