Last night’s Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny delivered a powerful message about humanity that resonated across borders. For about 13 minutes, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the now internationally acclaimed rapper and singer from Puerto Rico, delivered a set that was dense in simple statements about humanity that should not be controversial.
Who could be against love? The phrase, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” was broadcasted in a huge billboard at the Levi’s Stadium. A real-life wedding was officiated. “Mientras uno esta vivo, uno debe amar lo mas que pueda”.” Nuptials followed a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga singing a bachata-style version of Die with Smile, a song that celebrates love and caring for each other in the face of the brevity of life.
Who could be against joy? A 2024 NIH study revealed that dancing is the most effective exercise for reducing depression. Latin-American dancing styles are very rich in sensual movements. Moving the body with other bodies is a form of communication that recognizes each other’s humanity. Yo perreo sin miedo. Using your body to perrear is an act of defiance against assimilation imposed by high brow culture. Perrear helps you recognize your body and the body of others. In doing so, you are celebrating joyous subversion in a corporeal way.
Who could be against healing? Benito never forgot his roots. He made them his strength. “Si estoy en el Super Bowl LX, es porque nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tu también deberías de creer en tí. Vales más de lo que piensas, créeme.” (If I am here at the Super Bowl LX, it is because I never stopped believing in myself. You should also believe in yourself. You are worth more than you think). In a moving act, Benito gave away his Gramophone trophy to a child, a symbolic gesture of healing by nurturing your inner child.
Who could be against culture? A very interesting detail of the study of Latino culture was the inclusion of a kid pulling 3 chairs together for a makeshift naptime bed, something every Latino remembers doing as a kid during family weddings and Quinceaneras.
Who could be against freedom? There was a history lesson in the subtext of costumes, the selection of songs, and the choreography. Bad Bunny’s performance spoke to the discomforting events in the history of the United States and Puerto Rico. The sugarcane plantations remind us of the international networks of slavery that enabled an extractive economy. Ricky Martin’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” (What Happened to Hawaii?) was really about gentrification and the colonialist history of Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The utility poles recalled El Apagón, an island-wide outage in Puerto Rico that followed the 2019 hurricane. It reminds us that climate change is impacting developing countries far more than rich countries.
Who could be against universal truths? America is a continent. Benito promoted the patriotism of every country of the Americas. At the end of the set, his “God Bless America” followed naming all the countries of the Americas. He cleverly listed them in an inverted way, from south to north. In doing so, he challenged a worldview that legitimizes a form of colonialism of the mind: the southern hemisphere is unfairly positioned at the bottom –promoting an arbitrary, Eurocentric representation of the world.
From the perspective of the Universe, where there is no up and down, left or right, we are all floating in a tiny blue dot amidst a vast sea of darkness. Who could disagree with these simple statements about us?