Racists never meet a good end » « Maybe Venus wouldn’t be as awful as Earth

In case you missed it…

The Seattle Seahawks won the SuperBowl 29-13. Several members of my west coast family were watching and cheering for the home team.

For many of us, the only reason to watch the SuperBowl is the half-time show, and here it is stripped of the surrounding violent game and ads.

I don’t understand the lyrics, but I liked the music and dancing. I also appreciated the representation of Puerto Rican culture, and at the end when he says “God bless America”…and then lists all the countries that are part of the continent of America. Ironically, TPUSA’s alternative half-time show was called the All American Halftime Show — I don’t think they would have got the point — and Kid Rock screaming over a poorly adjusted cheap sound system was less intelligible than Bad Bunny’s Spanish.

Racists never meet a good end » « Maybe Venus wouldn’t be as awful as Earth

Comments

  2. Hemidactylus says

    I went in not knowing Bad Bunny’s music, but kinda got the vibe due to my previous love of Latin freestyle and exposure to reggaeton like 20 years ago. Many would have missed the electrifying callback to “Gasolina”. It floored me as brief as it was. Bad Bunny might have asked Daddy Yankee to appear. Instead we got Ricky Martin, which was ok. Lady Gaga too.

    Needed more Gasolina:

    But yeah that was a topnotch halftime show.

    It was also good that the Seahawks shredded the Patriots 11 years later. As Denzel said in “Man on Fire”:
    “Revenge is a meal best served cold.”

  4. Hemidactylus says

    There was an actual live wedding.

    And at 7:39 a serious trust fall. No thank you. I hate heights. Well done!

    At around 8:00 that Bud Light sign creeps into the frame. Not so subtle slam on Kid Rock?

  5. birgerjohansson says

    Ricky Martin made good music even before he went over to english-language text. And > 95% of the time, listeners no not bother to pay attention to the text.

    For instance it took me a long time to learn English to the level where I could understand song texts but people in Sweden listened to Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dylan long before English understanding had percolated through the population.
    .
    (These days I rather wish Swedes would tune down their english as teenagers swear so much in english it becomes uncool.
    Give me harangue of foul language in Finnish any time)

  6. birgerjohansson says

    Also, there is some kind of olympic game going on. I learned about it the day after it started as I don’t care.
    But the orange one (who has little interest in winter sports) found time to criticize the US team.

  7. birgerjohansson says

    Sports…

    Hanoi is building a soccer stadium able to hold 130 000 people. As monuments go, it will trump Trump’s tiny monuments by two- three orders of magnitude.

  8. cartomancer says

    Can anyone tell me what’s supposed to be so superb about this owl in the first place?

  13. raven says

    I watched Bad Bunny to try and keep up with US culture. Or at least the few good parts left.

    It was OK. I would go see him again.
    A lot going on. They put a huge amount of visuals into 15 minutes with a very large number of dancers and performers.
    The wedding in the middle was a real wedding.

    I didn’t see the Kid Rock show.
    Our existence in the USA is already very dismal and it would just add more misery.

  15. Akira MacKenzie says

    I didn’t watch the game. Sports isn’t really my thing. I just watched old episodes of Best of the Worst on YouTube.

    Glad Bad Bunny got the knuckle-draggers hot and bothered, though.

  16. Matthew Currie says

    Way way long ago I actually used to watch football, and saw a few Super Bowl games when the idea was fairly fresh. I seem to recall one played in Green Bay on frozen ground, and a few that were actually suspenseful.The more important it became the less interesting, as the teams became more careful, and I gather from third hand this one was a dull defensive exercise. I recall high school football (spectator only) being like this. For almost all of the hour, a bunch of armored future fat guys smash into each other. (Most will grow up to be beer-soaked spectators wheezing that those were the best years of their lives, and sadly it will probably be true.) It’s been decades since I bothered with TV football, or another Super Bowl, which we generally refer to these days as the Super Bore. We watched an Italian crime melodrama streaming on PBS instead. I may have to watch the halftime show on line just to stay culturally literate, but I’m really not all that tuned to that kind of show either. Oh well, I’m always happy to see our fearless leader and his minions get their panties in a twist, so whatever Bad Bunny and his friends did, I’m all for it.

  17. says

    I watched neither. Played PalWorld (a superb online game) instead. I took a break to see what’s happening at the game last night according to other bloggers that actually watched them both or just watched the big game instead of that worthless Turning Point slop. Pleased to see that The SeaHawks won.

  18. CompulsoryAccount7746, Sky Captain says

    Translated lyrics

    The Hill – Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show: Why did he perform on a utility pole?

    Bad Bunny’s “El Apagón,” which translates to “The Blackout” or “The Power Outage,” is essentially an ode to Puerto Rico’s music, culture and women, but it also references (albeit briefly) the gentrification and blackouts that the territory has faced in recent years. When the music video was released in 2022, it was shared on YouTube in a 23-minute video that featured a documentary that explored how some of these issues were affecting Puerto Ricans.

    Before performing “El Apagón” at some of his concerts, Bad Bunny has also spoken out against LUMA Energy, a private company that Puerto Rico’s government had hired to oversee the energy grid after 2017’s Hurricane Luma
    […]
    The power poles are first shown shooting off sparks, sending the utility “workers” dropping from the top. The lights in Levi’s Stadium also continue to flicker throughout the rest of “El Apagón,” as do the lights on the setpieces that were previously used in the performance.

    […] In December 2025, the territory’s government sued LUMA in an ongoing bid to cancel its contract. […] A month later, however, the Trump administration canceled funding (initially approved by former President Joe Biden) for solar projects aimed to help improve electrical access and stability for thousands of Puerto Rico’s residents

    That documentary, Aquí Vive Gente (22:53).
    /English subtitles start at 4:36 and don’t cover segments of news footage or music.
    A SmithsonianMag article described it.

  21. Tethys says

    Bad Bunny said the only language one needs to understand his show is the language of dance. I’m sure that most non-dancers understood that it was a dance party without knowing any of the words.

    This is the set list.

    Tití Me Preguntó”. My auntie asked me.
    “Yo Perreo Sola”. I twerk alone.
    “Safaera”. Debauchery
    “Party”
    “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR” I will take you to PR.
    “EoO”. equivalent to wow or OH!
    “Monaco”
    Salsa-inspired “Die with a Smile” with Lady Gaga
    “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”. Unforgettable Dance
    “NUEVAYoL”. New York
    “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” with Ricky Martin.
    What happened to Hawaii. (Answer = gentrification)
    “El Apagón” The blackout
    “CAFé CON RON”. Cafe with Ron
    “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” I should have taken more photos.

  22. John Morales says

    Language?

    https://www.vox.com/culture/478480/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-halftime-show-super-bowl-lx
    ↓
    Bad Bunny’s knockout halftime show, explained by a Puerto Rican
    All of the cultural Easter eggs you might have missed.

    […]

    8. God Bless America — all of America

    A quick Spanish lesson, first: If you’re talking about US citizens, you might think that “americano” is the direct translation. It’s actually “estadounidense” (literally United States-ian). Anyway, my point here is that “americano” encompasses all of the Americas. Bad Bunny closed his performance with a shoutout to all of the Americas, from Chile to Canada, and a procession of flags. On the jumbotron behind him, a simple message shone: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

  23. notaandomposter says

    I hear that the kidrock show was so very bad, so very fake that it wasn’t even live streamed on youtube (they pre-recorded it, kidrocks’s performance was lip-synched (poorly) and they even faked the comment stream and paid extras for the studio audience) – afterwards they inflated reporting about how many views they got

    can’t even lie convincingly

  25. DrVanNostrand says

    @Matthew Currie

    As a Packer fan, I would point out one correction that a Super Bowl was never played in Green Bay. The frigid cold game you’re referring to is often called the “Ice Bowl”, which was the NFL championship game between Dallas and GB. My Mom actually watched it live in the stadium, and it was cold as hell! After winning that game, the Packers went on to win Super Bowl II. Though back then it was called the NFL-AFL Championship, and was only named the Super Bowl retroactively. But even from Super Bowl I, it has always been played in balmy climates and domes. It’s an easy mistake to make because for decades, the NFL championship was the only one that mattered, and the Super Bowl only became a thing when the AFL became important enough to make the NFL-AFL Championship relevant.

  28. StevoR says

    @ ^ dan dare : Yup. can’t see it here but theygive a link to yt for it.

    @6. birgerjohansson : “Also, there is some kind of olympic game going on. I learned about it the day after it started as I don’t care. But the orange one (who has little interest in winter sports) found time to criticize the US team.”

    Yup. the Winter Games which I prefer because the events there are just much cooler!

    Actually have watched some of the events and they are incredibly impressive when you see some of the snowboard and skiiing jumps and gynastics. Spectacular, fun and a nice distraction from some of the grimmer things going on at the moment. What some people can do is awesome.

  29. StevoR says

    PBS Newshour on Bad Bunny’s halftime show here :

    Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show delivered a powerful message and made international headlines. The show was dense with symbolism, including messages of Puerto Rican pride and independence. But it also quickly became a magnet for criticism from President Trump. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Vanessa Diaz for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

    Source : https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-cultural-impact-of-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show

  30. John Morales says

    StevoR, you are again going by the fluff and the spin, not the reality:

    “The show was dense with symbolism, including messages of Puerto Rican pride and independence.”

    Pride, maybe. Independence, most certainly not.
    What a stupid claim!

    It is an unincorporated USA territory. People born in Puerto Rico are USA citizens, but the island does not have the political status or rights of a state.
    It is a territory under USA sovereignty, with limited self‑government and partial political rights as a subject.
    Basically, a colony.

    They are ‘not one of us’ as far as symbolism goes.

    (All doggy bum-waving aside, that is)

  31. Hemidactylus says

    John Morales @30
    Have you any idea what you are talking about? Amongst a portion of the Puerto Rican population independence from the US has been an aspiration or long standing goal. Others want it to become a full fledged state. Instead it has been in a sort of limbo.

    https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5729905-bad-bunnys-puerto-rico-flag-had-a-special-meaning-did-you-notice/

    While singing “El Apagón,” Bad Bunny could be seen carrying the flag in red, white and light blue. This version, with this shade of blue, is a symbol of the Puerto Rican independence movement.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_movement_in_Puerto_Rico

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boricua_Popular_Army

    &c

    What StevoR quoted is correct.

  32. John Morales says

    [meta]

    Hemidactylus, you are going down the drain.

    John Morales @30
    Have you any idea what you are talking about?

    I do indeed; do you?

    Amongst a portion of the Puerto Rican population independence from the US has been an aspiration or long standing goal. Others want it to become a full fledged state. Instead it has been in a sort of limbo.

    Yeah: “It is an unincorporated USA territory. People born in Puerto Rico are USA citizens, but the island does not have the political status or rights of a state.
    It is a territory under USA sovereignty, with limited self‑government and partial political rights as a subject.
    Basically, a colony.”

    What StevoR quoted is correct.

    Technically true: what he wrote was “PBS Newshour on Bad Bunny’s halftime show here :” which is indeed not false.

    Point being, StevoR said nothing at all; he merely adduced someone’s opinion.

    I mean, sure, he said PBS said whatever he adduced.
    And nothing else.

  33. Hemidactylus says

    John Morales @32
    So what you’re saying is there is no movement for Puerto Rican independence from the US and the light blue shading on Bad Bunny’s flag was a figment of the imagination. Noted.

    You’re obtuse. Why don’t you swallow your pride and learn something for once.

  34. John Morales says

    “So what you’re saying is there is no movement for Puerto Rican independence from the US and the light blue shading on Bad Bunny’s flag was a figment of the imagination. Noted.”

    What? No.

    I quote YET AGAINl “It is an unincorporated USA territory. People born in Puerto Rico are USA citizens, but the island does not have the political status or rights of a state.
    It is a territory under USA sovereignty, with limited self‑government and partial political rights as a subject.
    Basically, a colony.”

    That is what I am saying.

    You’re obtuse. Why don’t you swallow your pride and learn something for once.

    Psychological projection.

    What is it I am supposed to learn? Do tell.

  35. StevoR says

    @32. John Morales : I saw a article by PBS Newshour – actually saw it on TV first – which is relevant to this thread and which I thought folks here might like to read and see themselves so i shared it hoping people would find it useful and intresting and informative.

  36. John Morales says

    [Sorry, PZ — shoulda appended this — not trying to hammer a point home]

    Independence means exiting USA sovereignty.
    Statehood means fully accepting it, becoming incorporated.
    They are not seeking independence, but statehood.

  37. John Morales says

    StevoR, what I wrote to you stands; what Hemidactylus wrote is what I just addressed.

    Again: the pride, sure. The independence, not so much.

    They want to join, not be independent.

    (Apparently, some imagine I am mistaken in this)

  38. raven says

    Puerto Rico is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States, operating under its own constitution (adopted in 1952) with an elected governor, legislature, and judiciary, allowing for control over local matters. However, this self-government is limited because Congress retains plenary power over the island, meaning federal laws apply, and residents lack full voting representation in Congress and cannot vote for president.

    Puerto Rico has considerable powers of self government.

    They elect their own governor, legislature, and judiciary.
    They are under Federal laws but that is no big deal. We all are.

    In practice, the US Federal government doesn’t pay much attention to Puerto Rico. They are a long ways away and full of Spanish speakers. We usually only hear of Puerto Rico when they get hit by a hurricane, which happens often.

  39. raven says

    Support for independence in Puerto Rico is generally low, historically garnering only a small minority of votes in referendums, often in the single digits or low double digits. While statehood frequently gains over 50% support in recent, nonbinding votes, the independence option remains less popular than either statehood or maintaining a commonwealth status.
    Low Support: In various plebiscites held over the past decade, the option for independence has consistently received significantly fewer votes than statehood.

    Referendum Results: In 2017, for example, while 97% of votes favored statehood, this was amidst low turnout (23%) and a boycott by opposition parties.

    Alternative Options: The political landscape is generally divided between statehood, the current territorial status, and independence, with the latter often seen as a minority position.

    Puerto Ricans are divided as to statehood versus independence.

    Statehood usually gets over 50% of the vote.
    Independence is a minority position.

    I used to think that Puerto Rico would be better off as a state. We subsidize Puerto Rico, but not any where near as much as the Red states.
    These days, since Trump was elected, you can forget that whole idea.

  40. Hemidactylus says

    Despite the attempts of a certain bad faith obfuscater to muddy the waters StevoR’s quote from PBS Newshour “The show was dense with symbolism, including messages of Puerto Rican pride and independence.” still stands, even if StevoR himself is backpedalling.

    See https://www.dukeupress.edu/p-fkn-r
    P FKN R
    How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance     by : Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau

    Which allows a preview of the introduction which says:

    This context is necessary for understanding how the current moment
    in Puerto Rico has ­ shaped Bad Bunny’s work. The ongoing debt crisis,
    the aftermath of Hurricane María and other natu­ ral disasters, the mas-
    sive gentrification and displacement taking place on the archipelago, and
    the more recent dramatic cuts to social ­ services such as healthcare and
    education all have their roots in this long colonial history. What’s more,
    Bad Bunny’s work is also part of this long history of ­ resistance in Puerto
    Rico. ­ Whether by leaving his tour in ­ Europe in 2019 to join protests to
    oust then-­ governor Ricardo Rosselló, or by adding a twenty-­ two-­ minute
    documentary about gentrification at the end of his 2022 ­ music video for
    “El Apagón,” or by incorporating imagery and lyrical references to Puerto
    Rican ­independence     in his 2025 song “LA MuDANZA,” Bad Bunny has
    increasingly used his platform to advocate for Puerto Rico.

    It isn’t about how popular the notion of independence for Puerto Rico is, it’s merely that Bad Bunny incorporated it in the halftime show. FULL STOP!

    Despite the attempts of a certain bad faith obfuscater to muddy the waters StevoR’s quote from PBS Newshour “The show was dense with symbolism, including messages of Puerto Rican pride and independence.” still stands, even if StevoR himself is backpedalling.

    See https://www.dukeupress.edu/p-fkn-r
    P FKN R How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau

    Which allows a preview of the introduction which says:

    This context is necessary for understanding how the current moment
    in Puerto Rico has ­ shaped Bad Bunny’s work. The ongoing debt crisis,
    the aftermath of Hurricane María and other natu­ ral disasters, the mas-
    sive gentrification and displacement taking place on the archipelago, and
    the more recent dramatic cuts to social ­ services such as healthcare and
    education all have their roots in this long colonial history. What’s more,
    Bad Bunny’s work is also part of this long history of ­ resistance in Puerto
    Rico. ­ Whether by leaving his tour in ­ Europe in 2019 to join protests to
    oust then-­ governor Ricardo Rosselló, or by adding a twenty-­ two-­ minute
    documentary about gentrification at the end of his 2022 ­ music video for
    “El Apagón,” or by incorporating imagery and lyrical references to Puerto
    Rican ­independence     in his 2025 song “LA MuDANZA,” Bad Bunny has
    increasingly used his platform to advocate for Puerto Rico.

    It isn’t about how popular the notion of independence for Puerto Rico is, it’s merely that Bad Bunny incorporated it in the halftime show. FULL STOP!

    Also:

    It is common to see the equilateral triangle of the flag with different shades of blue, as no specific one has been made official by law. Occasionally, the shade displayed is used to show preference on the issue of the political status, with light blue, presumably used by pro-independence rebels in 1868, representing independence and sovereigntism, dark blue, widely used by the government since 1952, representing statehood, and medium blue, most commonly used by the people since the 1995, representing the current intermediary status of unincorporated territory.

    From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Puerto_Rico

    From my @31 I quoted The Hill: “While singing “El Apagón,” Bad Bunny could be seen carrying the flag in red, white and light blue. This version, with this shade of blue, is a symbol of the Puerto Rican independence movement.”

    That is all that is at issue here and obfuscater John cannot even concede that. Quite telling. Did Bad Bunny use Puerto Rican independence symbolism in the halftime show? Yep.

    Now thanks to Randy Fine and other scumbags we may have Bunnygate with investigations and a moral panic over Spanish reggaeton lyrics. Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction take two.

  41. Hemidactylus says

    Oh and from PBS Newsletter quoted by StevoR: “…Amna Nawaz discussed more with Vanessa Diaz for our arts and culture series, CANVAS.” The book I accidentally double quoted P FKN R How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance was coauthored by a Vanessa Díaz. So…John knows more about everything.

  43. Hemidactylus says

    John Morales @42
    Did Bad Bunny use Puerto Rican independence symbolism such as the light blue in the flag during the halftime show? Yes OR no. Everything else, even that referendum is irrelevant.

    A simple yes or no will suffice. It isn’t about popularity of the independence movement. It is whether Bad Bunny invoked independence symbolism. Your pride will again get in the way of your honesty.

  44. Hemidactylus says

    Back to StevoR’s reference:
    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-cultural-impact-of-bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show

    To help us unpack it all, we’re joined now by Vanessa Diaz. She’s an associate professor at Loyola Marymount University and the author of the book *P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance*

    […]

    Vanessa Diaz:
    I think one of the most profound moments where Bad Bunny showed himself to be not just a figure of resistance, but carrying the long tradition behind him, is when, just before he started the song “El Apagon,” he emerges from the fields with a flag, a Puerto Rican flag over his shoulder.

    And if you notice, the triangle in blue is actually the light blue. And the light blue is a symbol of Puerto Rican independence. That’s the color of the flag before the U.S. in 1952 changed the color to the dark blue to mimic the colors of the American flag. And so that light blue is really symbolic of advocating for Puerto Rican independence.

    And as he walked out with that flag, we saw those folks who were the cane field workers in the beginning climbing these electrical poles. And that was a reference to what was the longest blackout in American history following the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2017 that left Puerto Rico without power for almost a year.

    Will John again obfuscate on Bad Bunny incorporating symbolism of Puerto Rican independence into his halftime show? Was Vanessa Diaz “going by the fluff and the spin, not the reality” as John would assert from his @30?

  45. John Morales says

    A simple yes or no will suffice.

    Did he?
    I didn’t watch the video, myself.
    But I do know the Puerto Rican sentiment about it.
    It is well documented.

    Song and dance aside, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Puerto_Rican_status_referendum#Results
    ↓
    Statehood 620,782 58.61
    Free Association 313,259 29.57
    Independence 125,171 11.82
    Total 1,059,212 100.00

    It is whether Bad Bunny invoked independence symbolism.

    If he did, he actually speaks for 11.82% of Puerto Ricans.
    Unless the referendum results are a lie, of course.

    Your pride will again get in the way of your honesty.

    Like the Puerto Rican pride that was alleged?

    (Got in the way of his honesty)

  46. Hemidactylus says

    So you didn’t bother watching the show you made confident assertions about, dragging StevoR in the process. I am dumfounded anyone would do this.

    StevoR’s quote “The show was dense with symbolism, including messages of Puerto Rican pride and independence.” was mistakenly met by you with “Pride, maybe. Independence, most certainly not.
    What a stupid claim!“

    And if you had actually clicked on the link you would have read Vanessa Diaz saying: “I think one of the most profound moments where Bad Bunny showed himself to be not just a figure of resistance, but carrying the long tradition behind him, is when, just before he started the song “El Apagon,” he emerges from the fields with a flag, a Puerto Rican flag over his shoulder.
    And if you notice, the triangle in blue is actually the light blue. And the light blue is a symbol of Puerto Rican independence. That’s the color of the flag before the U.S. in 1952 changed the color to the dark blue to mimic the colors of the American flag. And so that light blue is really symbolic of advocating for Puerto Rican independence.”

    You didn’t even watch the video PZ posted on the halftime show, but you still posted such easily refuted nonsense about it. Double face palm. I’m going to need a moment to stop laughing uncontrollably at your ridiculousness. You’ve outdone yourself by far here. OMG!

  47. John Morales says

    Ah yes, one of those ego efforts by you, Hemidactylus.

    So you didn’t bother watching the show you made confident assertions about, dragging StevoR in the process. I am dumfounded anyone would do this.

    Is it? He hasn’t actually said that, so I find it rather speculative.
    I just checked. Apophenia is a thing.

    Again: If he really did, he actually speaks for 11.82% of Puerto Ricans.
    Which is a tiny minority.

    I’m going to need a moment to stop laughing uncontrollably at your ridiculousness.

    Your neediness is not my problem. Nor is your lack of control.

    You’ve outdone yourself by far here. OMG!

    Tsk. I am not your deity.

    And I am not even trying; to outdo myself, I’d probably have to try.

    (Heh)

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