Bad Bunny, Big Game Weekend, and the Culture War at Halftime

Hey, that folks, It's big game weekend, Seahawks Patriots, Bad Bunny Kid Rock, Welcome to this episode of Amy and CJ.

Who You Got.

It's like pick a side for the teams and pick a side for your halftime show.

Yeah. Normally, normally the competition is just between the two teams home playing on the gridiron. It's not between the artists, the musical artists on the stage. But this year is different than any other year because the competition, yeah, is not just on the football field.

It's on the stage.

I hate it so much. I hate that this is done.

This bring us all together, doesn't matter what right we should be good. We're divided. We can't even watch the same halftime show. We need one for you and one for you.

That is a sad state of where we are in this country, and I hate it. You know what, maybe we have to get this low to recognize how crappy it is that.

We can't even come together. Sports brings people together, and we're talking.

Too as the tragedies, yes, absolutely has.

We have the Olympics starting this weekend as well. This is a weekend of unity at a time we've never needed it more And yet We've found a way to be divisive when it comes to massive, the biggest sporting event in our country, and we found a way to pick sides that has nothing to do with the actual football game.

So we found a way to be divisive. But at least on one side. We're waiting for some answers. And what I mean by that is, yes, we know, and everybody knows. Bad Bunny is having the greatest year that any musician has ever had. You could almost argue, but he has. I guess we should say competition. There is another halftime show. People know this by now, but robes what I am confused about. There seems to be some confusion about what this halftime show will be, will be, where we will be seen?

Can you attend it? Is it live?

There's a bunch of questions about the all nobody can see my air quote the All American halftime show, And.

You're putting it in quotes because the implication is by calling that halftime show the alternative to this half time show the All American halftime show, that somehow the halftime show we're getting from the NFL isn't American.

Can stay up there for a.

Seconds, I struggle I'm trying to be open to somebody else's idea. Here I go again with this foolishness. You're an American living in wherever, in Arkansas, in Tennessee, in Alabama, in Texas. You're watching this great American pastime, and that halftime there's someone speaking nothing but English as they are entertaining. You can we leave room for somebody that not being your cup of tea?

We can leave room for that, right.

Sure, it might not be your favorite kind of music. Bad Bunny.

He sings in Spanish. He's exclusively, exclusively Spanish. And it's a big deal that he is obviously being honored with the halftime show, but do just one album of the year. Yes, won three Grammys last weekend. He has worked his way up in an American dream kind of way.

This was a guy who.

Was basically just doing music on the side and working his ass off to pay the bills as a grocery bagger. I believe that was what his job was when he started making music on the side. If that's not the American dream, I don't know what is. He's a Puerto Rican, which by the way, means he is an American and all of us here in this country have come from diverse backgrounds, Each and every one of us. Unless you are a native American, you and your ancestors or your

I hear you.

But the reality is when you talk about diverse backgrounds, many people feel, or or at least embrace that there's only one type of patriotism. It only looks a certain way, and it only speaks a certain language, right, And so I'm trying to leave room for that and this not being your cup of tea. I struggle going to the next level of that in saying, well, I don't I'm not really a fan of his music. Now it's this is anti American that I can't be a part of. That is the next level that I struggle with.

And that does hell.

That's been halftime performers. You haven't been crazy about some of their music. I haven't been crazed about some of them, and I watch it.

It's fine, But you know what's cool about that?

Maybe I don't necessarily listen to that music, or know that music, or speak Spanish or even know what the heck, he's saying, but it's kind of cool to be exposed to it, to listen to it, to.

Yes, you can have your opinion, but take it in because that's what makes the world beautiful.

If we all look tolike, sound to the same, believe the same, how boring and tedious would that be?

I celebrate and perfect all of that.

Some would argue, no, no, no, I'm saying the argument is, that is what we're going for. If it doesn't look like this, sound like this, if it's not this color, it is not this sound. If you're not this person, if it's not this language, then it's not American. And that's why I struggle. I leave room for people who think that I don't want to hear all Spanish during a halftime performance. I will, at least I'll be open

Agreed, And yes, he has spoken.

Out against Trump's immigration policies, so have at least half of this country who are yes, English speaking Americans. It's not as if he doesn't represent what a lot of Americans are feeling now. So he's not some outlier from another country coming in speaking a different language and disparaging our immigration policy. He is an American who has an opinion that is similar to a lot of other Americans.

Our country what it is.

This is just music.

It's and music again, just like sports.

The two things that unite us all in periods of pain and divisiveness, I would argue, are sports, hip and music. Ye, and now somehow we have found a way to make those things divisive.

I don't understand.

So stay here, folks, there is an alternate halftime show. There is right now at least a lack of clarity about exactly where the show is happening, when is happening, who's performing, and if it's going to be live.

We'll try to answer some of those questions.

Stay here, Welcome back.

Everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ, where we are coming to you from what's called Radio Row in San Francisco, getting ready for the big game.

Getting a little rowdy here.

People are getting excited, the volumes raising. I don't know if anyone can hear the ambient noise behind us, but it's exciting. There's a lot of positive energy, which is what we all look forward to. Yes, the game's great, but this is a fun moment where the country comes together, much like the Olympics that are going on Malan, but here in this country, this is a way for us all to unite to.

Celebrate America's great pastime.

And yet somehow this year we have found a way to make it divisive.

You know what, even if.

We're divided over who we want to win the game, will at least all watch what the commercials and the halftime show that's not controversial.

The commercials and the halftime show add to that special.

Yeah, the unity that we all get behind.

Yes, we're fighting over it this year.

We're fighting over it, and and honestly, there are so many questions. So the All American halftime show was announced in October, right around the same time it was announced that Bad Bunny would be the halftime show performer.

Oh yeah, President Trump came out.

Not happy at all with Bad Bunny as the announced performer. I'm going to go ahead, namely because of his very public stance against Trump's immigration policy. He's a Puerto Rican and he certainly had some videos on social media looking at ice agents, going after ice agents, kind of exposing

Just sways with it.

It's just got a rhythm and a there's a lightness.

There's a learned by Sunday. I promise I'll learn Spanish by Sunday.

I love that. But yeah, so that's like, how cool that's your reaction.

I'm gonna learn Spanish by Sunday. You know, like if more of us can take that attitude, I want to. I want to join in. I want to sing along. I want to know what he's saying. Yes, can that be? Isn't that American? No, we have to have an all American halftime show to compete with.

Should bad Bunny have known better?

Like?

Did you stay out of it? Like he should be able to speak his mind if he wants to.

That's not it.

But some would say, hey, just seeing someone tell a basketball player just dribble, so, you know.

Kind of a thing.

I mean, he kind of invited at least political backlash by speaking up against something that's fair.

But I would say he was speaking in defense of his people, and so I think that's different. He's not just Look, we've all seen the Hollywood actors and actresses who speak out about things they have no connection to but just to take a political stand, and they get lambasted and it ends up doing more harm than good. This is somebody who has skin in the game. This

Again, very American.

Of us to be able to speak freely about how we feel about policies our government is enacting and enforcing.

I didn't plan on but one lands before we wrap here. If he hadn't said anything having to do with ice sent about the administration, do you think the backlash would be the same. Would there be an all American halftime show?

I don't think so.

I think that is Look, obviously, him speaking only in Spanish would be people would definitely say stuff about that, no.

Question, Henri lash right.

Okay, yes, people would still take issue with it, perhaps and question the choice.

But I don't think we'd have an.

Alternative halftime show if he hadn't spoken out against the tactics that immigration agents have been employing over the last year.

And tell me now, who can I see in this all American halftime show?

When? When can I see this? Where can I see this? Tell me who the big.

Headliners are to battle the biggest pop star on the planet. I know Taylor Swift is awesome, but you all bad Bunny is the biggest pop star on planet Earth right now.

He's certainly in terms of Spotify, in terms of the Grammys, like, you can't argue with the numbers an.

Argument they are what they say, are they going to put up? The goal gives this guy, So we now know. And this was just announced a few days ago, so.

I don't know if they were trying to pull stuff together and this was what they got.

But you got Kid Rock.

Who has been obviously a huge vocal supporter from the campaign trail on, and then he will be accompanied by country singers Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett.

Now familiar, your name is familiar.

I could not tell you a song that any of those aforementioned country artists. I only know Lee, Bryce's name. I don't even know the other names. I'm not saying that other people and they aren't very prominent within the country music world.

I'm just not familiar with them.

We know that the halftime show is going to begin at eight pm Eastern Time, which is expected to go up head to head with the NFL halftime show, so they're going to be at the same time. They're going to actually begin the coverage at seven thirty, so maybe they can hopefully get some folks to come over to Trinity Broadcasting Network and then it's going to be streaming on, turning Point USA.

And and not started until the actual halftimes.

Seven thirty is when they're starting, So they're actually going to start a little ahead of time just to kind of get the excitement up, to build it up. Now here's what we and it's also going to be by the way on Turning Point usay's x rumble and YouTube account, so there will be ways to watch it online and ways to watch it on Turner Broadcasting Net or not Turner. Sorry that I got Turning Point USA and Trinity Broadcasting Network confused.

So those are the.

Two TBN and streaming. But here's what we don't know, and we have searched exhaustively. We cannot say for sure if this is going to it's going to be streamed live, but is it pre recorded? Don't know where is the actual concert taking place. Can't find a location anywhere. If it's already been pre taped, maybe they already have an audience that was already hand selected. We don't know if you if you can buy tickets to there are no ticket sales that I can see online.

All of all of what we have seen online.

Would point to the fact that it's most likely pre taped and already had a curate an audience there and it will go up again. And look, if they do it that way, there are no snaffoos, there are no technical glitches.

They're going to have a perfectly highly.

Produced and edited performance to go up against bad money. This will be fat. Obviously, there's not going to be a direct comparative because you.

Don't have Are you curious? I think it's curiosity more than anything.

I might you know what we might do.

We might watch and maybe have up on an iPad something just to kind of glance down and see the difference between the two.

Sweetheart.

As a journalist, I'm looking at it and I want to keep an eye on it. But as an American and as a football watcher, why distract This is our event today. Let's watch this event as Americans. If I got a beef with it, that's fine. I hate hate. We need an alternative to an American event because it's not American enough for some people.

Well, hope that's awful, but he is awful. It just weird.

He's American, and Spanish speakers are Americans, and this music is American. All of this is about the it crazy, the thing that brings us together. Football game and we need two options at halftime because we can't hang out together at halftime.

We are the United States of America. No, but I agree with you, Baban. Look, I just wish I wish more people could.

Could see the beauty.

You don't have to agree with someone, you don't have to like it, but just acceptance. Acceptance is peace, Acceptance is love. Acceptance is understanding that you might not have all the answers and your way of living and the way you were raised in the bubble that you lived in might actually get bigger and more beautiful if you look and accept the way other people, what they can

Well the same, Like a lot.

Of people would be happy with that if every year there's a white person playing white music.

And that is what.

American Scandinavia where you have a better shot at that, Like I just if you live in this country. It's the beauty of this country is seeing what so many different rich cultures bring to our country and we all can call ourselves Americans. That is what I'm most proud of of our country and it's what we're trying to get away from, and that is incredibly scary and sad and lonely, lonely.

And on that note, we are we're going to wrap up here now in Radio row here on Big Game Weekend. And I'm laughing, Rose, because I know you're not a big and I'm giving an example.

This is at the end.

This we should have started with this. This is one of the most fun things we're going to say. Is we're in a huge room of constant sports big names. Right Robot has no freaking idea who any of them are. But Robes to your left at about ten o'clock, do you recognize that young fella sitting in the chair.

His back is to me right now, he's in the gray I saw.

Maybe, yes, you see him on the screen there?

Uh, you know, my eyes slight. It's not so good.

So I'm only laughing.

I'm giving you a hard time, Rose, because that is your current Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Indiana that you just watched win the national championship.

That's awesome, Fernando man Mendozo.

You know, so this has been happening, by the way, all day long. Yes, TJ's like, you know who that is? Nope, and then he tells me, oh so.

Hall of Famer Tony Gonzales was just sitting about thirty feet directly in front of you.

Who that And how did you introduce him to me?

I'm not gonna say never mind, I gotta say that.

But anyway, folks, we appreciate you always spending some time with us. We're going to continue to hang here watch whatever halftime show you want to, but but please remember, no matter which one you're watching and which one you're fellow American is watching, you all are all on the same fricking team on Sunday, folks.

So with that, we appreciate you listening. I'm TJ. Holmes on behalf of my.

Dear sports enthused Damie Robot. We'll talk to alsimm