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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 9, 2026

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There's some nuance here.

NFL ownership doesn't select the half-time show performers. Jay-Z and his production company likely do. As the article indicates, there's some contractual language wherein the NFL, meaning the NFL front office, probably has the final say technically, but the whole operation has Jay-z's company steering it.

You're right in pointing out the low likelihood of fly-over American's not watching football for six months because of one half-time show. You're also right in that the mission for the NFL, explicitly, has been to tap into new markets. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were probably somewhat "planted" by marketing to attract young, female viewers. The recent games in Mexico and Brazil try to capture those markets.

But the culture war angle is valid. It's subtle but then not. The whole thing was in Spanish. Your "sexy dancers" of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez didn't do that. Dr. Dre, Snoop et al celebrated gangster culture, but deracinated Disney gangster culture - low riders and gold chains, not actual murder and drug running. They censored their own lyrics. Rhianna and Usher sell sex and sex sells. That's been true since, at least, the Janet Jackson fake wardrobe malfunction. The normies can deal with it - my aunts cross their arms and slap on resting bitch face when the ass shaking starts, but they don't leave the room the way Grandma may have. Kendrik Lamar was somewhat a flop because the "lore" of him and Drake was too deep for easy access during the superbowl.

There are often attempts to emulate American half-time entertainment for European sports (like football) for the big championships, but they never really get off the ground.

And reading all this about the Superbowl half-time show, I'm rather glad they fail. People don't tune in to the Champions League final to see people simulating sex to sultry Latin rhythms (not that I'd put it past UEFA to try that, though God alone knows what FIFA have planned for the World Cup seeing as how, like the Trinity, it is going to be three locations in one contest co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico).

Okay, there is always an official World Cup song but that can be good (depending on the artist) and countries may have their own song (historically, 'sung' by the representative team, though England did up their game with Three Lions in 1996 when they were hosting the UEFA European Championship).

I don't even want to imagine what kind of awful Europop plus fake gangsta rap/hiphop dancing they'd serve up as entertainment. They do have something as pre-match entertainment, but most people don't bother watching that until the game starts. Seems like it was Linkin Park last year for the Champions League? As this article tactfully puts it:

UEFA, also inspired by the NFL's Super Bowl halftime show, has had limited success with incorporating music acts into its showpiece event.

Some broadcasters have opted not to broadcast the concerts live, choosing instead to focus on the pundits discussing the upcoming match in their studio.

EDIT: Oh, God. There's an Official World Cup Theme, to be remixed by producers in the host cities. And it's as dire as you might fear. No wonder people are trying to create fan remixes and updates of Waka Waka.

I think Jay-Z is the issue. NFL if they are smart should fire him tomorrow. We have done multicultural Super Bowl shows before. We have done them without simulating sex that were family friendly. They have been done in ways that were not explicit replacement politics ideology.

Super Bowl 50 was great. Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars (Puerto Rican). That’s a unity show of one country of different people. Coldplayshow

This show feels like it came from agitators trying to tear us apart.

Bruno Mars (Puerto Rican)

Bruno is Hawaiian

Last name Hernendez

He's Filipino - Hawaiin

Wikipedia says dad’s Puerto Rican. I guess he’s just mystery meat is you want to call it that. Regardless you can find a more Latino person for the job.