Super Bowl LIX will be held in New Orleans on Sunday. But it's not just the upcoming action on the field that's getting attention.
A group of lawmakers in Louisiana, backed by a number of high profile faith leaders, just sent a letter to organizers asking them to tone down the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show and make it more family friendly.
As evidence, they cite stripper poles, suggestive lyrics, and skin-bearing singers of halftime shows past. The group says it’s time for the halftime show to ditch suggestive sexual themes and get back to entertaining all ages.
Is the Super Bowl halftime show too lewd for television?
Is Halftime Too Hot to Handle?
The letter was written by Louisiana State Sen. Valarie Hodges and addressed to Phillip Sherman, chairman of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, and Robert Vosbein Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. It outlined her “serious concerns” about offensive halftime content to the two Super Bowl overseers.
Pointing to prior halftime shows, Hodges sent a clear message: Louisianans reject this sort of lewd content.
Last year’s performance by Rihanna, for example, featured the singer “groping herself while she sang song lyrics that were so offensive that few Louisiana adults could read those lyrics before an audience without shame.”
Jennifer Lopez’s performance in 2020 was even worse according to Rep. Hodges, who said the singer “wore little clothing and was groped by male and female dancers on stage, while the performer made sexually suggestive gestures and performed on a stripper pole.”
And who could forget Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl?
“These past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held,” State Rep. Hodges says in the letter, “But, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents.”
The letter continues: "Had that 2004 performance taken place in Louisiana and been proven to be intentional, it would have violated Louisiana's obscenity law (R.S. 14:106) which prohibits such public exposure."
It was later co-signed by leaders of faith-based family organizations, including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.
Perkins commented on the matter, adding: "Hopefully, this year's Super Bowl halftime show will not be out of bounds for the hundreds of thousands of families that will be watching. But it is not only about protecting children, important as that is, but also upholding community standards. The Super Bowl organizers need to abide by the community standards that the citizens of Louisiana have adopted."
Throwing a Hail Mary
Are the days of sexually charged halftime performances over? Will this year’s performer, Kendrick Lamar, keep things rated PG?
Vosbein Jr. says that it's “unfortunate” that the letter was sent two weeks out from the Super Bowl, because they would have considered Hodges’ requests if they’d received the letter earlier.
But Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, says Hodges will be pleased with the performance. “This year’s halftime show will be a family-friendly event befitting New Orleans’ storied history hosting Super Bowls,” he stated.
What do you think? The Super Bowl halftime show on occasion features scantily clad dancers and questionable lyrics, but is it really in need of a cleaning up?
On the one hand, the Super Bowl bills itself as a family-friendly event. On the other hand… are Super Bowl halftime shows any more outrageous than anything else you’d see on prime-time television? And if critics don’t like it, couldn’t they just refresh their snacks and hit the bathroom while it’s taking place?
Is the Super Bowl halftime show too hot for TV?
15 comments
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Rev. BH
Hope you meant dodo.
But seriously, I agree. Your TV has an on/off button. Use it.
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Najah P Tamargo
Najah Tamargo-USA
Don't we have more important things to worry about????? If halftime is not appropriate for the viewer.....CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!! Or put it on mute and go get a snack!!!!! People need to put their energies into REAL problems!!!
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Ealdormon Piparskeggr Robinson
Cannot say as I have not viewed a "Superbowl" for at least 2 decades. Sportsball entertainment of any sort is not on my A List.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Let’s just hear it for the adults in the room who know enough to just turn the channel…
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Lawrence A. Benson
Isn't there something about the touching of the skin of a pig as being a sin. Come on people let's bring religion into the twenty-first century and quit being hypocrites by picking and choosing what we want to tag as a "sin".
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ServantOfJudgement
No Lawrence, touching a pig wasn't a sin. It did make the toucher unclean.
I've raised a few hogs, the Bible is spot on. The more you touch the beastie the more unclean you'll get.
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Reverend Paula Copp
As an aside, I find it interesting that Louisiana, home of the Big Easy, is having a conniption fit over a halftime show… is it irony, or hypocrisy?
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
Interesting article. I love the half time shows & the commercials along only once did Jesus show up remember lol. I believe God is in the details of our music artist & performers & they are beautiful people. God would not be ashamed. More people need to let Jesus in the bedroom. They all had clothes on & spent hundreds & thousands for the perfect outfit. God loves you for who you are express yourself. I dont think gospel has a for front in a halftime show but maybe in the future. Blest be. Good luck kendric lamar be yourself God loves you just the way you are.
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arawngraalrd
While my religious interest leans more towards Healing and Wisdom, I can see why Sexual Aggression would be consistent with Football, and I'm sure many housewives watch the half-time show. Gamesmanship, People; get something started, and carry that baby down the field.
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ServantOfJudgement
"Are the days of sexually charged halftime performances over? Will this year’s performer, Kendrick Lamar, keep things rated PG?"
Lol, NO! It always gets worse and more demonic. Always.
I've not heard of the clown performing and don't need to, I know it'll be antichrist in nature. That might be nasty like accidentally on purpose seeing a silicone sideshow or actual satanic imagery.
I've never watched a televised football game and don't care about anything they do for their shows.
God will square up with them when he will.
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Colleen McAllister
I've watched the last few half-time shows. Too sexually charged? Yes. That's what entertainment is these days. As long as performers like Taylor Swift or Jennifer Lopez are willing to go onstage in tight barely there outfits it will continue to get worse. I miss the days when a good voice was all that was needed and not all the spectacular effects and dance moves. Until then I will watch and enjoy the sound if not the visuals.
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Arch Bishiop Rev Robert E Wright Jr
well as bible states they got free will gods about tgo tzake away our free will are you all ready
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
First of all, at what age, in general, does a child realize what “lewd” even is, and how many children watch the Super Bowl, unless it’s the only thing that everyone else is watching — especially halftime extravaganzas? By the age a child is old enough, to know what lewd is, she/he’s old enought to watch it — and already probably has..
The gaul these people have saying they care about objectifying women. After who they just voted to put in off?! Give me a break, if the sport federation and the artist are ok with it then who cares. These are the same people that would tell you Elvis was to sexually provocative because he swayed his hips too much. If you don't wanna watch it then don't, if you don't want your kids to watch then don't let them. Southern purity culture and the lawmakers behind it need to go the way of the doodoo and fast.
Amen Brother, we must remind our fellow brothers and sisters the hypocricy is also a sin and not a pretty one.