The Super Bowl halftime show is unexpectedly popping up as an early issue in the race in Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
After incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Fine fulminated to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about the alleged obscene content in Bad Bunny’s performance, Democratic challenger Jennifer Jenkins — the would be “hare apparent” to the seat — has fired off her own letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
Fine wants “fines and broadcast license reviews, against the NFL, NBC, and ‘Bad Bunny’” for what he calls a ” disgusting halftime show” which saw “real Americans … outraged by the vulgar, indecent, and offensive content” on display.
“The degenerates behind it must be held accountable,” Fine said.
Jenkins, unsurprisingly, sees the matter differently.
“In reviewing the Congressman’s complaint, I noted that the artist’s name was repeatedly placed in quotation marks. As Florida ballots list the complainant as Randall ‘Randy’ Fine, I briefly wondered whether this punctuation reflects a stylistic philosophy, or uncertainty as to whether ‘Bad’ is an adjective requiring clarification to distinguish this performer from any hypothetical ‘Good Bunny,’” Jenkins wrote.
Jenkins also questioned Fine’s claims regarding the lyrics performed, noting “a basic review of the Spanish lyrics performed during the broadcast indicates that the lyrics cited by Congressman Fine were not, in fact, sung.”
She also said “calls for federal scrutiny into this matter have been amplified on the complainant’s official social media platforms, where public discussions have been limited through the blocking of constituents and journalists seeking clarification.”
“While such moderation falls outside the FCC’s jurisdiction, the contrast between demanding investigation and restricting dialogue is notable,” Jenkins argued.
