John Oliver hails NFL for choosing Bad Bunny for Halftime show: 'One of the hottest people alive'
WASHINGTON, DC: As backlash grows over NFL’s decision to name Bad Bunny the next Super Bowl Halftime Show performer, John Oliver is pushing back with praise.
On the latest episode of 'Last Week Tonight,' Oliver celebrated the announcement, calling himself a big fan of the Latin trap superstar and applauding NFL's bold choice. The league made the announcement during a Sunday Night Football broadcast on September 28.
John Oliver takes aim at political uproar amid Super Bowl Halftime show
John Oliver took aim at recent political uproar surrounding the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show pick, joking, “The NFL controversially gave the Super Bowl Halftime show to one of the hottest, most commercially successful people alive.”
His comments referred to Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, whose selection sparked backlash, including a response from the Department of Homeland Security. Shortly after the announcement, DHS revealed plans to deploy ICE agents to the event, a move DHS Secretary Kristi Noem later defended publicly.
Later in the 'Last Week Tonight' segment, Oliver turned to the issue of grassroots resistance to ICE activity, criticizing federal tactics and encouraging civilian pushback.
“If ICE can show up and bother some guys at their roofing job, then bystanders should be able to bother ICE at their state-sanctioned kidnapping job. It is only fair,” he said.
He continued, “And look, this administration is clearly still hell-bent on trying to intimidate communities with shows of force, which is why it is so important for them to be met with strong pushback each and every time.”
Bad Bunny addresses online backlash over upcoming NFL Halftime performance
Amid the backlash, Bad Bunny delivered an inspiring message to the Latino community worldwide.
The three-time Grammy winner emphasized that no one can diminish or erase the influence of Latinos in the United States, especially amid the backlash from right-wing groups over his upcoming performance at next year’s Super Bowl Halftime show.
“I think Marcello is getting nervous that Lorne has a new favorite Latino,” Bad Bunny joked at the start of his monologue, as the camera focused on repertory player Marcello Hernandez in the audience, who simply replied, “I am.”
The trap-pop artist mentioned that he wouldn’t be appearing on the late-night sketch show again, having just finished a 31-show residency in Puerto Rico, featuring sets that lasted three hours. He said he needed a break and humorously referenced his widely talked-about knee injury, calling it “complicated choreography.”
Bad Bunny then shifted the conversation to the Super Bowl, expressing, “I’m very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it, even Fox News.” The broadcast then showed edited clips from the right-wing network, which stated, “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician. He should be the next president.”
Turning more serious, the multi-talented artist said his fans support the NFL’s decision. Switching to Spanish amid loud applause, he added, “Especially all the Latinos and Latinas in the whole world, and here in the United States, all the people who have worked to open doors. More than an achievement for me, it’s a milestone for all of us, demonstrating that our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one can ever remove nor erase.”
