Donald Trump’s most recent blunder cultural blunder? His outrage at the selection of Bad Bunny to headline the 2026 Super Bowl LX halftime show and admitting he’s never heard of the artist, is a staggering display of how out of touch the Trump administration is with the 21st century culture.
This isn’t simply one old man shaking his fist at cultural norms, it’s part of a broader pattern. The Trump administration has made deliberate incursions into cultural institutions: from attempting to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to orchestrating sweeping reviews of museums to whitewash the contribution of Black Americans, the message is clear: art, music, performance are for the people Trump chooses to approve.
So, when the cultural moment of the halftime show meets Trump’s cultural gatekeeping, it’s no surprise he seems out of touch with modern times. Bad Bunny is one of the world’s most-streamed artists, and the first primarily Spanish-language solo act to do the Super Bowl halftime show, was chosen precisely because people are listening to him. But Trump's mocking tone is an unwillingness to acknowledge the dynamic, multicultural reality of modern America.
Trump's loudmouth intrusion into the halftime show decision process is a vivid example of a leader unable to grasp that culture doesn’t revolve around his preferences. The American people deserve better than someone who is so obviously befuddled by who is making the hits, what people are watching, and how the country is changing. Let the performers perform.
Comments
Post a Comment