Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny turned his hosting gig at Saturday Night Live’s 51st season premiere into a clapback session, taking aim at critics of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.
The National Football League’s decision to headline the musician comes at the end of the musician’s 31-day Puerto Rican residency, which is reported to have encouraged patriotism in his home territory.
Highlights
- The Puerto Rican rapper used SNL’s 51st season premiere to fire back at critics of his Super Bowl booking.
- His 31-day Puerto Rican residency avoided U.S. venues over ICE concerns and inspired national pride.
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the NFL “weak,” vowing ICE presence at the event.
Notably, he and his team refused to perform in the United States over fears that ICE agents would be present to harass attendees.
But apparently emboldened by the NFL’s bolstering, he warned American viewers on October 4 that they have four months to learn Spanish.
The NFL’s decision to headline Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl has become a political lightning rod
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America’s right-wing higher-ups are among those disgruntled with the NFL’s decision.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, when questioned by conservative blowhard Benny Johnson, vented her unhappiness with the league’s decision when she called them “weak.”
“The NFL sucks and we’ll win. They are so weak. We will stand for America. They won’t be able to sleep at night.”
Kristi Noem claims that ICE will be present at the match
Image credits: AccessBadBunny
“We’ll be all over that place,” she confirmed, referring to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Then, in what appeared to be a 180-degree pivot, she proclaimed, “The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping it safe.”
“I have the responsibility for making sure everybody goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America is about.”
Bad Bunny gave American Super Bowl fans four months to learn Spanish
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, had his moment in front of SNL’s 8.1 million viewers, per Variety.
Speaking from this platform, he said, “I’m very excited to [perform at] the Super Bowl and I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” then broke into Spanish for the benefit of his Latin viewers.
He described his upcoming performance as a win for Latinos
Image credits: SNL
“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” Bad Bunny continued in his native tongue.
“It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
“And if you didn’t understand what I just said,” he said after reverting to English, “you have four months to learn.”
He explained previously that he is making a wide berth around the US over ICE fears
The monologue comes less than a month after the rapper wrapped up his 31-day residency in Puerto Rico.
Speaking to the Indonesian advocacy for marginalized groups, i-d, he explained:
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times.”
“All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US.”
His manager previously confirmed that Bad Bunny will not make the US part of his Debí tour either
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“But there was the issue of—like, f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he admitted on September 10.
It has since been confirmed that the United States will not be part of his itinerary in the upcoming 2025–2026 Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour.
His entertainment manager, speaking to Variety in June this year, described a stopover in America as “unnecessary.”
Bad Bunny has also performed in a sketch on SNL
Image credits: John Nacion/Getty
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Those who watched SNL on October 4 would know that Bad Bunny did more than just host.
He acted in the sketch reminiscent of the Mexican Televisa sitcom El Chavo del Ocho, in which he took on the role of Quico.
He acted in the sketch reminiscent of the Mexican Televisa sitcom El Chavo del Ocho, in which he took on the role of Quico.
The program, with more than 300 episodes, is described as a “staple in Latino culture” and still streams on TelevisaUnivision’s ViX.
But his depiction of a classic character has earned him more dissent
Image credits: badbunnypr
Not everyone was happy to see Bad Bunny in the sketch, and his appearance seems to have accumulated even more dissent for his upcoming Super Bowl event.
“Bad Bunny can go away! We don't even want him at the NFL halftime show!” wrote one person voicing this sentiment.
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