29-01-2025
Lawmaker concerned over ‘increasingly more vulgar' Super Bowl halftime performances
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A group of Louisiana lawmakers sent a letter to the New Orleans Super Bowl Committee reminding them that the state has an obscenity code that they fully expect the halftime show to stay aligned with.
The letter was drafted by Louisiana State Senator Valarie Hodges, who appeared on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to explain her concerns and those of other lawmakers and family values advocates who co-signed the letter.
During the interview posted on YouTube, Hodges said of her own experience, 'Whenever we have a Super Bowl, of which millions of people are watching, we have to turn the channel during the halftime show.'
Hodges told the host that her family of avid football fans has had to, over the past 'several' Super Bowls, avoid watching the 'increasingly more inappropriate and more vulgar' performances through the years.
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The senator highlighted the cost to taxpayers of hosting the big game and the importance of event organizers staying in line with the state's family values. The expenses include stadium construction and maintenance, operational spending for increased emergency preparedness, and policing costs.
Warning organizers that the big game is a welcome visitor in the state and should act accordingly.
She highlighted the state laws prohibiting obscenity, which includes showing genitals, pubic hair, and female breasts or nipples in a space open to public view. The full text of this code can be read on the Louisiana Legislature website.
Super Bowl LIX committee and halftime show executive producer Roc Nation tapped rapper Kendrick Lamar to headline the upcoming show, with the official announcement in September. Perhaps if Louisiana lawmakers want to guide these decisions in the future, they should announce their skin in the game long before the halftime entertainer is selected.
Previously, Lamar was a featured performer at the halftime show in 2021.
Hodges and her cosigners are unlikely to find the inappropriately costumed performances she highlighted in her letter, including Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' that briefly left her breasts exposed. She also cited more recent performances like those of Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna, saying, 'Every year, it gets worse, and children are exposed to more explicit content and behavior.'
Lamar is known for his politically charged lyrics and messaging, and in his Super Bowl 56 appearance as a guest of headliner Dr. Dre, he performed hits 'M.A.A.D. City' and 'Alright.' Both songs lack a call to the raunchiness that Hodges and the other letter signers fear.
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In a previous live event, Lamar's 'Ken and Friends' streamed on Amazon, and over 186,000 viewers tuned in for 'The Pop Out' as the performance was dubbed. While there is one person who may object to Lamar's performance, lewdness or obscenity are not his objection.
Kendrick Lamar's performance will air during Super Bowl LIX at halftime when the returning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox stations on Sunday, February 9, at 5:30 p.m. (CST).
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