Congressman Tim Burchett and NFL Players Not Knowing Bad Bunny Songs Reveal Super Bowl Half-Time Show Divide, Quick Facts

The cultural divide over Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 60 halftime performance reached a remarkable point on Friday when Congressman Tim Burchett admitted he would not recognise the Grammy-winning artist if he walked up and asked to borrow his phone. The Tennessee Republican then proceeded to tell TMZ a peculiar story about his late pet rabbit having sex on Christmas morning.

'The only bad bunny I know is my pet rabbit, who had sex on Christmas morning in front of my nephew,' Burchett said outside the Capitol Hill Club in Washington. He had owned a Flemish Giant Rabbit named Floppy, and when a mate brought over another rabbit named Caramel for breeding, his nephew asked what they were doing. Awkward.

Hundreds of Thousands Want Him Replaced

Burchett's confusion about the Puerto Rican superstar is not isolated. A video posted to X on Friday showed multiple NFL players drawing blanks when asked to name Bad Bunny songs. Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Marcus Peters responded flatly: 'I don't know any Bad Bunny songs.' Several other players gave similar answers.

This disconnect between Bad Bunny's global popularity and recognition amongst certain American demographics has been developing for months. A Change.org petition demanding the NFL replace him with country legend George Strait has collected over 122,000 signatures.

The petition argues Strait 'embodies the heart and soul of American music' and claims Bad Bunny 'represents none of these values'. It specifically takes aim at his 'drag performances and style', referencing a 2020 music video where he briefly appeared in drag. Critics believe the Super Bowl should be 'family-friendly' and 'unite our country', not serve as a political platform.

However, Bad Bunny substantially surpasses those figures in terms of actual popularity. He was Spotify's most-streamed artist globally in 2025 and currently attracts 81.4 million monthly listeners on the platform. George Strait? Approximately eight million monthly. The disparity is significant.

The Political Element Complicates Matters

What is genuinely driving the backlash is not simply musical preference—it is politics. Bad Bunny has been extremely vocal about immigration enforcement. During his recent Grammy acceptance speech, he opened with 'ICE out' before thanking God. He added: 'We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.'

That statement proved particularly pointed given he had previously cancelled the US leg of his 2025 tour over fears ICE agents would target his predominantly Latino fanbase outside venues. President Donald Trump called the NFL's selection 'absolutely ridiculous' back in October, claiming he had never heard of Bad Bunny—whom he dismissively called 'Bad Bunny Rabbit', according to Newsweek.

Conservative group Turning Point USA announced they are hosting an alternative 'All-American Halftime Show' as counter-programming on Sunday night. The competing event will feature artists like Kid Rock and Brantley Gilbert, though specific details remain vague. It is available on their YouTube channel for anyone who would rather watch that than the actual Super Bowl half-time.

NFL Commissioner Stands Firm

Roger Goodell has not wavered despite the pressure. At a press conference, the NFL Commissioner defended the choice: 'I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism,' Goodell said. 'It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.'

He called the decision 'carefully thought through' and made clear the league is not reconsidering. Every halftime show in recent memory has drawn complaints from someone. Remember when people objected to Shakira and Jennifer Lopez? Or when Prince's guitar solo shadow looked vaguely phallic? The Super Bowl halftime show has become an annual cultural flashpoint.

Bad Bunny addressed critics during his Saturday Night Live hosting appearance, suggesting that anyone who does not understand Spanish has 'four months to learn'. The comment did not sit well with those already angry about the selection.

The Figures Support Bad Bunny's Global Reach

Despite all the controversy, Bad Bunny remains one of the planet's biggest musical acts. His concerts boosted Puerto Rico's GDP by $400 million (£311 million). His 2022 album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' is Spotify's most-streamed album of all time. Last year's Grammys saw him become the first artist to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language project.

Yet none of that matters to people like Burchett, who genuinely does not know who he is. Or NFL players who cannot name a single song despite Bad Bunny having dozens of massive hits. That cultural disconnect—where someone can simultaneously be the world's biggest artist and completely unknown to substantial portions of America—is what makes this situation so remarkable.

Super Bowl 60 begins on Sunday at 6:30 pm ET, with Bad Bunny's performance expected around 8pm to 8.30pm. Whether Tim Burchett watches it or spends the time reminiscing about his amorous rabbit remains to be seen.