The Super Bowl halftime spectacle ended on the field, but the backlash landed at the FCC.

According to WIRED, the agency received hundreds of complaints about Bad Bunny’s performance, with viewers calling the show vulgar and overly sexual. The filings, obtained by the outlet, also reveal another line of protest: some complainants objected that parts of the performance unfolded in Spanish. Together, the complaints trace a sharp collision between pop spectacle, cultural politics, and the public’s habit of turning private outrage into federal paperwork.

The complaints did not just challenge the performance’s sexual tone; they also targeted the fact that it was in Spanish.

The objections follow a long-running pattern around major live broadcasts, especially the Super Bowl, where halftime shows often become flashpoints far beyond music. Reports indicate critics framed their concerns in moral terms, focusing on choreography, wardrobe, and suggestive staging. But the language issue stands out, because it shifts the backlash from standards complaints into a broader fight over who gets centered on America’s biggest television stage.

Key Facts

  • WIRED reports the FCC received hundreds of complaints about the performance.
  • Complainants described the show as vulgar and overly sexual.
  • Some filings also protested the use of Spanish during the performance.
  • The episode highlights how major live events can trigger cultural and political backlash.

The dispute also underscores the strange role the FCC plays in the streaming-and-viral era. Even as audiences consume media across fragmented platforms, the agency still serves as a destination for viewers who want official recognition of offense. A complaint does not prove wrongdoing, and complaint volume alone does not settle any broader public consensus. It does, however, offer a snapshot of what parts of the audience want to police when entertainment goes national.

What happens next matters less in terms of enforcement than in what these complaints reveal. They show how quickly a high-profile performance can become a proxy battle over language, sexuality, and visibility in mainstream media. As major broadcasts keep chasing bigger, more global audiences, this tension will likely return—and each new complaint file will say as much about the country as it does about the show.