Bad Bunny Fires Back at Critics in Bold SNL Monologue Over Super Bowl Backlash
- Oct 5, 2025
- 2 min read
05 October 2025
On October 4, Bad Bunny took the stage as host of Saturday Night Live and wasted no time addressing the growing criticism surrounding his upcoming Super Bowl LX halftime show performance. He kicked off his opening monologue with a grin and a pointed acknowledgement: “I’m very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it even Fox News.”
He leaned into the controversy head-on, weaving humor with a cultural defense. Clips flashed across the screen behind him, edited from media sources to spell out “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president.” In Spanish, he delivered a message loud enough to echo across stadiums: “Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors. It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us.” Then he offered a sharp rebuttal to critics of the Spanish-language element in his music: “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
His remarks didn’t exist in a vacuum. In recent weeks various voices including former government officials have questioned his presence at the Super Bowl, citing concerns over language, national identity, and security. Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem floated the possibility that ICE agents would be present at the event, stirring fears about enforcement at high-profile gatherings. Some of those criticisms carried undertones of xenophobia, particularly targeting Spanish-language performance and his Puerto Rican identity despite Puerto Ricans being American citizens.
By confronting critics live on SNL, Bad Bunny asserted not just his artistry but his cultural stake. He framed the halftime show as more than entertainment it was a stage to celebrate Latino contributions in the United States that have often been pushed to the margins. He told the audience that no one can erase or diminish the footprints of those contributions.
For Bad Bunny, the stakes are deeply personal. In prior interviews he explained that he chose to skip U.S. dates on his world tour in part over concerns about ICE raids targeting his fans. In a 2025 announcement confirming him as the Super Bowl headliner, he framed it as honoring those who came before him those whose labor and struggles made this moment possible.
The SNL platform allowed him to repurpose comedy and satire as tools of resistance. By leaning into both English and Spanish, referencing critics, and amplifying a message of inclusion, he turned what could have been a divisive discourse into a rallying moment. The four-month quip about learning Spanish doubled as both jest and challenge a reminder that cultural literacy is a choice, not a barrier.
His monologue also offered a reminder of the influence artists hold in public life. When a major event like the Super Bowl is involved, music and performance collide with politics, identity, and representation. Bad Bunny’s skill is not in avoiding criticism, but in reframing it. He used satire and personal conviction to reclaim the narrative.
Whether his Super Bowl set will fulfill all expectations remains to be seen, but his SNL return has already made the moment richer and more consequential. In a world where megastars often wear silence, Bad Bunny opted for voice.
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