The Halftime Culture War: Bad Bunny vs. Guy Penrod Petition Ignites Super Bowl Fury
In the roaring stadium of American identity, where football anthems collide with cultural fault lines, a grassroots petition has fans tackling the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny for Super Bowl LX—demanding a swap to gospel-country star Guy Penrod and turning halftime into a battleground for what “America” truly means.
The petition to replace Bad Bunny with Guy Penrod for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show has surged past 15,000 signatures, fueled by calls for a more unifying, faith-rooted performance.
Launched on Change.org in early October 2025, the campaign argues that the Super Bowl, watched by over 120 million globally, should spotlight artists who “bring America together” rather than amplify controversy. Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican trap king whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was announced as headliner for Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California—a nod to Roc Nation’s curation under Jay-Z. With 40 billion Spotify streams and hits like “Tití Me Preguntó,” he’s a Latin music titan. Yet, petitioners decry his “political stances,” citing his anti-Trump activism, ICE criticisms, and reluctance to tour U.S. venues amid immigration fears. Guy Penrod, the 60-year-old Texas native and former lead singer of Zac Brown Band, embodies a different ethos: his gravelly baritone on gospel tracks like “Chicken Fried” and faith-infused anthems resonates with heartland values of family and redemption. “This isn’t hate—it’s about honoring roots,” one signer wrote, echoing the petition’s plea for “timeless messages over trends.”
Supporters champion Penrod as the embodiment of American heartland culture, contrasting Bad Bunny’s global flair with gospel-country’s unifying spirit.
Penrod’s appeal lies in his authenticity: a former youth minister turned Grammy winner, he’s sold millions with Zac Brown Band’s blend of country, rock, and spiritual depth, earning acclaim for songs that celebrate blue-collar life and divine grace. Petition backers, many from conservative circles like Turning Point USA—which announced a rival “All-American Halftime Show” featuring Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll—argue the Super Bowl should reflect “faith, family, and freedom,” not what they see as Bad Bunny’s “divisive drag aesthetics and anti-American rhetoric.” Comments flood the site: “Guy’s voice heals divides—Bad Bunny just widens them.” This mirrors broader MAGA backlash, with Donald Trump himself tweeting on October 15, 2025, that booking Bad Bunny is “crazy” given his “hate for America.” Yet, the push isn’t monolithic; some signers clarify it’s about broader appeal, not bigotry, amid Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory complicating “American” claims.
Critics of the petition slam it as thinly veiled nativism, defending Bad Bunny’s selection as a bold embrace of America’s multicultural mosaic.
Bad Bunny, Billboard’s top Latin artist for four years running, has shattered barriers—his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti was Spotify’s most-streamed ever, blending reggaeton with social commentary on feminism and mental health. Detractors argue the uproar ignores his Puerto Rican-American identity, with one X user posting, “Puerto Rico is America—Bad Bunny reps the island kids forgotten by the mainland.” GLAAD and Latino advocacy groups like LULAC condemned the petition on October 17, calling it “xenophobic cosplay,” especially after Bad Bunny’s Yankees game anthem protest drew ire. San Diego State’s Dr. Nate Rodriguez, planning a 2026 course on Bad Bunny’s impact, told NBC Bay Area, “This is society contesting what ‘American culture’ looks like—Latinos are the future.” Streams of Bad Bunny’s “MONACO” spiked 20% post-petition, per Spotify data, as fans rallied with #BadBunnyForSuperBowl, amassing 500,000 posts. The debate exposes NFL’s tightrope: Roc Nation’s picks, from Shakira to The Weeknd, have diversified the show, but face conservative pushback in a polarized 2025.
The petition’s rapid growth signals deeper cultural anxieties, pitting traditionalism against the NFL’s push for inclusivity.
Since Bad Bunny’s September 2025 reveal, conservative outlets like Fox News and Breitbart amplified the outcry, with Bill O’Reilly dubbing him “Malevolent Rabbit” for his politics. A separate Change.org drive to boot Bad Bunny sans replacement hit 10,000 signatures, while AI-generated fakes on Facebook falsely announced George Strait as headliner—another country icon, showing the interchangeable “safe” picks in petitioners’ eyes. University of San Francisco’s Prof. James Taylor noted to NBC, “Everything’s contested now—the halftime show’s the new site for American identity wars.” Bad Bunny’s U.S. stage drought, tied to ICE concerns, fuels claims of hypocrisy, yet ignores his sold-out El Paso shows. Penrod, meanwhile, stays above the fray, posting a neutral Instagram story on October 18 praising “all who lift voices in unity.” The NFL, silent amid the storm, faces pressure: past shows like 2020’s Jennifer Lopez-Shakira set boosted Latino viewership by 15%, per Nielsen.
Bad Bunny’s controversial profile—activism, style, and absences—has turned the Super Bowl into a proxy for America’s identity crisis.
The 31-year-old’s refusal to stand for “God Bless America” at a Yankees game and his drag-inspired visuals clash with petitioners’ “family-friendly” ideal, evoking Janet Jackson’s 2004 wardrobe malfunction backlash. Yet, his pro-LGBTQ+ allyship and Puerto Rican pride align with the show’s evolving inclusivity, from Rihanna’s 2023 pregnancy reveal to Usher’s 2024 R&B homage. Critics like Benny Johnson decry “no English songs,” overlooking Bad Bunny’s bilingual appeal and 2023 Coachella triumph. Penrod, with his wholesome image and hits like “Knee Deep,” offers comfort food for Middle America, but lacks Bad Bunny’s youth draw—Zac Brown Band’s fanbase skews 35+, per Luminate data. This clash echoes 2025’s tensions: Trump’s tariff talks and immigration rhetoric amplify anti-Latin sentiment, per Pew’s October poll showing 45% of Republicans view the show as “too woke.”
The Halftime Clash petition forces a reckoning: Does America crave a mirror of its past or a window to its future?
As signatures climb toward 20,000, the debate transcends football—it’s about whose story gets center stage. Bad Bunny, with his unapologetic edge, challenges the NFL to honor Latinx contributions; Penrod, with gospel soul, comforts those yearning for tradition. In a nation where 19% identify as Hispanic (U.S. Census 2025), the choice isn’t just entertainment—it’s existential. The NFL, partnering with Roc Nation since 2019 for diversity, may stand firm, but the noise ensures Super Bowl LX arrives amid fireworks off-field. One fan’s comment cuts deep: “Unity isn’t picking sides—it’s hearing all voices.” Until kickoff, the real game’s in the culture war, where every signature scores a point for pride, protest, or both.
