Bill Maher disclosed the contents of a text message he sent to Kid Rock following his alternative Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, February 8.
As the Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the New England Patriots 29-13, another battle was unfolding beyond the gridiron. The 55-year-old Detroit musician headlined Turning Point USA’s ‘All-American Halftime Show,’ staged in response to Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny being selected as the official halftime performer.
The 70-year-old comedian questioned whether the event, which claimed to champion traditional Christian values, actually contradicted church doctrine, asking the 14-word question: “Wouldn’t it have been a little more Christian to let Mr. Bunny have his moment?”
Speaking with celebrity.land’s Elex Michaelson, the talk show personality mentioned he had recorded Kid Rock’s set to review later. The prominent atheist acknowledged reaching out to the Cowboy singer, telling Elex, “I did text with Kid Rock about it.”
Bill elaborated, “You know, I liked the song he sang. I said it was a good song. The content of it – not my cup of tea. But you know, I think he writes a great song. I’m a big fan of his music,” reports the Mirror US.
Bill Maher challenged Kid Rock after the performance (Image: undefined)
The Real Time with Bill Maher presenter added, “But, you know, the whole thing – his whole show was about Christian… It was a very big Christian… I said, ‘Wouldn’t it have been a little more Christian to let Mr. Bunny have his moment?'” I
ntrigued, Elex inquired, “Hmm. You said that to him? What did he say?” Bill chuckled and scrambled for an answer, “I didn’t… We didn’t… I just said, ‘Next time we talk, we should talk about whether it would have been a little more Christian to let Mr. Bunny have his moment.'”
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, faced immediate criticism from conservatives and MAGA supporters due to his music being in Spanish. The 31-year-old artist made history as the first performer to headline the NFL championship game in Spanish. Calls for a boycott of the show came from the right, with some even demanding Bad Bunny’s deportation, despite the Grammy-winning artist being a US citizen.
The performance was met with low viewership (Image: Turning Point USA/YouTube)
The rival “All American Halftime Show” was organized by Turning Point USA, a non-profit political organization founded by Charlie Kirk. Kirk, who was fatally shot last September, was succeeded by his widow, Erika Kirk, as the face of the conservative group.
Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barrett were also part of the show’s lineup alongside Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie.
Bad Bunny’s performance, which included guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, set a Super Bowl halftime show record as the most-watched, attracting over 135 million viewers. Even President Trump tuned in, showcasing the 13-minute performance at his Mar-a-Lago Super Bowl viewing party.
In stark contrast, the TPUSA show managed to draw a meager 6 million viewers, falling significantly short of its aim to outshine Bad Bunny’s historic and widely praised performance.
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