TPUSA’s “Faith, Family & Freedom” Halftime Show: A Culture War Spin on the Super Bowl Stage

When the National Football League confirmed that Puerto Rican global superstar Bad Bunny would headline the next Super Bowl Halftime Show, social media exploded — and not in the usual “who’s performing what song” way. This year, the halftime show has become a full-blown cultural flashpoint, dividing Americans along the ever-widening fault line between entertainment and ideology.

In the middle of this media storm, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) — the conservative youth organization led by Charlie Kirk — announced it would host an alternative halftime show called “Faith, Family, and Freedom Live.” The event is set to air simultaneously with the Super Bowl halftime segment, giving right-leaning viewers what TPUSA calls “a wholesome, all-American alternative.”

The announcement quickly became one of the most polarizing pop culture moments of the season. Depending on where you stand, it’s either a refreshing return to moral values — or a performative protest destined to flop.

The Spark That Lit the Controversy

It started with a simple NFL press release: Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest artists, would be taking the Super Bowl stage. The Grammy-winning reggaeton and trap artist, known for his flamboyant fashion and unapologetic performances, was an unsurprising but bold choice for the NFL, which has spent years trying to diversify and modernize its entertainment lineup.

But for many conservatives, the announcement was the last straw.

Within hours, social media lit up with posts from prominent Republicans criticizing the NFL. Former President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had “never heard of this Bad Bunny person,” calling the decision “another example of the NFL going woke.” House Speaker Mike Johnson joined in, calling Bad Bunny “a terrible role model for kids.”

That backlash created the perfect cultural vacuum — and TPUSA moved in fast.

Enter TPUSA: An Alternative Super Bowl

Just days after the controversy peaked, TPUSA announced its own halftime event to air concurrently with the NFL broadcast. Their promotional tweet read:

“Tired of the NFL shoving woke culture down your throat? Join us for the real halftime show — celebrating Faith, Family, and Freedom!”

The tweet linked to a poll asking users which music genres they’d like featured — options ranged from Christian rock and country to classic rock and R&B. Unsurprisingly, many conservatives flooded the comments calling for one band in particular: Creed.

The ‘90s post-grunge band, famous for hits like “With Arms Wide Open” and “Higher,” quickly became a symbol of what many see as “real American rock.” Fans began posting memes like “Make Creed Great Again” and “Bring back music that doesn’t twerk.”

The idea of Creed headlining a conservative Super Bowl might sound humorous, but it captured a sentiment that’s been building for years: a longing for a cultural past that feels safer, simpler, and more aligned with traditional values.

Bad Bunny vs. Creed: More Than Just Music

At first glance, this may seem like a clash of musical tastes. But dig a little deeper, and it’s a battle over what America itself looks and sounds like in 2025.

On one side, Bad Bunny represents modern global culture — multilingual, fluid, expressive, and boundary-pushing. He’s unapologetically Puerto Rican, frequently performs in drag, and uses his platform to comment on politics, gender, and identity. To his fans, he’s a symbol of inclusion and progress.

On the other side, TPUSA’s audience champions tradition — faith, patriotism, and what they call “family-friendly entertainment.” For them, Bad Bunny’s artistry isn’t just inappropriate; it’s emblematic of a culture that’s lost its moral compass.

This isn’t just about who can sing better — it’s about who defines the culture.

Trump’s Take and the Conservative Echo Chamber

When Donald Trump weighed in, he did what he does best: amplify and polarize. His Truth Social post calling out the NFL quickly went viral, spawning endless commentary on cable news and conservative podcasts. Fox News anchors called Bad Bunny “a symptom of moral decline,” while left-leaning outlets mocked the outrage as out of touch.

On The Hill’s “Rising” podcast, hosts discussed the uproar with visible amusement. One joked that while many conservatives demanded Creed, “nobody is tuning in to see Creed more than Bad Bunny.” Another countered that “Real America” still prefers Kid Rock or Brooks & Dunn to a reggaeton artist.

And that’s where the discussion hit a deeper nerve: who is “Real America”?

Is it the younger, diverse, globally connected audience that adores Bad Bunny? Or the traditional, largely white and Christian demographic that identifies with country and rock anthems?

As one host put it, “It’s our turn. It’s our generation’s halftime.” That sentiment — of competing generations claiming ownership of American culture — is at the core of this controversy.

The Halftime Wars: Ratings, Reach, and Reality

Let’s be honest: no alternative halftime show is likely to rival the NFL’s numbers. The Super Bowl is the most-watched broadcast in America, averaging over 115 million viewers last year. Even the biggest conservative events — including TPUSA’s own AmericaFest — draw in the hundreds of thousands at best.

Still, the TPUSA show doesn’t need to beat the NFL to succeed. It just needs to make a point.

By positioning itself as the moral counterweight to what it calls “Hollywood corruption,” TPUSA taps into a powerful narrative: that conservatives are under siege in a culture that no longer reflects their values. The event’s tagline — “Faith, Family, and Freedom” — reads less like a concert promotion and more like a political slogan.

In that sense, it’s not just entertainment — it’s activism disguised as fun.

A Mirror of the Modern Divide

This isn’t the first time music and politics have collided on the Super Bowl stage. In 2020, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s halftime show drew similar backlash for its sexual choreography. Conservative commentators called it “too risqué for family viewing,” while progressives applauded it as a celebration of Latina power.

In 2022, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s hip-hop show reignited debates about race and representation. And now, with Bad Bunny, the conversation has turned to globalism, identity, and generational change.

The fact that TPUSA’s alternative show is even a topic of national discussion underscores how everything, from movies to sports to music, is now politicized. Even entertainment — once a shared cultural space — has become a battlefield for ideological wars.

The Role of Media and Manufactured Outrage

Part of what fuels controversies like this isn’t genuine disagreement — it’s amplification. Outrage drives clicks, and the culture war has become a lucrative content economy. Both sides benefit: conservative media gains engagement from “woke backlash,” while mainstream outlets get to portray conservatives as reactionary.

It’s a cycle where everyone gets attention — and no one wins.

As one podcast host observed during the debate, “The numbers are going to be drastically different, but that’s the point. They want to make noise, not break records.” That’s true. For TPUSA, the real victory is in headlines, hashtags, and retweets.

The event doesn’t have to go viral on TV; it just has to trend on X.

Faith, Family, Freedom — and Marketing

Behind TPUSA’s moral language lies shrewd branding. Their “Faith, Family, and Freedom” campaign perfectly packages conservative identity into digestible, feel-good messaging. It appeals to nostalgia, patriotism, and spirituality — without overt political jargon.

It’s also smart business. In recent years, the right-wing entertainment ecosystem has exploded, from The Daily Wire’s movie studio to conservative comedy tours. The TPUSA halftime show fits neatly into that growing infrastructure — a parallel media universe designed to serve audiences who feel alienated by mainstream culture.

So even if the broadcast’s numbers pale next to the NFL, TPUSA wins something arguably more valuable: cultural visibility.

Meanwhile, in Bad Bunny’s World…

While the backlash raged online, Bad Bunny himself remained characteristically unbothered. The 30-year-old artist has built a career out of subverting expectations. Whether it’s wearing skirts onstage or addressing social issues in Spanish on the world’s biggest platforms, he’s used his fame to challenge what “masculinity” and “Latino identity” look like in the 21st century.

His global fanbase — spanning continents, languages, and ideologies — sees him not as a political figure but as a creative visionary. To them, the idea of him being “too controversial” for the Super Bowl is laughable.

As one fan on X posted, “If you think Bad Bunny is dangerous, you’ve clearly never been to a football tailgate.”

The Bigger Picture: Two Americas, One Game

In many ways, this entire debate isn’t about music — it’s about identity. The Super Bowl has always been a cultural mirror, reflecting not just who we cheer for on the field but who we are as a nation. And what’s reflected today is a country split between nostalgia and change.

On one side, a generation that grew up on Creed, Kid Rock, and Sunday church services sees itself losing ground to globalism and progressive culture. On the other, younger Americans embrace artists like Bad Bunny as symbols of inclusion and authenticity.

Both claim to represent “real America.” Both are right — and both are missing the point.

The truth is that the Super Bowl halftime show doesn’t belong to any single ideology or generation. It belongs to everyone who tunes in — whether for the touchdowns or the tunes.

But as long as entertainment remains the front line of America’s culture wars, expect more parallel events like TPUSA’s. Faith, family, and freedom are timeless ideals — but when weaponized for politics, they risk becoming just another brand.

Conclusion

The “Halftime Show Divide” may seem trivial, but it reveals something profound about the current American psyche. The nation isn’t just debating who should sing at the Super Bowl — it’s debating who gets to define America’s story.

Bad Bunny’s performance will almost certainly dominate social media, while TPUSA’s alternative show will rally its base and generate headlines on Fox and Newsmax. But at the end of the day, both events serve the same function: reminding us that the fight for cultural ownership never really takes a halftime break.