The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received more than 1,312 complaints from viewers about the performance of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb 2, the watchdog confirmed.
Outraged fans have slammed the show comparing it to ”soft porn,” ”crotch-grabbing” and ”risque dancing.” Most of the complaints came from parents, according to whom the performance was not even remotely family-friendly. Most of the disappointed viewers said they had to send their minor children to another room.
They added that the SuperBowl was supposed to be family viewing and not a stripper club show. The lack of proper clothing, the sexual gestures, and the up-close camera views of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were offensive, others noted.
Some viewers highlighted that the Super Bowl should be patriotic, inspirational, and uplifting, but all it offered was pole dancing and nudity. Some people were upset that there were no public warnings before the performance.
Many of the complaints mentioned the emerging Me Too movement in the United States. According to many viewers, the performance undermined the efforts of the campaigners as it showed that the women got their worth from their sexuality and not from their brains. Other adults assumed that the show encouraged sex trafficking.
The majority of the angry viewers also suggested boycotting Pepsi and the entire NFL unless they guarantee ”a decent” show next year.
Dave Daubenmire, a Christian activist from Ohio, announced earlier this month that he was planning to sue NFL over the halftime show. According to Daubenmire ethe performance of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira was ”inappropriate” as it ” displayed pornography.”
The FCC has received similar complaints about the Super Bowl halftime show in previous years too. In 2004, the show sparked a backlash after Janet Jackson partially exposed her breast during her performance.
The watchdog received more than 200,000 complaints back then. As a result, FCC imposed a $550,000 fine on CBS for violating a federal law against airing ”indecent content.” Subsequently, a federal court appeal threw out the fine.
The Associated Press reported that more than 104 million viewers watched the Super Bowl earlier in February. The 2020 show marked the first time in history that two Latinas were at the headliners of the event.
The performance by the divas included multiple cultural references that many viewers perceived to be political statements about immigration.
What do you think? Do you support or oppose the statement that the performance of JLo and Shakira was inappropriate?