Some Conservatives Complained About Racy Halftime Show, but Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio Loved It

Sarah RumpfFeb 2nd, 2020, 11:24 pm
 
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez perform onstage during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Tonight’s Super Bowl LIV halftime show drew criticism from some conservatives online, but several prominent Florida Republicans — including former Gov. Jeb Bush — tweeted their praise.

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira‘s performance showcased both women’s energetic dancing and singing, earning both criticism from those who thought it was too racy for a show watched by many children as well as praise from those who marveled at the “age-defying” performances (Lopez is 50 and Shakira is 43).

The negative comments generally focused on the women’s outfits and dance moves, specifically Lopez’s routine on a stripper pole and Shakira’s tongue-wagging, a celebratory vocal expression known as a “zaghrouta,” reflecting her Lebanese heritage.

https://twitter.com/MillerStream/status/1224144348981407744

In contrast, among the fans of the halftime show were Bush, as well as both of Florida’s senators, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott.

Both Bush and Rubio live in Miami, and voiced their appreciation for the Miami flavor of the halftime show. “Best Super Bowl halftime show ever,” tweeted Bush. Rubio declared it an “A+.”

Scott agreed that the show was “great” but complained about Pitbull (another Miami native) not being included.

During Scott’s term as Florida governor, Pitbull was hired to promote Florida tourism as part of a lucrative contract with Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing agency that drew scrutiny for a lack of transparency with its finances. Part of the contract included the production of a video for a song called “Sexy Beaches” that promoted Visit Florida’s hashtag #LoveFL (which Scott included again in tonight’s tweet).

—-

Editors’ Note (February 3, 2020):
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified performer Pitbull as “Pitfall”. We apologize for this perfectly understandable error. – CH
Tags:
Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.