A group of 17 Republican Louisiana lawmakers have voiced concerns ahead of Super Bowl LIX, urging that state taxpayers should have a say in the events surrounding the game.
Their call for action comes ahead of Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, scheduled for Feb. 9, which has sparked the lawmakers' attention.
In a letter, the lawmakers specifically referenced what they described as "lewd" performances, citing Rihanna's 2023 halftime show and Jennifer Lopez's 2020 performance, according to Billboard. Singling out Rihanna, they stated that the singer "wore little clothing and was groped by male and female dancers on stage, while the performer made sexually suggestive gestures and performed on a stripper pole."
"While certainly a large amount of support exists among many Louisianians who are excited about the Super Bowl coming back to New Orleans, many are also hardworking taxpayers with children who have serious concerns about the fact that past Super Bowl halftime performances have been less than family-friendly," the letter read.
The letter avoided directly mentioning Lamar, focusing instead on past controversial performances. It references the infamous 2004 "wardrobe malfunction" with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, while also criticizing Rihanna's halftime show in detail.
The signatories describe the singer "groping herself while she sang song lyrics that were so offensive that few Louisiana adults could read those lyrics before an audience without shame."
The lawmakers wrote that they refused to repeat the lyrics because they are "so offensive."
"We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held, but, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents," they wrote.
This year's game will take place at the Caesars Superdome in the city, and while the lawmakers recognized that contracts for next month's Super Bowl are already in place, they expressed a desire for future agreements involving facilities "funded by Louisiana taxpayers" to include written assurances that performers' actions align with "Louisiana's community decency standards."
Lamar will grace the field at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans as the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. This will not be the first time the artist has featured in the lineup though. As Time Out noted, he co-headlined Super Bowl 56 in 2022, which was held in Inglewood, California, and featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Mary J. Blige.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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