‘Simulated orgy’? FCC gets 1,300 complaints on Shakira and JLo Super Bowl halftime show
“R rated,” “pornographic” and “extremely provocative.”
That’s how viewers characterized Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s Super Bowl 54 halftime performance, according to the more than 1,300 complaints sent to the Federal Communications Commission.
ABC affiliate WFAA acquired a copy of the complaints which the station said originated from almost all 50 states. Most — about 140 — came from Texas.
“Embarrassing to watch,” wrote one viewer from Houston. “My 10 year old declared 30 seconds into the program, ‘This is not kids bop material.’”
“Jennifer Lopez’s outfit (and pole dance) were inappropriate for the Super Bowl when millions of kids were watching,” wrote another Texan. “ Impressive and athletic? Sure. Appropriate for kids under 16? Definitely not.”
More than 50 complaints described the performance as “soft porn” and one person from Tennessee even went as far as saying that their eyes were “molested.” Hundreds of viewers fixed their ire on the amount of “crotch” shown by each performer.
“Even my 28 year old son was worried for children who might have been watching,” wrote one Tennessean. “The costumes, the pole dancing, the constant crotch grabbing were not appropriate for a family oriented event.”
“Who ever green lit that display of crotch shots and too much skin exposed along with stripper poles and S&M outfits should be fired,” wrote a viewer from Arnold, Md. “... I don’t watch porn and don’t want it mixed up with football. Boooo.”
“From multiple views of Jennifer Lopez’s crotch to her stripper dance number with simulated orgy, not to mention Shakira humping the stage, I was appalled!” wrote another viewer from Hickory, N.C.
Comparatively speaking, the 1,312 complaints are akin to an ant whisper. The federal agency received more than 200,000 when Justin Timberlake revealed Janet Jackson’s breast during CBS’s broadcast of the Super Bowl 38 halftime show. A $500,000 FCC-imposed fine due to the infamous wardrobe malfunction led to a lengthy court battle that ended with a federal appeals court siding with the network.
Lopez and Sharika’s performance, which marked the first time that two Latinas graced the stage together, has become a divisive issue. While many have praised their unapologetic display of Latin culture, some, like evangelist Franklin Graham, decried the halftime show’s lack of “moral decency.”
In addition to the several cultural homages, their performance made multiple overt references about America’s immigration policy.
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 1:43 PM.
