Pupils have begun returning to school as lockdown restrictions were eased across England.
Outdoor markets and car showrooms have also started reopening, while the first horse racing event in months was being staged and pigeons took to the skies for a race over Yorkshire.
A furious Ogles took to social media to complain about the show, which included a parade of national flags across North and South America, and announced he had written a strongly-worded letter to Brett Guthrie, the Chairman of the Committee of Energy and Commerce.
The letter notes that though Bad Bunny primarily performed in Spanish, his songs included "sexual content" that was "readily apparent across any language barrier." Ogles stressed broadcasters bear a "heightened responsibility to ensure programming aired during this uniquely national event complies with longstanding broadcast decency expectations and serves the public interest."
In his accompanying post, he wrote:
"The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show was pure smut, brazenly aired on national television for every American family to witness. Children were forced to endure explicit displays of gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively, and Bad Bunny shamelessly grabbing his crotch while dry-humping the air."
"And if that weren't outrageous enough, the performance's lyrics openly glorified sodomy and countless other unspeakable depravities. These flagrant, indecent acts are illegal to be displayed on public airways."
"That is why I am requesting that the Energy and Commerce Committee launch a formal congressional inquiry into the National Football League and NBC immediately for their prior knowledge, deliberate approval, and facilitation of this indecent broadcast. American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence."
You can see his post and the letter below.
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@RepOgles/X
In a separate post, he said Bad Bunny's performance offers "conclusive proof" that the U.S. should never grant Puerto Rico statehood:
"Last night’s halftime show was a disgrace and it mocked American families. Depicting gay pornography on prime time has no place in our culture. The Bad Bunny performance is conclusive proof that Puerto Rico should never be a state."
You can see his post below.
Ogles' claims were so outrageous that people couldn't resist mocking his pearl-clutching profusely.
Ogles is clearly more interested in grandstanding than actual governance.
Ogles, accompanied by his colleague Texas Senator Ted Cruz, has previously asserted that compelling the use of pronouns conflicting with a person’s biological sex violates the First Amendment. He introduced a bill to ban federal funds from enforcing policies that require federal employees to use preferred pronouns or names other than an individual’s legal name.
Last year, Ogles—a die-hard Trump supporter—proposed a constitutional amendment to allow presidents three terms. Ogles claimed Trump, an adjudicated rapist implicated in the Epstein files, "has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness."
Reacting via his Instagram Stories, the controversial singer wrote:
“I THINK ITS SAFE TO SAY.. THEY NEED ME!”
Mind you, Chris Brown has never performed at the Super Bowl. Not as a headliner. Not as a guest cameo. Not for the national anthem. He hasn’t even snagged a courtesy Jumbotron shot between plays. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal managed to vibe peacefully in the background of Benito’s show alongside Jessica Alba and Cardi B without demanding the spotlight.
You can view that shady post with that smirky smirk emoji here:
@chrisbrownofficial/Instagram
What makes the moment even funnier is that Brown once had a now-deleted exchange with a fan who asked when he’d be performing at the Super Bowl.
Responding to the fan in the comments section, he wrote:
“[N]ever shawty.. American media AINT fa me. Rather be where I’m welcomed.”
So what changed?
Was it ego? Jealousy over the critical acclaim Bad Bunny earned for delivering a theatrical, Spanish-language spectacle that still found room for Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga? Was it the sheer audacity of a halftime show that didn’t need English to land emotionally and commercially?
Or was it just shade for shade’s sake, with Brown fully convincing himself that he, of all people, could top Benito’s meticulously choreographed, unapologetically not-for-him version of America?
And somehow, Brown wasn’t even alone.
Before Benito even stepped onstage, social media influencer and self-appointed boxing experiment Jake Paul called for a boycott of the show. Yes, the same Jake Paul who, along with his brother Logan, relocated to Puerto Rico for reasons that definitely had nothing to do with patriotism or paying taxes.
You can view his tweet here:
Then came the ultimate hater-in-chief: President Donald Trump, who just had to weigh in, labeling the performance “disgusting,” despite having an entirely different halftime show available since this one offended him so deeply.
Posting on Truth Social, he wrote:
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.”
Seriously, can Chris Brown and Donald Trump please show us their credentials for judging a halftime show?
And Trump wasn’t done:
"Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting."
That’s rich, considering Trump’s own social media rants often require a decoder ring. More importantly, it’s revealing. This is a president who routinely shows little respect for freedom of expression and seems to forget, despite the dog whistles, that Puerto Rico is America and always has been.
And after decades of halftime shows led by artists who are literally not American—U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, just to name a few—this sudden concern over who gets to define “American greatness” feels like panic over a culture and a country he neither understands nor controls.
Maybe the president should take a note from Benito’s closing message:
"The only thing stronger than hate is love."
And we have plenty of love for Bad Bunny—and for all of America, whether certain people like it or not.
As for social media, they rallied around Benito and laughed off Brown’s offer to perform:
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For the most part, Benito’s performance left viewers and fellow celebrities alike beaming with pride. Selena Gomez shared two Instagram Stories about how deeply the show resonated with her family.
She wrote:
“My goddaughter proud as can be… What a beautiful halftime show!”
Others echoed the sentiment. Kacey Musgraves summed it up on X, while Doechii made it clear history had just been made.
In the end, Benito didn’t need to prove any of these haters wrong. The music spoke for itself, and the message lingered far longer than any tweet, post, or rant ever could.
For those who don’t know: the Super Bowl halftime show is produced by the NFL in partnership with Roc Nation, led by Jay-Z, which has overseen performer selection and creative direction since 2019. Apple Music currently serves as the sponsor, with production handled by executive producers such as Jesse Collins and designers including Bruce Rodgers of Tribe Inc.
As for what’s next, if this halftime show was any indication, Bad Bunny’s future projects won’t be about chasing approval. They’ll be about scale, culture, and intention. And judging by the numbers, the audience will be there, whether the haters like it or not.
The clip instantly went viral as many took it as a swipe at the athletes themselves when Richards referred to the big air snowboarding final as "boring."
Richards posted an apology on Instagram making clear that the athletes were not the subject of his ire.
The controversy all began with a clip posted to TikTok of Richards complaining about the big air final during a moment when his mic should have been cut.
At the end of the event, Richards was heard saying:
“That was boring, that was so boring. I thought the qualifiers were better."
As it went viral, many online immediately took it as criticism of the snowboarders themselves.
As one commenter put it:
"This is crazy. These athletes have worked their whole life to get to this point. At least have some respect d*mn."
In his Instagram post, Richards was apologetic but stressed that he didn't retract what he said, because he genuinely felt the finals simply didn't have the same oomph that the qualifiers did.
“In the final? A lot of people fell and a lot of people truly did the same trick."
Many commenters online echoed similar complaints in defending Richards, with several referencing "spin to win," a controversial snowboarding trend in which competitors prioritize aerial rotations in order to gain more points rather than focusing on interesting style and tricks.
Richards went on to clarify that he was in no way criticizing the athletes, just sharing an opinion.
"This is nothing I wouldn’t say to a reporter or in public. It was my opinion based on what I saw in the qualifier vs the final medal round."
"Not one word I said had anything to do with a rider in this event. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that, but I am. They all rule."
On social media, many people told Richards they actually appreciated his unvarnished take.
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Richards made sure to not just defend but to honor his fellow snowboarders who competed in Milan.
“These guys are my heroes, they are my friends, they are my colleagues and they are all rippers. So, huge shout-outs to everyone who came out here tonight and threw down.”
Richards hot mic moment came at the conclusion of the men's big air competition, which finished with Japan's Kira Kimura taking gold. Women's big air also brought victory to Japan, with Kokomo Murase taking gold.
At the time, she responded:
"It's been a hard time for the (LGBTQ) community overall in this administration. It isn’t the first time that we've had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights."
"And now especially, it's not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn't have to before, and because of that, it's made us a lot stronger."
"I hope I can use my platform and voice throughout these games to try and encourage people to stay strong in these hard times. I know a lot of people say, 'You're just an athlete. Stick to your job, shut up about politics,' but politics affects us all."
"It is something I will not be quiet about because it is something that affects us and our everyday lives. Of course there are things I disagree with but as a community we are strong and support each other and brighter days are ahead of us."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
These comments sparked backlash from the MAGA movement, including gay conservatives.
However, Glenn says she's received other comments that amounted to threats—and nonetheless does not regret her remarks.
She wrote the following in a since-expired Instagram story:
"When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans, I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel."
"I did anticipate this but I am disappointed by it. I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in."
You can see her post below.
@amberglenniceskater/Instagram
Many have come to Glenn's defense after she spoke so candidly.
Glenn would go on to win Olympic gold as part of the team event. She placed third in the women's free skate.
She told the New York Times she intends "to keep speaking my truth" despite the "outlandish backlash." She added she is "gonna keep representing what I believe in and what I think all Americans believe in, which is freedom and being able to love and do what you want."
