Rihanna has been called out for her “lewd” Super Bowl performance by a group of Republican Louisiana state legislators demanding the NFL keep this year’s halftime show “family friendly” when it comes to New Orleans.
In documentation obtained by NOLA News reporter Sam Karlin this week, over a dozen LA Republicans signed a letter urging the NFL “to use whatever means are at your disposal to ensure that this year’s Super Bowl halftime event is as family friendly as possible.”
In the letter, they cited a few women who have performed over the years who, to them, “violated basic community decency standards.”
“For example, in 2020, Jennifer Lopez 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,” they wrote. “It was widely reported in 2020 that Lopez’s performance generated thousands upon thousands of viewer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and on social media.
“Further, who can forget the infamous 2004 halftime show with Janet Jackson disrobing? Jackson’s exposed bare breast was excused by one of her fellow performers as a “wardrobe malfunction” but it initially generated a fine against CBS from the FCC for more than $500,000. Had that 2004 performance taken place in Louisiana and been proven to be intentional, it would have violated Louisiana’s obscenity law (R.S. 14:106) which prohibits such public exposure.
“At the 2023 halftime show, performer Rihanna was shown 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 irony is that, although we (the signers of this letter) refuse to repeat these lyrics in writing in this letter because they are so offensive, the national promoters of 2023 performance had no such qualms about allowing the singing of such lewd lyrics in front of millions of children in the stadium and on television.”
You can view the full letter below.
A group of Republican Louisiana state legislators signed a letter complaining about “increasingly vile” Super Bowl halftime performances and demanded the one at the Superdome in New Orleans be “family friendly” pic.twitter.com/OheLeLdj9C
— Sam Karlin (@samkarlin) January 27, 2025
Of course, Kendrick Lamar will be taking the stage at halftime when Super Bowl LIX takes place on February 9 at the Superdome in New Orleans.
In October, Rihanna’s admiration for K.dot was on full display as she offered her perspective as someone whose own Halftime Show performance made headlines and broke records.
“What is there to doubt on that?,” she said. “It’s a diamond on a ring finger, honey; it’s meant to be. It’s Kendrick Lamar. He deserves it. I cannot wait to see it. Kendrick, thank you.”
Kendrick will be joined by SZA for the highly-anticipated performance, and the announcement was made last week in a new trailer from Apple Music.
In the clip, K.Dot can be seen making a phone call on a football field and as he begins to say he’s been thinking about a guest performance, SZA appears from behind and dumps Gatorade on him.
Fans also think Tyler, The Creator may join him based on a number of possible clues in an additional trailer, but that has not been confirmed.
