Thousands of Complaints Pour In Over Jennifer Lopez And Shakira's Superbowl Show

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Superbowl halftime show may be over but the controversies surrounding the most Hispanic Superbowl never seem to run out. Earlier this month, the two Latina music icons set the stage on fire with their breathtaking performances in the Superbowl LIV in Miami, Florida.

But not everyone was happy to witness them flaunting their curves, pole dancing and shaking their booties at the show. According to an article by Latin Times, the Federal Communications Commission disclosed on Wednesday that they have received more than 1,300 complaints about the show due to its "inappropriateness." Having said that, many suggested it should have had an R-rating attached to it.

The records obtained by the WFAA from the FCC through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveal complaints coming from every state of America except Vermont, 140 of which coming from Texas.

According to FCC, most of the complaints were about the sexually charged nature of the Super Bowl halftime show, which featured not only pole dancing and booty shaking but also "S&M outfits" and sexual gestures. There were even complaints saying the performances encouraged sex trafficking in a subtle way.

"This is not appropriate family entertainment as the Super Bowl advertises! It was appalling! And then having young girls join the spectacle," wrote a complainant from Kentucky. "No wonder there is sex trafficking when you call this family entertainment. And where's the Me Too women? Do you not see the hypocrisy?" he added.

There were also offended viewers noting that Shakira and J.Lo show was too close to "softcore porn." One Super Bowl viewer tweeted, "A disgusting spectacle was on display during the halftime show of the Super Bowl yesterday and I'm sickened by the idea that this was broadcast into so many homes in America and possibly around the world. Selling sex seems to be the job nowadays, despite human trafficking and the Me Too movement. Shame on Fox."

This is not the first time Super Bowl halftime performances have drawn violent reactions from Super Bowl viewers. It can be recalled that Levine's Super Bowl halftime show in 2019 drew backlash as viewers complained at FCC about the singer's exposed chest during his performance. For the record, what could be considered the most controversial halftime show by far was that of Janet Jackson's. Her wardrobe malfunction generated at least 540,000 complaints.

Aside from the FCC complaints, another controversy surrounding the recent Super Bowl show was Jennifer Lopez's feathered cape that prompted People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to call her out with the claim that it was made by killing dozens of birds. 

PETA took to Twitter their dismay over Lopez's wardrobe. "This flag could have flown without killing birds," they wrote, "dozens of birds were KILLED for this #SuperBowl #PepsiHalfTime performance." Along the tweet, they uploaded a picture of Lopez wearing the cape and next to it, an image of dead and plucked birds hanging on hooks in a processing plant.

Versace, the maker of said cape posted a response in their official Instagram account. "The monumental banner depicts the United States of America's stars and stripes on one side, and Puerto Rico's flag on the other," they wrote. "All feathers used for the flag were sourced ethically."

Despite piling up complaints, many others still praised Lopez and Shakira's performances for showcasing Latin culture. New York Times' chief pop music critic Jon Pareles, hailed their performances as a "no-nonsense affirmation of Latin pride and cultural diversity in a political climate where immigrants and American Latinos have been widely demonized."

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira also made a subtle yet powerful statement about the border crisis through their Super Bowl show, in particular, the part where children were enclosed in cages singing Lopez's iconic Let's Get Loud.