Can We Do Better Than This? Thoughts on the Super Bowl Halftime Choice
The NFL recently announced that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2026. Honestly, I just shake my head. Out of all the options, this is what we’ve decided is worthy of the biggest stage in American sports? The Super Bowl halftime used to be a highlight for families, neighbors, and friends gathered around food and laughter. Now it has become less about music and more about messaging. It feels like every year the push is to be edgier, more explicit, and more shocking.
Why do we keep letting something so central to American culture turn into a political and cultural statement instead of just a night of fun? Parents end up hovering over the remote, ready to mute or fast-forward because the show is not family-friendly. Yet the NFL keeps talking out of both sides of its mouth. On one hand, they promote youth football, flag football, and building character in kids. On the other hand, the halftime show often promotes the exact opposite of those values. The whole thing feels fractured.
Culture is never neutral. It always carries a message. And if we don’t stop to question it, we get swept along with it. Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the patterns of the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Philippians 4:8 challenges us to set our minds on what is pure, lovely, and commendable. Those verses sound a long way off from what halftime has become.
But here’s the hard truth—this will not change as long as we keep watching. As long as ratings stay sky-high, the NFL has zero incentive to do better. Maybe we are just as guilty because we keep feeding the machine. If the product sells, they will keep selling it. Which means if we really want change, we have to stop showing up. Maybe the strongest statement Christians can make is to simply not watch.
Jesus said we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt preserves what is good. Light exposes what is dark. The halftime show is a reminder that the world will not hand us wholesome content on a silver platter. That is not its job. It is ours.
So let’s stop waiting for the NFL to suddenly care about our families. Let’s stop pretending we have no choice. We do. We can change the channel. We can say no. We can create our own gatherings and point our kids toward what is good, pure, and life-giving.
It is time we stopped just talking about it. It is time to walk it out.