NEW ORLEANS – A group of 17 Louisiana lawmakers has sent a letter to two key organizers for Super Bowl LIX expressing “serious concerns” with the halftime entertainment being “less than family friendly” during the Feb. 9 broadcast from the Superdome.
Sen. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, penned the letter on behalf of her colleagues and sent it Monday to Phillip Sherman, chairman of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, and Robert Vosbein Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, which oversees the Superdome.
Hodges cited previous Super Bowl halftime performances that she found objectionable. She singled out the 2020 performance in Miami of Jennifer Lopez, in which she “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.”
From the 2023 Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, Hodges was critical of
Rihanna, who “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.”
“We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held but, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents,” Hodges wrote in her letter.
In addition to the state lawmakers, Hodges obtained signatures from 15 leaders of “pro-family” organizations in support of her letter. They included Tony Perkins with the Family Research Council, Gene Mills with the Louisiana Family Forum and Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle Church.
The senator concluded her letter by acknowledging the contract to hold Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans was executed seven years ago, with terms long ago negotiated and finalized. She requested that any future contracts with the NFL include an assurance that “any performers’ conduct adheres to Louisiana’s community decency standards.”
Reached by phone Tuesday, Vosbein with the Superdome district said it was “unfortunate” that Hodges waited until less than two weeks before the Super Bowl to share her concerns because they could possibly have been considered if aired sooner. He deferred comment on the content of the upcoming halftime show to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, which he said is more directly involved with the NFL than his board.
Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, issued a statement in response to questions about Hodges’ letter.
“We respect and value the comments of our legislators, who play a critical role in our ability to secure large events providing an economic boost to our city and state,” Cicero said. “We have shared the letter with the NFL and we are all in agreement that this year’s halftime show will be a family-friendly event befitting New Orleans’ storied history hosting Super Bowls.”
In her letter, Hodges noted that Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation has received $10 million from the state’s Major Events Incentive Fund, including $5 million for Super Bowl LIX economic development initiatives. She said that money represents “skin in the game” for Louisiana taxpayers.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Hodges said she was hopeful the NFL and Super Bowl planners would take her concerns to heart. She was asked how she would react if Lamar’s performance goes beyond her parameters of good taste.
“That’s up to the locals to deal with that however they want to,” she said. “We would just deal with that however we deal with anyone else that would break the law, I would hope.”
Recording artist Kendrick Lamar is the featured entertainer for halftime at Super Bowl LIX. He’s the latest star featured since the NFL partnered with Roc Nation, the production company of rap mogul Jay-Z, in 2019 to produce halftime performances at the league’s championship game. In addition to Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Rihanna, Roc Nation has slated Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, The Weeknd and Usher for Super Bowl halftime shows since 2020.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed in October that the league would continue its partnership with Roc Nation despite allegations of rape against Jay-Z stemming from the civil lawsuit against music producer Sean “Puffy” Combs.