Republican Louisiana state legislators called out Rihanna's “lewd” Super Bowl performance from 2023 while advising the NFL to ensure this year's event is “family friendly.” NOLA News reporter Sam Karlin obtained the filing in which the group also brought up Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. New Orleans will be hosting Super Bowl LIX on February 9th with Kendrick Lamar performing as the Halftime Show headliner.
“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.”
Louisiana Republicans Express Concern About The Super Bowl
As for Jennifer Lopez, they wrote that she "wore little clothing" and "made sexually suggestive gestures and performed on a stripper pole." They also complained that male dances "groped" her on stage. Of Janet Jackson, they wrote that one of her dancers "exposed" her "bare breast." "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," the letter noted. It concludes with the names of 17 legislators.
The concern from state legislators comes after Lamar confirmed that SZA will be joining him at the event. Those two will also co-headline the Grand National Tour together, later this year. Rihanna already expressed her excitement for Lamar's set, saying back in October during an interview with Entertainment Tonight: “What is there to doubt on that? 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.”
[Via]