Jennifer Lopez’s Not-So-Subtle Political Message During The Super Bowl

The half-time show at this year’s Super Bowl wasn’t just one of the most energetic of all time (watch above), it also sent a powerful political message. The casting alone was seen as bold, two Latina women teaming up for the show was a first, but then there was the clear message about immigration sent during one of the songs. Billboard magazine writes:

Right before Emme Maribel Muñiz — Jennifer Lopez‘s 11-year-old daughter — started singing during the Super Bowl 54 halftime show, she had to crawl out of her cage.

She wasn’t the only one. During the halftime show, which had Lopez and Shakira blazing through an astounding medley that culminated in “Let’s Get Loud” and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” dark patches of the field were illuminated by several neon structures, identical to Emme’s, with children caged inside. One by one, their cages lit up until it was time for Emme to open her door and sing through the empowering verses of her mom’s 2000 single “Let’s Get Loud.”

Esquire adds:

Viewers were quick to notice how the pieces of the performance came together. For a show taking place in Miami, featuring two Latina headliners and a large number of Latinx dancers, the cages seem to be a direct reference to Trump’s border policies (and his unforgivable response to natural disasters in Puerto Rico). Throughout the last year numerous reports emerged from America’s southern border of unconscionable treatment of child immigrants in Trump’s detainment centers. 

And for those who didn’t notice it, Lopez also sent out a reminder that Puerto Ricans are Americans as well. She wore a cape that showed the Puerto Rican flag on one side and the U.S. flag on the other. At the same time, her daughter stood by her side singing the chorus to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA.”

There is some pushback, mainly from conservatives, who seem more concerned with the outfits and dances, than the broader message.