Recommendations of the Editorial team
When the FCC released its annual package of Super Bowl complaints earlier this month, it came as little surprise: The majority related to Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. The agency responsible for ensuring compliance with broadcast standards received more than 2,000 complaints this year – many of them with the mock indignation that which we now know from halftime show protests.
Words like “vulgar,” “disgusting,” and “indecent” appeared hundreds of times in reference to some of the dancers’ dance moves (side note: at least three people spelled “twerking” as “twirking”) as well as to Bad Bunny’s lyrics. Many of those who complained about the latter admitted that they didn’t speak Spanish – but didn’t let that stop them from saying they were horrified after researching the translated lyrics online. (As if he hadn’t played blatantly censored versions of his songs on national television.)
Of course, there have been more than a few overtly racist complaints this year, like this one: “There are illegals on my screen. I don’t understand Spanish, but I think I heard inappropriate language.” (Despite complaints from members of Congress and President Donald Trump, the FCC found no potential violations that would have warranted an investigation.)
The “Scream 7” shock
But before people could even get upset about Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl broadcast had something just as disturbing to offer. No, not the deadly boring game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. It was the trailer for Scream 7.
The clip for the latest installment in the horror franchise aired early in the broadcast, right after the national anthem. Accordingly, many parents suddenly found themselves sitting with distraught children – at an event they had thought was “family-friendly”.
“My kids are now scared and cowering on my lap because we couldn’t switch gears fast enough,” one person wrote. “[P]”eacock brought a wave of horror to our house by airing ‘Scream 7’ trailers during family time,” said another.
Outrage against football players
“The violent and frightening images were completely unexpected and inappropriate for what is generally considered a family-friendly event with many young children watching,” complained a third person – who apparently had no problem with their children watching grown men smash each other’s bodies and brains.
Someone lamented the “Scream 7” trailer – “which normalizes the psychopathic evil that parents are trying to protect their children from” – in the same breath as… a commercial for flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics. The spot showed Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts “setting a football on fire” and throwing it into the Olympic torch on the roof of the LA Memorial Coliseum.
“A dangerous idea that children are guaranteed to imitate,” the complainant wrote.
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Why does Campino think that sometimes it’s good to just keep your mouth shut? Why does he sometimes feel like a drinks delivery man? He provides the answer in our cover story about the Toten Hosen’s big farewell, exclusively in issue 06/26. And that’s not all: the magazine includes the world exclusive 7-inch single “Always just loved” – on which Sven Regener from Element of Crime also contributed. You can easily order the ROLLING STONE edition here.
