# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 4) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 22, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678 "2025-02-22T21:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 161
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3201 "2026-02-10T17:55:41Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Hawai’i MAGA don’t put the mark in there, they spell it Hawaii like Jesus and Steve McGarrett does. > [@Smapti](#): > > Spider-Man beats the piss out of Stephen Miller, I’d enjoy the fuck out of that too. And them web glue him to the front gate at Auschwitz. Webs make you free. > [@Atamasama](#): > > I feel about Bad Bunny like I feel about opera. I like What’s Opera, Doc, and The Rabbit of Seville. He was really good in them, ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3202 "2026-02-10T17:59:48Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Ask them how often they go to opera houses and demand thar they only sing in English. Are the opera singers white? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3203 "2026-02-10T18:01:27Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Are the opera singers white? I would wager that they overwhelmingly are, which just reinforces how racism is the whole point of their objection. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I like What’s Opera, Doc, and The Rabbit of Seville. He was really good in them, I’m just glad Elmer Fudd was not part of the halftime celebration. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3204 "2026-02-10T18:40:23Z")
😅 Bunny game knows Bunny game But seriously, in the currently fragmented media ecosystem it’s not that hard for an audience demographic to miss a big time performer or piece of work in a genre they don’t follow until/unless they become some sort of inevitable in-your-face-24/7 multimode crossover phenom. Which is where BB is getting _now._ However I suspect that in the case of some of these Repubs it’s just willful dismissal along the lines of “oh I just don’t pay attention to any of that jungle noise”. Their grandfather was probably yelling at Ed Sullivan on the TV for putting on those Rock ‘n Roll delinquents John Richards and Mick McCartney. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3205 "2026-02-10T18:52:03Z")
Yeah, the fact that a bunch of stodgy old white people haven’t heard of Bad Bunny and don’t listen to his style of music is hardly a measure of his popularity with the younger crowd. Be sure on the heels of last year’s show, this was a deliberate choice by the NFL. Controversy sells. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3206 "2026-02-10T18:56:49Z")
I mean…was it really “controversial”? He hadn’t yet won that Grammy before they announced him as performer but he was already a big name performer with broad appeal. At some point, we all have to accept modern pop culture will pass us by and there’s always going to be some contingent of people who loudly object to that notion. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3207 "2026-02-10T18:57:49Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Steve McGarrett [The Jack Lord](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4HS2cJHVlg). (Clip from _Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video_] As for Stupid Republican Ideas: > **[House GOP launches Bad Bunny probe: 'Worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe...](https://www.rawstory.com/stringr/house-gop-investigating-bad-bunny/)** > > Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) revealed that House Republicans are "investigating" Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show because they suspect it was "much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction."During a Tuesday interview on Real America's Voice,... > “And if it holds true that the, you know, I don’t speak fluent Spanish, okay?” he continued. “These lyrics, if it is true, what was said on national television, we have a lot of questions for the… entities that broadcast this, and we’ll be talking with Brendan Carr from the FCC about this.” > > “But this is, this could be much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Let’s put it that way.” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3208 "2026-02-10T19:29:07Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Be sure on the heels of last year’s show, this was a deliberate choice by the NFL. Controversy sells. There was some problem with last year’s show??? (Yeah, I’m clueless about broad swaths of pop culture these days) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3209 "2026-02-10T19:39:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > There was some problem with last year’s show??? I wouldn’t call it a “problem”, as the halftime show last year seemed to be pretty well-received by most people. But there was a lot of social commentary (which many people will praise but other people don’t like to see, which is why it’s controversial). Kendrick Lamar also started to sing his song, “Not Like Us”, but then interrupted it to say, “I wanna play their favorite song, but you know they love to sue.” That was a direct reference to Drake filing a lawsuit against Lamar’s record label, claiming that they used deception to inflate the popularity of the song, and Drake also sued for defamation because he felt the song falsely accused him of being a sex offender. (So the song itself had controversy attached, and Lamar was openly acknowledging it, even drawing attention to the fact in the half time show.) Adding to the controversy, Serena Williams (who was rumored to have dated Drake months before) came out to dance during that song’s performance, and did the same “crip walk” dance that she was criticized for doing to celebrate at the 2012 Summer Olympics. So yeah, despite the show being very well-received (I liked it), there were some controversial aspects to it, which just added to its notoriety. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3210 "2026-02-10T20:19:57Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I like What’s Opera, Doc, and The Rabbit of Seville. He was really good in them, Those were on TCM last week, followed by _A Night at the Opera_. Just park me on the couch for the night. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3211 "2026-02-10T23:39:23Z")
Howard Lutnick last month: I have never been to Epstein’s island Howard Lutnick in the Epstein files: Hey Jeff, mind if I swing by the island with my four daughters and their underage friends? Here’s a list of their ages Howard Lutnick testifying to Congress today: Look, I left with the same number of children I showed up with, OK? > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3meja72y2yk2c)** > > VAN HOLLEN: Did you in fact make the visit to Epstein's private island? > > LUTNICK: I did have lunch w/ him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation. My wife was with me as were my 4 children and nannies. We had lunch on the island. That's... ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3212 "2026-02-10T23:54:00Z")
So it was the nannies that stayed behind? And how many nannies does one need? Seriously one per child? Billionaires really are different. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3213 "2026-02-10T23:55:30Z")
Yeah, it’s not like anyone actually understands Spanish. He could have said absolutely anything-- Who could know? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3214 "2026-02-11T00:03:40Z")
Jesse Watters complains about experiencing consequences for his actions. > **[Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3mek2x522l62q)** > > Watters: I was walking in my street, a car drives by and I give him a wave. He rolls down the window and says, “F U fascist.” He doesn’t know I’m a fascist! > > Jessica: Yes, he does. You’re on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3215 "2026-02-11T02:24:35Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I mean…was it really “controversial”? He hadn’t yet won that Grammy before they announced him as performer but he was already a big name performer with broad appeal. At some point, we all have to accept modern pop culture will pass us by and there’s always going to be some contingent of people who loudly object to that notion. But you’re not a stodgy old white racist. It’s not pop culture passing them by they object to, it’s that it is Latin music in Spanish. “For Pete’s sake, last year it was all that Black stuff, now it’s Spanish. Come on, this is America. You have to appeal to _everybody_, not just one demographic.” Like old white people. > [@Broomstick](#): > > There was some problem with last year’s show??? “Problem” in the sense it was Kendrick Lamar rapping. Whites have got to white about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3216 "2026-02-11T02:33:37Z")
I read that since 2019, [Roc Nation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roc_Nation#Partnerships), an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, produces the half-time show and selects the performers. The goal, I think, is to select someone popular and appealing. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3217 "2026-02-11T02:43:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, it’s not like anyone actually understands Spanish. He could have said absolutely anything-- Who could know? Don’t you know, he was singing in a secret code. You need a secret decoder ring to know what was being said. I mean, if I don’t understand it, then it must be a secret code. Sorry of the reverse of the trope of someone pretending they don’t speak English and need an interpreter, only to reveal they actually understood every dumb thing you said. You know, there are even some Republicans that understand a little Spanish. Ask Ted Cruz. Not that I would take his word for anything, but he could conceivably tell the dipshit what was actually said. But what the hell, let’s hold two weeks of hearings about what Bad Bunny was singing in Spanish where every congress thing gets to spout off their own guess based upon how white they are. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3218 "2026-02-11T02:53:12Z")
Y’know, one would think they’d figure he was already getting enough publicity. But I guess they feel that if they can get some for themselves by being in his orbit, hey… ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3219 "2026-02-11T03:49:18Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > ’m curious if anyone ever brought up the idea of opera to those racist shitbags acting like Bad Bunny is going to destroy the country. Ask them how often they go to opera houses and demand thar they only sing in English. For the most part MAGA aren’t exactly known for being the most cultured of folk. In the extreme unlikelihood that they found themselves in an Opera house I have no doubt that they would in fact complain that it wasn’t sung in English. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678/3220 "2026-02-11T04:34:20Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > In the extreme unlikelihood that they found themselves in an Opera house I have no doubt that they would in fact complain that it wasn’t sung in English. They’d probably accuse Wagner of being woke for portraying Valkyries as women. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=160) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-4/1014678.md?page=162)