Both the Super Bowl game itself and the halftime show, which usually features a prominent celebrity, garner lots of revenue for the NFL. However, the news from past championships has been less about the winner and more about the controversial nature of the halftime show. In recent years, the content, for instance, has included everything from profanity to hyper-sexualization — all while children watch.

To address those concerns, a group of 17 Louisiana lawmakers sent a letter, led by state Senator Valarie Hodges (R), to two prominent organizers of the Super Bowl earlier this month to address the “less than family-friendly” entertainment. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins also signed this letter, alongside 15 other pro-family organizations.

In it, Hodges highlighted previous performances that had sexual content. For instance, the senator detailed a performance in 2020, in which singer Jennifer Lopez “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.” She also addressed a 2023 performance with similar concerns. “We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held,” Hodges wrote. “[B]ut 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 also emphasized the desire for any future contract with the NFL to include a guarantee that “any performers’ conduct adheres to Louisiana’s community decency standards.” According to the Louisiana Illuminator, Robert Vosbein Jr., chairman of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, said the timing of the letter was “unfortunate,” considering how close it was to the Super Bowl. “[I]f aired sooner,” the outlet added, Vosbein said the concerns “could possibly have been considered.”

However, the letter’s timing didn’t stop Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, from offering her support for more family-friendly performances. “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 wrote in a statement. “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.”

Before Cicero’s response, Hodges joined Perkins on a recent episode of “Washington Watch” to further discuss the importance of having family-friendly entertainment at such a widely-viewed event like the Super Bowl. As Perkins put it, it’s about “protecting children and upholding family values.” Hodges agreed, expressing disappointment over the fact that “whenever we have a Super Bowl, which … tens of millions of people watch … we have to turn the channel during the halftime show.”

“[T]his is not a new thing,” she added, “but it’s increasingly, over the years, becoming more and more inappropriate and more vulgar for children especially.” The purpose behind the letter is that “we just wanted to send a message and raise awareness that Louisiana is a family-oriented state. And we’ve done a lot in the legislature to protect children from being exploited,” which is then hindered by inappropriate content at major events such as the Super Bowl. And “the fact that Louisiana taxpayers are funding this event,” she contended, “I think we have a say.”

Ultimately, “we’re just asking … why did these halftime shows have to have so much obscenity [and] inappropriate, vulgar material in [them]? It’s just really not necessary.” Perkins noted how even something as simple as a wardrobe malfunction can open doors where “it just increasingly gets more provocative.” Regardless, he underscored, “the sexual content is blatant. [And] what better time to draw a line and say, ‘Hey, you’re coming to Louisiana. We have community standards’ [than now]? In fact, in this last legislative session, we passed even more laws to protect children. This could be the place where the Super Bowl cleans up its act.”

“Well, I hope so,” Hodges stated, “because they certainly have not listened to the viewers in the past.” Leading up to the letter a couple weeks ago, Hodges explained how “there were thousands of … formal complaints to the FCC about this and to the NFL.” It’s one thing to go to a movie theatre where there are warnings of inappropriate content, she argued, “but when that flashes up in the middle of a football game, it’s unexpected.” It’s “our job as parents and citizens … to protect children and protect their innocence,” she maintained.

It is Hodges’s hope that “this message will be heard,” especially since “lawmakers … national pro-family groups, statewide family groups, [and] local family groups [are] raising their voices, saying, ‘We’ve had enough. … [J]ust make this family-friendly, family-oriented.’ That’s what we’re about.” And this isn’t “only about just protecting children,” Perkins added, “but it’s also about upholding community standards. … We elect people to pass laws that reflect those community standards,” and expect invited guests to abide by them as well, he concluded.