Entertainment And Arts
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance holds personal significance for the Puerto Rican artist
BBC Mundo’s Ronald Ávila notes that although the performance promoted unity among Latinos as a whole, the artist specifically sang about the island that is their shared homeland.
Similar to Bad Bunny, many people have commented that my Spanish, as a Puerto Rican, is difficult to understand.
When asked why I identify with Bad Bunny, I think back to our shared experience of working in supermarkets, packing groceries for customers, a commonality we both have as Puerto Ricans.
This shared background is not unique to us; many people I know have had similar experiences, creating a sense of connection to the Latin rapper and singer who recently headlined the Super Bowl half-time show.
Our origins, not just our experiences working in supermarkets, are what I'm referring to, highlighting the commonalities between Bad Bunny's life and my own.
Since his early days, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, has undergone significant changes and achieved numerous milestones.
Now, at the height of his career, he performed almost entirely in Spanish at the Super Bowl half-time show, held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, reaching an audience of 125 million viewers.
During his 14-minute set, he sang hits like Tití Me Preguntó and Baile Inolvidable, with a stage design that evoked Puerto Rico's sugarcane fields, a traditional rural home, and the iconic El Morro fort in Old San Juan.
The set featured a mix of salsa, reggaeton, bomba, and plena, with guest performances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, as well as appearances by Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, and Jessica Alba.
While the show promoted unity and celebrated Latino culture, Bad Bunny's performance was deeply rooted in his Puerto Rican heritage, singing about and for the island.
According to scholars Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera Rideau, authors of the book P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance, his success can be attributed to his strong connection to the island.
Bad Bunny remains a polarizing figure, and not all Puerto Ricans resonate with him equally, reflecting the diversity of opinions within the community.
However, many Puerto Ricans see their reality and the tensions of growing up on the island reflected in his lyrics, rhythms, and image, which capture the complexities of living in a place with its own distinct identity within the United States.
Like Martínez Ocasio, I grew up in a small town, he in Vega Baja in northern Puerto Rico, and I in San Lorenzo in the southeast.
His parents, a schoolteacher and a truck driver, had no connections to the music industry, while my mother worked in a factory, far removed from the media world.
As Bad Bunny once described in an interview with The New York Times Magazine, my childhood, like his, felt distant from the bustling city of San Juan, despite being only a 45-minute drive away.
Trips to the metropolitan area were special events, requiring early rising, dressing up, and planning meals, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation.
These trips often centered around Plaza Las Américas, a large shopping mall that, as Martínez Ocasio once said, could be disorienting, making it difficult to know one's surroundings.
Like Bad Bunny, I learned English as an adult and speak with a non-native accent, despite being a US citizen, as are all people born in Puerto Rico.
For many of us, mastering English depends on access to private classes, highlighting the challenges faced by those without the means to afford them.
According to the latest US census data, only 22% of Puerto Rico's population feels they can speak English "very well", underscoring the language barriers that exist on the island.
The lack of public transportation, limited economic opportunities, and absence of major events in our towns contributed to a slow pace of life, shaped by the island's public debt crisis and subsequent bankruptcy, which had far-reaching consequences.
Over the past three decades, fiscal hardship has left Puerto Rico with a fragile electrical grid, vulnerable to hurricanes, and struggling with issues such as mass migration, violence, school closures, and a diminished public university system.
In his 2018 song Ser Bichote, from his debut album, Bad Bunny sang about the struggles faced by the island, including the closure of schools and the proliferation of illegal drug sales.
The "punto" refers to the places where illegal drugs are sold, a phenomenon that our parents often warned us about, and which Bad Bunny addressed in his music.
The reference to "puntos" may have been lost on non-Puerto Rican listeners, who might have simply enjoyed the song's rhythm without understanding its deeper meaning.
Even Puerto Ricans who don't share Bad Bunny's background take pride in his music, which denounces the island's struggles while celebrating its culture and identity.
During the Super Bowl half-time show, Bad Bunny performed his song El Apagón, which critiques the island's fragile electrical grid, and recreated the challenges faced by Puerto Rico.
He also incorporated symbols like the traditional "pava" farmer's hat and the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad into his performance, highlighting the island's unique cultural heritage.
Bad Bunny's songs, such as BOKeTE, often blend romance with social commentary, addressing issues like the island's deteriorating roads and the historical persecution of the independence movement, as seen in songs like LA MuDANZA.
In LA MuDANZA, he sings about the struggles of the independence movement, stating, "People were killed here for waving the flag, that's why I carry it everywhere," including during his Super Bowl performance.
As a US territory, Puerto Rico has limited influence over national policy, with residents unable to vote in presidential elections and their congressional representative lacking voting power.
In the absence of sovereignty, culture has become a primary means for Puerto Rico to connect with the world, and Bad Bunny has played a significant role in opening this doorway.
With Bad Bunny, reggaeton has reached unprecedented heights, as evidenced by his recent Grammy win for Album of the Year with his entirely Spanish album Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
Although reggaeton has roots in Panama and New York, Puerto Rican artists have been instrumental in globalizing the genre.
Historically, reggaeton was persecuted on the island, with young people of Afro-Caribbean descent in poor communities being the primary audience, and police often raiding underground clubs where the music was played.
Artists like Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, and Don Omar, who Bad Bunny honored during the Super Bowl, helped bring reggaeton into the mainstream, making it a genre that many Puerto Ricans grew up with.
According to Prof Albert Laguna, Bad Bunny has become an artist appreciated beyond the reggaeton audience, creating opportunities for cross-generational conversations through his music.
His unique blends of reggaeton and trap with salsa, merengue, bomba, plena, and other Latin American genres have created a space for dialogue across generations, as noted by Prof Laguna.
One of Bad Bunny's most significant contributions, and a triumph of reggaeton, is the affirmation of Puerto Rican Spanish as a legitimate and valuable form of expression.
Unlike many Latin artists who have sung in English to reach a broader audience, Bad Bunny has chosen to sing in Spanish, using his native language and dialect to connect with listeners and promote Puerto Rican culture.
For decades, the Spanish language has been a point of pride and a subject of preservation efforts, despite attempts by the US to establish English as the dominant language.
Critics have often stated that certain dialects of Spanish, including my own and that of Bad Bunny's music, are difficult to comprehend.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, expressing his opinion that Bad Bunny's language is indecipherable, stating that "nobody understands a word this guy is saying".
Conversely, many people are drawn to the allure of Spanish music and are making an effort to learn the language, with some even picking up colloquial terms such as "pichear" and "janguear".
According to producer MAG, a longtime collaborator of Bad Bunny, the Grammy-winning album Debí Tirar Más Fotos has been a catalyst for a significant cultural shift, as noted in the book P FKN R.
MAG is quoted as saying that the global response to Puerto Rican culture has been overwhelmingly positive, remarking, "it feels like the world is embracing us, and Puerto Rico, in such a beautiful way".
This sentiment was evident on Sunday, as people came together to celebrate and experience the culture firsthand.
Entertainment And Arts
Major film studios target advanced AI video generation technology
A new AI-powered video editing tool called Seedance has generated clips depicting fictional fights between celebrities, including Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, which have quickly gained widespread online attention.
Social media platforms have been inundated with clips generated using Seedance 2.0, a cutting-edge AI video tool. These clips feature reimagined scenes, such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt engaging in a rooftop brawl, or characters from Friends depicted as otters, showcasing the tool's capabilities.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has introduced Seedance, touting it as a means to deliver "an ultra-realistic immersive experience" to users.
The emergence of Seedance has sparked concerns in the entertainment industry, with Rhett Reese, writer of the Deadpool series, expressing his unease, stating that the rise of this technology may signal the end of traditional creative roles.
Many of the clips created using Seedance are based on copyrighted materials, including films and TV shows featuring well-known actors. As a result, major US studios have demanded that the platform immediately stop infringing on their intellectual property rights.
Seedance allows users to generate highly realistic clips from simple text prompts, and users have been creating scenes inspired by popular franchises such as The Lord of the Rings, Seinfeld, and Avengers.
Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, stated that Seedance 2.0 has engaged in widespread unauthorized use of US copyrighted works in a short span, highlighting the need for the platform to respect intellectual property laws.
According to Rivkin, by launching a service without adequate safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding established copyright laws that protect creators' rights and support millions of American jobs.
The MPA has called on ByteDance to cease its infringing activities immediately, emphasizing the need to respect intellectual property rights.
The Motion Picture Association represents prominent US studios, including Netflix, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros Discovery, among others.
TikTok has acknowledged that some videos created using its pre-launch model have been shared, and the company claims to respect intellectual property rights and take potential infringement seriously.
In response to concerns, the company has suspended the ability for users to upload images of real individuals and is working to implement robust policies and monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance with local regulations.
A review by Forbes noted that Seedance 2.0 offers users a level of creative control similar to that of a human director, enabling them to produce high-quality content without requiring complex production tools.
While many users are excited about the creative possibilities offered by Seedance, Rhett Reese has expressed his concern about the implications of this technology on the entertainment industry.
Reese stated that he is worried about the potential loss of careers for many people in the industry, including his own, as a result of the rise of AI-generated content.
Reese clarified that his initial statement about the impact of Seedance was not meant to be flippant, but rather a genuine expression of his fear about the potential consequences of this technology on the entertainment industry.
Reese believes that the emergence of Seedance could revolutionize the entertainment industry, but also potentially lead to significant job losses, and he is concerned about the impact on his own career and those of his colleagues.
Heather Anne Campbell, a writer for Saturday Night Live and Rick & Morty, has noted that the content generated using Seedance is often similar to fan fiction, and that original ideas are still essential for creating engaging content.
Campbell observed that many users of AI visualization engines like Seedance are using them to create content based on existing franchises, rather than coming up with entirely new ideas.
Campbell suggested that having access to advanced AI tools like Seedance does not necessarily make it easier to create original content, as the hardest part of the creative process is often coming up with new and innovative ideas.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.
He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
Entertainment And Arts
Bookstore Seeks to Revitalize Romance Genre
In Leamington, a bookstore caters specifically to adults, offering a selection of literature that focuses on the genres of dark romance and romantasy with mature themes.
This weekend, a bookstore claiming to be Europe's largest specialty store for adult romance novels is set to open its doors.
With over 2,500 titles in stock, The Spicy Librarian in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, aims to shine a light on various romance sub-genres, providing a welcoming space for book enthusiasts to unwind.
The bookstore's founder, who prefers to remain anonymous, cited her lifelong passion for reading, which began at the age of 14, and her experiences shopping at independent stores in the US as the inspiration behind the venture.
Recounting her visit to an independent romance shop in the US, the founder said, "I spent an hour browsing and left with seven new books, having also made a new friend – it was a truly memorable experience."
The Spicy Librarian has planned a range of events, including monthly book clubs, community nights, and a subscription service featuring works by independent authors.
According to the founder, her goal is to create a sense of familiarity and comfort for customers, making them feel like they've been to the store many times before, even on their first visit.
Ali Maynard-James, a member of the store's team, highlighted the unique nature of their offerings, which differ from traditional romance novels, focusing instead on the "spicy romantasy" and "dark romance" sub-genres.
Maynard-James noted that the characters in these stories are empowered, driving the narrative forward, making their own decisions, and navigating complex worlds, setting them apart from traditional romance protagonists.
She added that readers can relate to the female characters in these stories because they are multidimensional and flawed, reflecting the complexities of real-life individuals.
Indie author J Rose expressed her gratitude for having her work featured in the store, acknowledging that independent authors often lack the recognition afforded to traditionally published writers.
Rose described the experience of having her books in the store as "incredibly fulfilling," knowing that readers are engaging with her work, which she considers pieces of herself.
Rose emphasized the importance of independent bookstores, praising The Spicy Librarian for being "curated by readers, for readers," providing a platform for sharing passions and connecting with like-minded individuals.
Romance novelist Florence Keeling, a Coventry native, writes under her own name, as well as the pen names Charlie Dean and Tanya Mounts, specializing in darker romance material.
With a decade of experience writing romance novels, Keeling has observed a growing interest in the genre, particularly in "spicy" books, as readers become more confident in their preferences.
Keeling attributed her decision to explore the romance genre to a desire to tap into the universal human experiences of affection and connection, saying, "I thought, 'why not give it a try?'"
In her Tanya Mounts series, Keeling focuses on creating strong, older female characters who take charge of their lives, defying traditional romance novel tropes.
These characters, according to Keeling, are not passive or submissive, but rather empowered individuals who drive the narrative forward, taking control of their own lives.
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