Bad Faith Episode 549 - Bad Bunny, Jasmine Crockett, Obama Ape Gate & Other Black History Month News (w/ Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly)
Feb 12, 2026
Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly, Professor of African American Studies and anti-imperialist scholar, joins to discuss culture and power. They dissect the backlash to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl gestures and what celebrity politics can and cannot achieve. Conversation turns to Trump’s racist viral video and the politics of Black representation. They also probe the stakes for Black candidates in Texas primaries and centrist pro-growth pivots.
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Backlash Reveals Racialized 'American' Identity
- Republican backlash to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance reveals racialized definitions of "American" culture.
- Attacks focus on language and race rather than national identity, exposing anti-Black and anti-Latin sentiment.
Spectacle Isn't Structural Change
- The halftime show offered representation and symbolism but cannot substitute for structural political change.
- Pop culture can raise consciousness but rarely transforms mass-based politics by itself.
Leverage Moments For Political Education
- Use high-profile cultural moments to spotlight actual policy issues like Puerto Rican sovereignty and Cuba's blockade.
- Move beyond representation to organize and educate about concrete geopolitical and economic demands.
