Super Bowl LX’s Pop Culture Winners And Losers: Bad Bunny, AI, And More 

Super Bowl LX clearly crowned a winner and loser in the sporting history books. With the Seattle Seahawks besting the New England Patriots, in a 29-13 showdown, the NFL has had its final say. But what about the pop culture landscape? Well, that’s where us entertainment journalists come into play – especially in the presence of events like Bad Bunny’s breathtaking halftime show.

Since I do like getting judgmental from time to time, I think it’s time to slip on my robe. What better cause for such actions than to Monday morning quarterback my way through the 2026 Super Bowl’s pop winners and losers? All rise, as the court of public opinion is in session; and the honorable Judge Reyes is now presiding. 

Winner: Bad Bunny/Green Day

Super Bowl musical acts are divisive no matter who gets the duties. Some people’s ears are still ringing from Kendrick Lamar’s powerful performance last year, so having Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) take the stage was due to ruffle the right feathers. However, while Lamar rightfully engaged in a more scathing satire, Ocasio offered a heartfelt tribute to Puerto Rico. 

That’s not saying that Kendrick Lamar’s magnificent performance is any less valid. Think of Bad Bunny and Kendrick as Professor X and Magneto; same message, but different tones. The same could be said for Green Day, who opened the Super Bowl with an “American Idiot” medley that has aged well – for better and worse. Music was the movement, and while it wasn’t outwardly combative, the message was loud and clear. 

Loser: Politics

I will not totally engage in politics here, because we all know how divisive it gets. However, if you read my reaction to last night’s musical accompaniment, you can kind of guess where I’ve left my hat. Regardless of your beliefs, Super Bowl LX had some of the most politically unsubtle ads last night, and it was only out done by one other gripe on this list. 

More specifically the spot for children’s Trump Accounts, as well as the MAHA ad with Mike Tyson, were absurdly out of place. The “Alternative” half time show being done by Turning Point USA didn’t have luck on its side either, thanks to its inability to stream on Twitter. Looking at it all from the lens of facts, one side tried to actively push an agenda last night – and they tried hard. In a world where so many ask “why have things gotten so political,” the answer is staring us right in the face. 

Winner: Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga inadvertently became Super Bowl LX’s MVP, thanks to being all over the night’s telecast. Going in I’d known about the Rocket/Redfin ad that saw her cover Mister Rogers’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” but two more appearances were the real surprises. One shocker was totally my fault, as I’d missed the announcement of Pokemon 30’s “What’s Your Favorite” spot – in which Ms. Gaga teamed up with Jigglypuff for the Song of 2026. 

That is, if Lady Gaga doesn’t record that salsa version of “Die With A Smile” with Bad Bunny. During that very live, very real Super Bowl LX wedding, the New Jersey native’s surprise appearance was such a surprise that only random bettors, whose bids kind of gave away the secret, knew.

At this point, the NFL should just offer her a standing slot in each year’s show, as she consistently crushes her opportunities during the Big Game. (See also: her rendition of Top Gun: Maverick’s “Hold My Hand” opening last year’s Super Bowl LIX.)

Loser: A.I. Ads

My wife and I play a game around the holidays, and it involves waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whenever a heartwarming commercial comes on, we wait to see who the sponsor happens to be – because that is where the fun is. “Aw, that old man has a clock shop that helps you relieve your fondest memories? BOOM, sponsored by Chik-Fil-A!” That tradition is now going to stay in play for the Super Bowl, thanks to OpenAI’s Big Game ad. 

Imagine my rage when a spot about creativity, set to Young Fathers’ “Pals” from the 28 Years Later soundtrack, turned out to be a plug for that very brand. From that point on seeing Matthew Broderick shill for Genspark, Svedka’s creepy robot disco clip confirmed by The Wall Street Journal as AI generated, and AI.com merely showing up set one of the night’s many tones.AI had officially invaded Super Bowl LX, and the results were as well received as you’d think.

However, there is a bright spot in all of this – thanks to a historically minded Threads post from user/journalist Chris Vespoli:

Hey so I was alive and watching Super Bowl XXXIV in the year 2000, the one right before the dot-com bubble burst, and I can tell you all the AI commercials this year are giving that same exact energy

We’ll see if history breaks in favor of humans, but it does seem like the writing’s on the wall. 

Winner: Netflix

Who does stealth Super Bowl drops anymore? After delivering the trailer for The Cloverfield Paradox in 2018, Netflix blew the world away by debuting the full film after the game. While we didn’t see the latter half of the equation repeated, the streaming platform did give us all a surprise worth waiting for. 

Sailing into the end zones of our hearts, The Adventures of Cliff Booth’s first teaser landed a sucker punch of entertainment. Don’t worry, as you’ll read in my write up linked above, there was some very creative editing that sold this very R-rated romp in a TV friendly way. (Now if only we had a release date – or an official upload of the teaser.)

Loser: Dunkin’ Donuts

As my friend and fellow THS writer/Super Bowl LX vet Ben Silverio pointed out, seeing Ted Danson play Sam Malone from Cheers is always a win. While I can respect that, as well as the return of Jasmine Guy as A Different World’s Whitley Gilbert-Wayne, the Dunkin’ Donuts ad from last night felt like a nightmare. 

What should have been a fond gathering of sitcom talent like Jason Alexander, Jennifer Aniston, Alfonso Ribero, and Jaleel White, the Ben Affleck-anchored ensemble seemed to be put through CGI de-aging that was offputting. (Especially because this entire cast still looks good without the help!) Sorry guys, I don’t like these apples. 

Of course, these are all my judgments – with my jurisdiction ending at your computer screen. So if you have your own feedback on the “real” losers and winners of Super Bowl LX, feel free to respectfully share them in the Comments below! Otherwise, keep a browser tab tuned to THS’ TV News – as The Oscars are coming, and who knows what’ll happen during what many consider the Super Bowl of Movie Buffs? 

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