Can Bad Bunny Save America?
The Sam Sanders Show
KCRW & Sam Sanders
4.9 • 707 Ratings
🗓️ 3 February 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
From the Grammys to the Super Bowl, this is Bad Bunny’s world… We’re just lucky to live in it. But his presence goes far beyond music.
Dr. Nate Rodriguez, professor of journalism and media studies at San Diego State University, teaches a course all about Bad Bunny’s influence on media, identity and global culture.
Sam and Dr. Nate dive into the contrast of Bad Bunny’s success, while ICE is flooding American cities. They also discuss what the NFL gains from broadcasting his message to the world.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey y'all, Sam Sanders here. |
| 0:07.8 | Thank you so much for checking out my show. |
| 0:09.6 | We are talking about Bad Bunny this episode, |
| 0:13.2 | because I think it's safe to say that we are in the midst of Bad Bunny season. |
| 0:17.6 | And the Grammy goes to... |
| 0:31.2 | Bad Bunny, Debbie Taran, dey today. This past Sunday, Bad Bunny won album of the year at the Grammys. And next Sunday, he is playing the biggest concert in the world, |
| 0:39.1 | the Super Bowl halftime show. |
| 0:44.7 | All of this is happening while Bad Bunny is the biggest streaming artist on the planet. |
| 0:50.6 | And he is right in the middle of the biggest debate in American politics right now. |
| 0:51.8 | Immigration. I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country |
| 1:00.3 | to follow their dreams. |
| 1:03.1 | For all those people that have lost a being a good, and even so, have had to |
| 1:07.1 | go to go ahead and continue with much force. |
| 1:10.4 | This is for you. Thanks for the time, love'm here. There's Bad Bunny accepting his award for album of the year over the weekend. All this to say, Bad Bunny represents a lot more than just music. Dr. Nate Rodriguez is a professor of journalism and media studies at San Diego State University. |
| 1:29.9 | And he's actually teaching a Bad Bunny course. |
| 1:32.4 | Yeah, on what Bad Bunny's massive rise means for media, identity, and global culture. |
| 1:39.0 | Dr. Nate's also writing a book on Bad Bunny and what he calls the new geography of U.S. pop culture. |
| 1:46.5 | So if anyone can help me think big picture about Bad Bunny right now, it's him. |
| 1:51.8 | Okay, here's my chat with Dr. Nate Rodriguez, the Bad Bunny Professor. |
| 1:56.9 | I think you'll enjoy it. |
| 2:01.5 | This show, like the rest of the world, is talking about Bad Bunny right now. |
| 2:06.8 | Yes. |
... |
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