Each year the Super Bowl becomes more of a bloated, so-called-entertainment–fueled, consumer-consuming beast than a football game. Two weeks of pointless speculation. Corporate money. Corporate failure. Vapid music. Vapid commercials. And 60 minutes of football.
The game itself—lockouts and concussions aside—is at its best, most advanced, most complex, and most nuanced. The talent level across the NFL has never been higher. More teams are more competitive. These are all good things. We saw it all come together last night in a great, competitive-until-the-last-minute game.
Unfortunately, all the peripheral crap is getting progressively worse. Four hundred fans were sold tickets for seats that didn’t exist and were forced to watch the game from the “bowels” of the stadium. Christina Aguilera forgot the words to “The Star Spangled Banner” (a fitting moment, as Hank Steuver pointed out, to be followed by Roseanne getting walloped by a log). The commercials were mostly terrible. Worst of all was the halftime show.
I was legitimately excited when Usher dropped onto the stage. That’s how bad it was.
My dad (who has Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” on his iPod), texted me to say that the Black Eyed Peas suck. And, for once, I think the whole country agreed.
Here’s a shot of the Black Eyed Peas’ Wikipedia page midway through their performance (click to enlarge):
The reactions on Twitter were (mostly) in the same vein:
Janet Jackson’s 1 breast > 4 Black Eyed Peas
This halftime show has me praying for a lockout.
If Mubarak was smart he’d have gotten the Black Eyed Peas to empty out Tahrir Square two weeks ago
I have a feeling … that historians will one day look back at this SuperBowl halftime as the precise moment America jumped the shark.
Wow Black Eyed Peas killed it!!! Fergie looks sooo gorge!
Assuming Kim Kardashian watched the game in Santa Fe, this ESPN poll summed everything up:
—Photo Charlie Krupa/AP
Which is why I walked away from the TV during the half time show to call a friend. And what was up with those commercials from Pepsi Max?! Everyone getting their asses kicked.
Whats the Matter With New Mexico, by Thomas Frank.