2008 Woodie Awards
Super Bowl Entertainment Proves Super Disappointment
Lora Powell/Muleskinner
Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Although the Super Bowl marks the climactic end of an incredibly long football season, I could care less about it. I was born and raised near Kansas City and was highly trained to root solely for the Chiefs. However, the only NFL team I know anything about never wins enough games to reach the most-watched game of the season.
Though the participants of the Super Bowl are always teams I care nothing about, year after year, I faithfully tune in to see one thing: the much-anticipated commercials.
Companies pay millions of dollars just to earn a 30-second spot during the annual football frenzy and with good reason. Sunday night, around 90 million people tuned in for one reason or another. Lots ofeyes mean potential dollars for the companies that advertise.
However, these commercials didn't measure up. What has kept me watching the Super Bowl is the hope that another commercial of the same caliber as the Budweiser frogs will emerge. Year after year, I have watched and waited, thinking there will be something I will still remember by next year's big game. It definitely didn't happen this year, so I'm still waiting.
It was a very long evening of trying to block out the football portion and trying to focus my attention on commercial breaks. Only two commercials stood out to me: the Snickers and Blockbuster commercials.
Though not hilarious, there is something mildly amusing about pet store animals pushing down on a little squeaking mouse, thinking they will be able to surf the Internet by performing this task. I felt bad for the little guy, but I couldn't help but laugh.
Snickers came through with their "Lady and the Tramp" parody-two macho men eating off opposite ends of a Snickers bar. To make the whole thing even stranger, they confirm their homophobic tendencies by ripping out patches of their own chest hair. I'm not sure how this justified what happened between the two of them, but it was pretty good entertainment.
There was, of course, the much-anticipated Nationwide commercial featuring a burger-flipping depiction of Britney Spear's ex, K-Fed. It would have been much funnier if the media hadn't given the whole thing away before it aired. However, I'm still trying to figure out why a guy who has been made fun of enough wanted to open the door for the public to take more shots at him.
Then, of course, there was the less-than-exciting halftime show featuring Prince. The lights and the pyrotechnics were by far the most entertaining part. Is there a reason Billy Joel sang the national anthem rather than starring in the halftime show?
Not to discount the singing of the national anthem, but it would have been great if he would have had a bigger part. Last year, the Rolling Stones put on one of the most phenomenal halftimes I had ever seen. Then, in 2007, they decide to get a mediocre 1980s pop sensation who can't seem to figure out what his name should be.
All in all, Sunday night was a very disappointing evening. As soon as halftime was over, I changed the channel. I couldn't seem to find anything besides some thought-provoking reality television, but it was better than what I was watching before. Though I have almost had my fill of minimally entertaining Super Bowl evenings, I will tune in next year and hope for the best.
Though the participants of the Super Bowl are always teams I care nothing about, year after year, I faithfully tune in to see one thing: the much-anticipated commercials.
Companies pay millions of dollars just to earn a 30-second spot during the annual football frenzy and with good reason. Sunday night, around 90 million people tuned in for one reason or another. Lots ofeyes mean potential dollars for the companies that advertise.
However, these commercials didn't measure up. What has kept me watching the Super Bowl is the hope that another commercial of the same caliber as the Budweiser frogs will emerge. Year after year, I have watched and waited, thinking there will be something I will still remember by next year's big game. It definitely didn't happen this year, so I'm still waiting.
It was a very long evening of trying to block out the football portion and trying to focus my attention on commercial breaks. Only two commercials stood out to me: the Snickers and Blockbuster commercials.
Though not hilarious, there is something mildly amusing about pet store animals pushing down on a little squeaking mouse, thinking they will be able to surf the Internet by performing this task. I felt bad for the little guy, but I couldn't help but laugh.
Snickers came through with their "Lady and the Tramp" parody-two macho men eating off opposite ends of a Snickers bar. To make the whole thing even stranger, they confirm their homophobic tendencies by ripping out patches of their own chest hair. I'm not sure how this justified what happened between the two of them, but it was pretty good entertainment.
There was, of course, the much-anticipated Nationwide commercial featuring a burger-flipping depiction of Britney Spear's ex, K-Fed. It would have been much funnier if the media hadn't given the whole thing away before it aired. However, I'm still trying to figure out why a guy who has been made fun of enough wanted to open the door for the public to take more shots at him.
Then, of course, there was the less-than-exciting halftime show featuring Prince. The lights and the pyrotechnics were by far the most entertaining part. Is there a reason Billy Joel sang the national anthem rather than starring in the halftime show?
Not to discount the singing of the national anthem, but it would have been great if he would have had a bigger part. Last year, the Rolling Stones put on one of the most phenomenal halftimes I had ever seen. Then, in 2007, they decide to get a mediocre 1980s pop sensation who can't seem to figure out what his name should be.
All in all, Sunday night was a very disappointing evening. As soon as halftime was over, I changed the channel. I couldn't seem to find anything besides some thought-provoking reality television, but it was better than what I was watching before. Though I have almost had my fill of minimally entertaining Super Bowl evenings, I will tune in next year and hope for the best.
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