Ah the Super Bowl, what an amazing night:football, food, friends,commercials(for some the main attraction), and old guys performing during halftime. That is until this past Friday when the NFL announced that the Black Eyed Peas will be performing at “The Big Game(XLV=45) this year. Personally I haven’t minded the league’s attempts to ensure that another Janet Jackson-esque fiasco doesn’t happen again by choosing artists whose ages hover around a half century. The performances by The Rolling Stones, The Who, Paul McCartney, The Boss, and Prince have been exciting and entertaining even though my little brother and his friends have had no idea who they were. I love all types of music but I can’t say that I would choose these artists while listening on my iPod. I tend to gravitate towards newer more pop infused songs when in the iPod mood. The halftime shows of recent years have reminded me why I love these artists and that I should broaden my musical horizon. I also have found it interesting to see older performers juxtaposed to the immense technology and pyrotechnics used during the Super Bowl’s halftime shows. This wasn’t always case. Many people don’t know it but up until the early 90’s the halftime performers were usually various college marching bands. Only after New Kids on the Block performed in 1991 and Michael Jackson in 1993 did pop musicians become the focus. I guess the league has either ran out of “old people” or that the possible revenue that they can make by using a band like the Black Eyed Peas is worth risking a possible wardrobe malfunction. This is perfect timing for the BEP, whose new album is being released on Tuesday, because The Who’s performance last year was seen by around 153 million people. I don’t hate The Black Eyed Peas’ music and often find it annoyingly stuck in my head, but I kind of wish the NFL chose a performer that I don’t hear every single day on the radio. In the end the Super Bowl is going to be about my Giants winning anyway and the commercials and halftime show are just added “gravy” for the hero I’ll be eating.
Here’s a link to 10 of the most famous halftime performances(including the infamous 2004 Janet and JT show)
enjoy
Highlights of the Giants 2007 victory(I’m sure you will enjoy as much as I did…especially David)
Go G-Men!
The half-time shows count for the majority of minutes I have ever watch a football game. I used to love watching the marching bands when I was a kid (my brothers preferred the actual game. What is THAT all about?). Seriously, the most important aspect is the entertainment value of the show, and when you are dealing with a HUGE television audience, you need to keep them glued to the tube while the team takes a break in the locker room. Popular music (either old classic material or newer popular bands) provide a reliable product. And let’s face it, TV is all about product and profits. The constant struggle between art and commerce rarely comes down on the side of art when TV is involved. It is almost as if you can automatically tell the level of artistic content by simply noting the size of the audience: small audience = high Art.