entertainment has become motion
If you watched the Superbowl last night , you probably realize that the football game was the calmest part of the whole show. It was relatively easy to follow what was going on, compared with the cast of thousands in the halftime show and the commercials.
I was wishing somehow one of those old commercials where Wilford Brimley stands behind a desk and sternly and calmly tells everyone to invest their money with Dean Witter would turn up to provide a moment's peace.
The commercials were all whirl and spilt screens, bright colors and kids running around, rap music, car chases, people crashing through walls, hordes of dancers, Jimmy Fallon pretending to be athletic, some sort of dip splashed on dozens of people by a ceiling fan, a mob of minions, and so forth. And I think all that was in one commercial.
The halftime show was literal non stop dancing and singing by Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and every dancer in south Florida. Lights flashing, spinning, and not a calm instant to be found. I think Shakira and Lopez had giant vibrators fused to their spines. Lopez was displayed on a giant stripper pole. And what was up with that 50 year old woman grabbing her crotch so much? What I mostly took from that halftime show is that Shakira is way more talented than Jennifer Lopez.
Mass entertainment has become endless movement, either by the camera itself, or by the performers, or by the set design (CGI). But what are they saying? I saw the commercial where the sauce was splashed on the party goers by the ceiling fan, and I laughed, but for the life of me I cant remember what the product being advertised was.
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I kind of miss the time when entertainment was calm. Technology has enabled all this flash and whirl, ------- sound and fury signifying nothing?
I take your point. And it was a bit much. I did get the half-time show effects, nevertheless.
Nothing to do with technology, it has everything to do with the general public always wanting, "bigger and better", entertainment. I mean, had Elvis not been abducted by aliens, his halftime show would have been the laughing stock. Lawrence welk? Both, good, but boring and lackluster.
I agree with you much of the time, but I have to disagree this time.
Why is having constant movement of masses of people "better?"
The commercials really bothered me more than the halftime show though.
A complete assault on one's senses and attention span.
If Elvis had been the halftime show at the 1968 Superbowl it would have been widely praised, I'm sure. His television specials around that time were critical and popular hits. Had the Beatles been the halftime show in 1966 , again, it would have been a big hit as they stood on stage playing their instruments and singing their songs. No hundreds of dancers, no computer generated backdrops, no laser light show. I agree that today people expect all this razzmatazz and frenzy, but why? Believe me, its not just because it is "better".
It was a frenzied half-time show. For my part, I chalked it up to two major Latin superstars headlining together in a half-hour extravaganza. They simply had a lot to get through and for these two ladies, . . . America was not the only TARGET audience! They are "huge" in Latin countries everywhere. At one point, I was actually concerned for J-Lo: those lifts were dangerous, but then I realized something important. J-Lo is the executive producer/producer of World of Dance a dance competition show. Is there anything these two women are not good at?
"So many song hits - so little time."
Why?
Why not have them each sing two or three songs and do some dancing?
The people in the stadium paid a minimum of 2500 dollars each for their seats. The producers assume they demand "spectacle". Why do we, at this point in time, equate mass entertainment with a lot of dancers, computer generated lit up backdrops, constant unremitting noise and beats, and a din of cheering from a staged infield audience?
Its not just because they are hispanic, almost all of recent halftime shows have been something similar.
I dont think a rock band or a country group or singer would even be considered at this point.
It's a HALF-HOUR including set-up and tear down maybe? They performed "medleys" and they had a lot of population centers to 'illustrate' to in performance. Notice J-Lo begin with a New York Empire State 'pole' effect and moved on to Puerto Rico and at least one other 'quick-dress' costume change? Latin girls/women ROCK! Latin music/dance is richly fast/frenzied/stylized.
Mind you, I did take notice of your concern, however. The time would have been better served with one production set grouping and one or both stars!
One more thing: Some of these superstars (if not all) are attempting to pull out key elements of the song associated video to distill into a half-hour Superbowl "experience." Some are more successful at it than others.
Both of these talented MILF's are aging well. Michael Jackson set the standard for crotch grabbing several years ago.
Fun to watch the Mahomes Magic prevail again. .
Why would a 50 year old woman (Lopez) grab her crotch on worldwide television?
I know it's part of the act, but come on.
Why wouldn't she when we live in a godless, progressive society that encourages sexual deviance?
Yeah - and how 'bout that Janet person who popped her boob - yuck.
Come on man, she had a nice rack back then.
"Why would a 50 year old woman (Lopez) grab her crotch..."
And now you understand - everybody's doing it.
Shakira.....
I mean, come on, Shakira is hot.
But I would have preferred her to stand still for 5 seconds.
But hips don't lie!
The only part of the half time show I liked was when they played about ten seconds of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir.
Bounty, but it quickly morphed into the entire product line of Proctor & Gamble's other cleaning supplies and toilet paper.
Charmin, spic & span Fabreze et.al.,
By nature , I am immune to advertising. I have never in my life bought something as a response to a commercial. Maybe thats why I think these things are so stupid.
Now if I see that Macy's or Target has something I want on sale, that kind of advertising I might respond to.
Actually, this commercial in the series yesterday was one of my favorites, if not the only one. Most of the commercials were lackluster, in my opinion. Dare I state, amateurish?
Okay. This P&G commercial is actually INTERACTIVE on the web meaning you can see different scenes and scenarios here: . I hope it plays faster for you than it did for me. Still I like it!
That was not what Shakira being suggestive with her tongue. She is part Lebanese, did a "tongue-wag." The sound is actually a zaghrouta , a traditional Arabic celebration chant.
"I think Shakira and Lopez had giant vibrators fused to their spines." I thought the same thing only lower and was expecting a wardrobe malfunction.
I was disappointed the Budweiser Clydesdales horses were missing from the ads (or maybe I missed them)
Maybe somebody caught on that alcohol isn't the beverage of champions.