February 1, 2009, - 12:03 pm
Super Bowl Sunday & Why I Couldn’t Care Less; Do You Care? UPDATE: Preview Some Supe Ads
By Debbie Schlussel
This year, the Super Bowl is between two small-market teams, Pittsburgh and Arizona. But even if it were between two more exciting, big-market teams, I couldn’t care less about Super Bowl XLIII a/k/a the “Supe” (I call all Super Bowls, “Supe”). And maybe a lot of America feels that way, since I’ve noticed a decline in the hype over this TV event.
Yes, like most people I’ll watch (while cleaning my apartment and doing laundry). But whoever wins the Super Bowl, it won’t make my life better . . . or yours. It won’t change the world or your personal circumstances. It won’t do a thing. It’ll just be another notch in the belt of the billionaires who own the teams and the multi-millionaires who play for them. It’ll be another step in the endless tax-funding and subsidies to sports teams and their owners from American taxpayers.
Regardless of what happens in tonight’s meaningless “Big Game,” we’ll still be shelling out gazillions to build new stadiums–the workplaces of these most wealthy Americans. And sports teams will continue to offer below-market part time jobs with below-market wages and benefits as a “repayment” for taxpayer largesse. Sadly, even in this horrendous economy, the subsidies won’t end. They continue to date.
If I had to root for one team, it would be Arizona, only because of quarterback Kurt Warner, a religious Christian who went from supermarket bagger to Superbowl repeat visitor (with a comeback from Arena Football in between). I like this guy. On the other hand, the team’s other quarterback is slacker baby daddy/absentee father Matt Leinart. He’s kinda like the junior Tom Brady (Patriots Quarterback)–good-looking, but not much to admire in the character category. It would be hilarious if this baby daddy sperm donor was the game MVP and did that “I’m going to Disney World” ad. If he goes to Disney World, he won’t be taking his SINO–Son In Name Only (against whom he fought paying child support).
And speaking of the ads . . . . As we know, the Super Bowl is just an excuse for Americans to have a party. And that’s a good thing, especially in these times. And most Americans watch just to see the commercials. But for the last several years, the ads have been lame–unfunny, not catchy, and not something you ever care to see again. From what I’ve seen, this year is just another lower point on the downward trajectory.
In fact, I can remember few Super Bowl ads I liked. One, for Holiday Inn, featured a man going to his high school reunion. He meets a gorgeous blonde woman who looks kind of familiar. Then, he realizes the hot chick was a guy in high school. The point of the ad was to highlight the “changes” at Holiday Inn. The ad was a failure–people remembered it but not that it was for Holiday Inn–and didn’t run after the game. The other ad I liked was someone on the street selling talking dolls that say things like, “You’re prettier than your sister.” I can’t remember which company the ad was for. So, it’s a failure, too.
And that’s basically the thing about multi-million dollar superbowl ads, which cost millions to make, in addition to the airtime pricetag: we don’t remember them, and if we do, we rarely remember the company and/or product with which they were associated.
Bottom line: The Super Bowl–I couldn’t care less.
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Here’s the Superr Bowl ad for CareerBuilder.com. More annoying than funny:
This one for Cash4Gold.com is much better:
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So, do you care about tonight’s Big Show? Will you be watching? For whom will you be cheering?
In all fairness to Career Builder, they are probably aware of the dumbing down of America, and figured it would be a good idea to plan their add accordingly; lots of stupid, ‘eye-catching’ action, and silliness. It reminds me of many of the movie trailers of recent years.
One good thing about the super-bowl though; it is a great time to do errands for those stores or restaurants that are open, as there is so little traffic. A pleasure to drive. I didn’t know which teams were playing until I read your post.
c f on February 1, 2009 at 1:12 pm