Superb Owl LVII Game Thread

[jerichoholicninja]

Alice Cooper lives in Phoenix, still tours, and puts on quite an entertaining show not just a concert. Perhaps his act is too "risque" for the NFL but I think he would have been a great choice. I get that it needs to be a spectacle and not just some people standing around playing and signing music but all these current and past rap/pop/hip hop acts putting on some sort of dadaesque film with dancers just don't appeal to me. And while I don't think the majority of the watching public dislike them or really even care one way or the other, I don't think they really do anything to attract more viewers either.

[CheeseheadInQC]

46 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

I pay so little attention to (read: give not a damn about) pop culture that 75% of the commercials feature "celebrities" who I have no idea who they are.

I still have pop culture reference points, but they are weird ones. Like the celebrity cameo that my wife and I commented on most were the “What Does the Fox Say?” guys because they were on the first season of Taskmaster Norway.

I’m not the biggest Rihanna fan, but the halftime show was fine. So often lately they focus so much attention on getting big name cameos outside the main performers or multiple massive set pieces that it just devolves into incoherence. This one felt positively staid in comparison.

[homer]

37 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

I still have pop culture reference points, but they are weird ones. Like the celebrity cameo that my wife and I commented on most were the “What Does the Fox Say?” guys because they were on the first season of Taskmaster Norway.

I’m not the biggest Rihanna fan, but the halftime show was fine. So often lately they focus so much attention on getting big name cameos outside the main performers or multiple massive set pieces that it just devolves into incoherence. This one felt positively staid in comparison.

it hasn't just been lately. these are the shows from 1990 - 2001. Honestly looking back at the last 20 years there have been like 3 decent halftime shows. 

 

2001: "The Kings of Rock and Pop" featuring Aerosmith, 'N'Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly

2000: "A Tapestry of Nations" featuring Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and an 80-person choir

1999: "Celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing" featuring Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and tap dancer Savion Glover

1998: "A Tribute to Motown's 40th Anniversary" including Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations

1997: "Blues Brothers Bash" featuring Dan Akroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi (also featuring "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown and ZZ Top)

1996: Diana Ross celebrating 30 years of the Super Bowl with special effects, pyrotechnics and stadium card stunt. Finale featured Diana Ross being taken from the stadium in a helicopter

1995: "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye" featuring Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, Arturo Sandoval, the Miami Sound Machine and stunts including fire and skydivers. Finale included audience participation with light sticks

1994: "Rockin' Country Sunday" featuring Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna & Naomi Judd. Finale included flashlight stunt

1993: "Heal the World" featuring Michael Jackson and 3,500 local children. Finale included audience card stunt.

1992: "Winter Magic" including a salute to the winter season and the winter Olympics featuring Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill

1991: "A Small World Salute to 25 Years of the Super Bowl" featuring New Kids on the Block

1990: "Salute to New Orleans" and 40th Anniversary of Peanuts' characters, featuring trumpeter Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw & Irma Thomas

 

[Fear The Chorizo]

I think a group like Tool, Incubus, or Smashing Pumpkins could put on a really good halftime show.  Prince's was an all timer, and part of why it was so awesome was he had no qualms playing a couple covers along with some of his hits.  Finding a rock group or artist that could go a similar route would be pretty sweet.  We'll probably get Tswift of Edie Sheeran instead for next year, but oh well.

Heck, Queen with Adam Lambert wouldn't be a bad option....something where there's actual instruments played to make the songs as part of the performance rather than filling up a football field with dancers would be good if only for the sake of mixing it up a bit.

[CheezWizHed]

I can't remember the last half time show I've watched or even cared about.  They should just give it up to America's Got Talent.  Simon would be more interesting. 

[MrTPlush]

You aren't the target audience, they don't care if you like it. You turned on the game to watch football, they don't need to make the halftime show your idol from your teen years that is now 85 years old. The halftime show and the commercials are not to attract the average football fan to turn on a game they were already turning on anyway. 

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, MrTPlush said:

You aren't the target audience, they don't care if you like it. You turned on the game to watch football, they don't need to make the halftime show your idol from your teen years that is now 85 years old. The halftime show and the commercials are not to attract the average football fan to turn on a game they were already turning on anyway. 

Yeah, but then why dust off Rihanna or for that matter 40- and 50-something rappers?  Madonna?  

I'm sure there's no way it would ever happen, but I'd prefer a revamped halftime show that tries to incorporate acts from multiple genres - not meshing weird collaborations together on stage like when MTV was heavily involved, but having stars present and past from rock, pop, hip hop/R&B, country, etc all perform their stuff individually....and keep the identities of the groups performing a secret.  If they want to generate fan interest from across the musical/cultural spectrum, that would be pretty cool.

Another option could be the halftime show honoring a legendary group or artist, and then have stars of today perform some of their hits - maybe finishing with that group/artist playing a song, similar to music hall of fame inductions or Kennedy Center Honors events.

 

[MrTPlush]

6 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Yeah, but then why dust off Rihanna or for that matter

 

The internet (women and Rihanna fangirls) were calling it historical. Like...it was something to put in a history book. One person exclaimed, "I can't believe I just watched actual history in real life."

But that is why they did it, women got glued to the TV to see it. At least at the get together I was at they all freaking out hearing their HS/college jams get performed again. Most of the purpose of the halftime show is creating some hype around it for no apparent reason. Whether it is even good is almost pointless. You already committed to turning on the TV and eating cheese dip for 3 hours. 

I get your point, it doesn't really cater to the male audience. Especially middle aged or higher...but they simply don't need to cater to that demographic. The targeted demographic also probably doesn't want to hear Rihanna cover your decades band either. 

Personally, I just watch it and laugh at whatever weird meme worthy thing is about to happen. Marshmallow army or a dancing shark. 

[Fear The Chorizo]

The internet (women and Rihanna fangirls) were calling it historical. Like...it was something to put in a history book. One person exclaimed, "I can't believe I just watched actual history in real life."

That was all predetermined by those groups of people before she even sang/lip synched a note Sunday and the world's supply of white puffy vests was exhausted - on the other hand, my wife was really looking forward to it, but then cringed through the whole performance and thought it wasn't entertaining at all.  She loved last year's and the JLo/Shakira halftime show, but is brutally honest when something isn't good.  Rihanna's halftime show was a dud, and the only reasons to argue otherwise have nothing to do with the actual performance.

[homer]

I think people gave her some slack when they figured out she was pregnant. 

[wallus]

People that didn't like Rihanna didn't like her performance at halftime, I'm shocked!

The amount of Boomers I saw complain about the halftime performance while also saying the anthem sung by Chris Stapleton was breathtaking was absurd. Just don't watch the performance if it is going to cause you angst. 

[stoutdude04]

1 hour ago, wallus said:

People that didn't like Rihanna didn't like her performance at halftime, I'm shocked!

The amount of Boomers I saw complain about the halftime performance while also saying the anthem sung by Chris Stapleton was absurd. Just don't watch the performance if it is going to cause you angst. 

This.  I took that time to put my kids to bed.  I too had friends telling me they had shed a tear to Stapleton and then blast the halftime show.  I watched neither of them and I am cool with that.  I did see two funny clips of the Rihanna performance though.  One was the front and one was the back.  Giggled at both of those I suppose.

[CheezWizHed]

I thought Stapleton started oddly... almost like a mike failure or just too low?  He did better at the end, but I can't say it was stunning.  Frankly, I was left wondering if there was more to the backstory of Sirianni than just being moved by the song. 

And at halftime, we ate supper and watched something else.  Then turned the game back on at the end to see how it finished.  I don't waste 3 hours on a non-Packer game. 

[HarryDoyle]

On 2/13/2023 at 5:32 PM, LouisEly said:

Def Leppard came out with a new album last year and is/was touring.  A friend of mine is one of their guitar techs, and another guy who was in my friend's Def Leppard tribute band is also a guitar tech for them and primary backup - so if one of the guitarists can't go, he gets called into wardrobe.

And Def Leppard is cool with the 20-somethings.

I prefer ten armed Def Leppard.

[homer]

A "grunge" tribute might be cool but without Soundgarden and STP (and Pearl Jam won't do it) it's kind of pointless. But some of these suggestions you guys are making....wow. 

[MrTPlush]

To be honest...we still haven't gotten Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, or Lil Nas X. So much potential left out to really have the Boomer slamming beer and wings in utter disgust. 

Sometimes I wonder if they are trying to attract people that wouldn't usually watch the Super Bowl or if they want old middle aged men angrily typing about it on social media for free attention. I hear and learn more about the upcoming halftime show from people complaining about it beforehand.  It is like a win-win, I think they actually hope football fans hate it. 

[CheezWizHed]

6 minutes ago, MrTPlush said:

To be honest...we still haven't gotten Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, or Lil Nas X. So much potential left out to really have the Boomer slamming beer and wings in utter disgust. 

Sometimes I wonder if they are trying to attract people that wouldn't usually watch the Super Bowl or if they want old middle aged men angrily typing about it on social media for free attention. I hear and learn more about the upcoming halftime show from people complaining about it beforehand.  It is like a win-win, I think they actually hope football fans hate it. 

[pitchleague]

Who wouldn’t watch a Weird Al halftime show.   Heck, throw in a couple other artists which would allow a few of Al’s famous costume changes.