Any thoughts on the Super Bowl half-time show?

[ralpht]

I found it annoying.

[chidrummer]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[tom_moulton]

Glad I'm Older

[GeeTee(HPK)]

I had the mute button on.

[jillfoster]

Sucktastic.

[marv2]

It was quite "different".........hehehehehe....!

[paladin]

No !..........

[randy_russi]

Well, they DID sing "live", which for so many of today's artists isn't even a consideration. It also took quite a bit of work to
put that all together with the dancers on the field.

[topdiva1]

It lacked any true showmanship - the Black Eyed Peas are relatively over and always overated - someone more current and or more legendary should have been chosen.

One of the worst and most boring of half time shows. Not memorable.

[Kamasu_Jr]

What half-time show? i was eating from the buffet and at the bar.

[Penny]

I didn't like it.

[soulster]

I was very disappointed that they didn't use a live band. It was all flash and no substance.

The only thing that kept me watching was Fergie looking hot.

The BEP could have done much better than this.

[tsull1]

Perhaps one of the worst live performances I've witnessed anywhere, including grade school Christmas concerts.

I'm stunned this group could perform at a bar in some podunk town, let alone the Super Bowl and sell CD's. Wow, that was awful. At the party I was at, everyone was saying it looked like a Saturday Night Live skit. People were holding their ears, they couldn't believe how out of tune they were. Man, that's awful stuff, and quit shaking your fist at me Fergie, same with the dudes in the space suits.

Feel sorry for kids today as they will buy what's fed them. It's the new society where bad is good and good is bad. Man, seriously, that was some of the worst music I've heard in my life. Horrifically bad on all levels.

[Doug-Morgan]

I watched both the Grey Cup and The Super Bowl this year. Both games were good [[even though the RoughRiders lost to Montreal), but the Grey Cup's half-time entertainment was Bachman Turner Overdrive, and compared to the Super Bowl show, an old BTO dressed in cold weather gear [[the game was in Edmonton) far outperformed The Black Eyed Peas.

I haven't figured out why, but the Super Bowl halftime shows now a days make the old Orange Bowl extravaganzas look like Broadway musicals by comparison.

[blueskies]

Perhaps one of the worst live performances I've witnessed anywhere, including grade school Christmas concerts.

I'm stunned this group could perform at a bar in some podunk town, let alone the Super Bowl and sell CD's. Wow, that was awful. At the party I was at, everyone was saying it looked like a Saturday Night Live skit. People were holding their ears, they couldn't believe how out of tune they were. Man, that's awful stuff, and quit shaking your fist at me Fergie, same with the dudes in the space suits.

Feel sorry for kids today as they will buy what's fed them. It's the new society where bad is good and good is bad. Man, seriously, that was some of the worst music I've heard in my life. Horrifically bad on all levels.

You hit the nail on the head, tsull! I'll have to quote Tom Molton...."Glad I'm older".

[juicefree20]

To be honest I can't believe that that Halftime 'Show' held the attention of the majority of the viewing audience.

It seems to me as though the audience that the producers were trying to reel in WERE NOT the true Football fan, but rather the younger fan who doesn't truly love sports but views the Super Bowl as a 'Happening'...another trendy party to hang out at. I believe that when you look at the demographic of the long-time, faithful Super Bowl watchers, the sounds of toilet flushes & remote control switching could be seen or heard for miles.

I don't know why the producers seem to feel the need to grab the trendiest & most disposable of artists, in order to prop up a game whose popularity has stood the test of time for more than 4 decades. I would believe that the game can stand on its own merit, without the need to dumb it down, just in order to say that they got a few more views.

Some folks may blame it on ratings, but I blame it on the ever-increasing dumbing down of society, where any Ted, Jon & Gaga can be famous for 6 weeks, after which they'll be tossed aside for the next plug-in modules. I would've preferred to see less glitz & less flash & a show featuring artists of more substance. The game has longevity so why not get some artists...ANY ARTISTS, whom may actually have a career that lasts for more than a few years?

And is it just me who's totally nauseated by this constant b.s. 'mom, apple pie, Chevrolet' crap that the NFL keeps trotting out to fans who will never be able to afford a ticket to this game, via tv networks who give the NFL an unfair advantage over the players by paying them their billions even if THE OWNERS lockout the players, which is a VERY unAmerican thing to do?

Looks & sounds like B.S. all the way around, which is another reason why we get these kind of Halftime displays.

Which only serves to prove that entertainment ain't exactly what it used to be.

And that's why you get C.A. & the Halftime Show that we saw.

[soulster]

Perhaps one of the worst live performances I've witnessed anywhere, including grade school Christmas concerts.

I'm stunned this group could perform at a bar in some podunk town, let alone the Super Bowl and sell CD's. Wow, that was awful. At the party I was at, everyone was saying it looked like a Saturday Night Live skit. People were holding their ears, they couldn't believe how out of tune they were. Man, that's awful stuff, and quit shaking your fist at me Fergie, same with the dudes in the space suits.

Feel sorry for kids today as they will buy what's fed them. It's the new society where bad is good and good is bad. Man, seriously, that was some of the worst music I've heard in my life. Horrifically bad on all levels.

I'm going to be honest: This is the type of reaction to today's music and artists I expect from a forum called "Soulful Detroit". That is because it tends to attract older people who like the older sounds of the Motor City from mainly the 60s and 70s.

The BEPs are not bad. It's just a different type of music. They weren't out of tune because they could not sing. They were moving around, and they did use backing tracks that were autotuned. The autotune is used because it's the fad today. I wish it wasn't, but it will pass one day. And, remember that the flash is part of the performance. Have you all forgotten how Earth Wind & Fire used tons of pyrotechnics and mid-air suspension in their concerts? You want perfect singing without autotune from Fergie? Listen to her doing different music...live.

[skooldem1]

There have been more than enough veteran artist doing half time. You have to throw in some young blood too. The BEP's are a party group. Their show and music was perfect for this event.

[soulster]

It seems to me as though the audience that the producers were trying to reel in WERE NOT the true Football fan, but rather the younger fan who doesn't truly love sports but views the Super Bowl as a 'Happening'...another trendy party to hang out at.

Well, that's just it, Juice. The Super Bowl is an event. It's over-commercialized. It's not even about the game for many people. I know a LOT of hardcore fans who had no interest in either team this year, but still watched the game becuse it's an event, a holiday. Can you blame the producers for capitalizing on it? The half-time show has become almost as popular as the commercials....don't get me started on the commercials. I know that if you are a serious football fan, you just hate all this emphasis on the entertainment aspect, but, it is what it is. Actually, it is the entertainment and politics of the events that turned me off from football long ago.

I don't know why the producers seem to feel the need to grab the trendiest & most disposable of artists, in order to prop up a game whose popularity has stood the test of time for more than 4 decades. I would believe that the game can stand on its own merit, without the need to dumb it down, just in order to say that they got a few more views.

There are a lot of people on another forum I frequent that would prefer some aging classic rockers be the half-time attraction. Some want country. Perhaps the Super Bowl people should have two or three musical acts to satisfy everyone. Personally, I would hate to see them do a country act because for the last two decades, country music has been shoved down our collective throats as being America's "wholesome clean, all-American" favorite music, and that's even more revolting to me. It's even more exclusionary. These days, when I think of country music, I think of Toby Keith, Sarah Palin, and all those politically divisive clowns.

Some folks may blame it on ratings, but I blame it on the ever-increasing dumbing down of society, where any Ted, Jon & Gaga can be famous for 6 weeks, after which they'll be tossed aside for the next plug-in modules. I would've preferred to see less glitz & less flash & a show featuring artists of more substance. The game has longevity so why not get some artists...ANY ARTISTS, whom may actually have a career that lasts for more than a few years?

The BEP has been around for a decade. That's a long time.

And is it just me who's totally nauseated by this constant b.s. 'mom, apple pie, Chevrolet' crap that the NFL keeps trotting out to fans who will never be able to afford a ticket to this game, via tv networks who give the NFL an unfair advantage over the players by paying them their billions even if THE OWNERS lockout the players, which is a VERY unAmerican thing to do?

This is close to my comment about people who want crusty classic rockers or country music.

Looks & sounds like B.S. all the way around, which is another reason why we get these kind of Halftime displays.

Which only serves to prove that entertainment ain't exactly what it used to be.

Was it really ever?

And that's why you get C.A. & the Halftime Show that we saw.

I usually agree with you on pretty much everything, but not here. But, if you were in charge, who would you have picked for the SPB and half-time?

There have been more than enough veteran artist doing half time. You have to throw in some young blood too. The BEP's are a party group. Their show and music was perfect for this event.

That's what i'm sayin'! I still think they were a good move, but I say they could have done it differently. I recall Bruce Springsteen's excellent half-time show a few years ago. But, again, he is an aging rocker that a lot of people can not relate to because he's not contemporary.

[juicefree20]

Soulster:

I understand where you're coming from & as they say, from a business model, I know what you mean, Unfortunately, that's the problem that I have with it all.

I lost my TRUE love for sports in general some years back, when I grew up & it became crystal clear that it was all a big crock & that the fans meant nothing to these folks. So, I'm now one of those casual watchers, as opposed to the fanatic that I used to be because I can't love anything that doesn't love me back. These folks have made it clear that if you are affluent they love you, if not...then they'll attempt to pimp our childhood memories in order to keep our loyalty while sticking it to us every in every way that they can.

I believe that if you have a good product, then it should be able to stand on its own merit, so in that respect, yes, I do blame them for dumbing-down the proceedings. They may get a few more eyeballs, but who can truly prove that to be the case? Given that for a whole lot of people, the Superbowl has become nothing but an 'event', who's to say that these 'casual'/'disinterested' fans wouldn't be tuning in REGARDLESS of the Halftime entertainment?

Those folks aren't necessarily tuning in for the entertainent, because a person who truly hates sports wouldn't be likely to stick around watching something that they have no interest in just so they could watch the Halftime Show. And even if they did, they're not necessarily going to be talking about the game, but rather the performance that they saw.

If I were a producer or the NFL Commissioner, I'd be asking myself, am I helping myself by courting disinterested people, as well as if I'm actually diluting or diminishing the power & appeal of MY game, by resorting to parlor tricks, hoping to keep the interest of people whom could care less about my sport, at the expense of those who truly love the game?

I thought that the GAME was the thing & the enterainment was to be a complimentary part of it, not the other way around.

It looks to me as though the tail's wagging the dog & I don't see any long-term benefits in doing this the way that they are currently doing it. Honestly, I really don't believe that these casual partiers would leave in droves if different entertainment was involved. Most of them are just hanging out to eat, drink & fraternize & I really don't think that they'd notice or care.

If I were the Commissioner of the NFL, I'd be a little concerned that there is more focus on Christina Aguilera flubbing lines & forgetting lyrics & The Black-Eyed Peas, than there is on the game & Aaron Rodgers. It's kinda like going to a hotel with a woman to have a little fun, then revelling over the wonderful candy that they had in their vending machine. I mean, WHAT should be the PRIMARY focus?

It's not a big thing to me but, I'm just saying.

[chidrummer]

Now that I'm awake again, let me try to be a bit more thoughtful with my opinion, especially in light of the comments before me.

Juice, I think that the planners of the half time show are in this for one reason and one reason only. To keep the people who are watching the game, watching the station the game is on so that they watch the commercials that run during half time. Aka its all about the RATINGS. When half time consisted of a featured university marching band and/or Up With People, viewers left in droves. That action equals lower ad revenues for both the half time slots and in many cases the slots for the entire second half.

Today's "spectaculars" are supposed to prevent all that and it was working. All the way until the "wardrobe incident" viewers were staying, watching the commercials became hip and the money was rolling in. The "Incident" spooked the advertisers and therefore something had to be done. The producers of half time decided to play it safe for a while [[7 years?!!!) and book acts that could 1. Hold the attention of a large number of people and most importantly, 2. not be controversial.

This year it seems the producers decided it was time to be "relevant" again and booked, TBEP. The move looks great on paper. Obviously a lot work went into production, costumes, choreography and logistics. The computer graphics, light set ups and color staging alone must have been a nightmare. And it all HAS TO work right, right now!

For me, the thing they forgot was, the music. I understand that TBEP played a medley of their hits [[none of which I could ID) and they are, as has been previously noted, a party band. But, there was just no perceptible excitement from the music at all for me. Others [[that's pronounced, way younger than me) might feel differently. I just think the spectacle far exceeded the talent/music and think that's a shame.

Who would I get for next year?

I actually think Aguilera would have been far better used as the half time entertainment.
I would also consider:

Pink
Dave Matthews Band
Bon Jovi
and I'd even look at, Lady GaGa

after that, who else has an act that can appeal to a wide range of people in a large arena setting that hasn't already been used?

[marxthespot_]

I'm sure it played better live and in person than on TV....It fell flat on TV...

[tsull1]

Boy if they're a party group, that's one bad party. I'm not saying this because I'm older, I'm saying this because that was one of the worst performances I've seen anywhere. I've listened and played music -- tenor sax in symphonic, marching, and jazz band in high school. Also played a little guitar and piano when I was younger just for fun.

You can tell me the singing is great or the musicianship is fine, I know crap when I see it. "Let's get it started, uh huh," they couldn't even pull that off in tune. Hint: Don't let your voice crack, OK. That lead singer is AWFUL, perhaps the worst singer I've heard in the last decade. I mean BAD. That was horrific. I stayed quiet at the party and people around me -- many music fans -- were laughing, saying it was a complete joke. They couldn't believe how out of tune they were. Seriously, Fergie couldn't make the cut in most college choirs -- wow, stunningly, amazingly bad. The No. 2 male singer is a tool, worse than the first one and he dances like a klutz.

I mean folks, c'mon, bad is not good. This was amazingly AWFUL -- I've rarely seen anything this bad. Hey, they could stage some other newbie groups, fine, but these guys are bad on a different sort of level. I tried to keep an open mind, but when they kept singing off-tune and tripping over their feet in awful choreography, that was it for me.

You can tell me bad singing is good, that awful dancing is slick, that barf-bag songwriting is credible --- and you can shout me down here for saying so.

But you ain't convincing me bad is good. I know good, and this was AWFUL and beyond the worst.

[jboy88]

I'm going to be honest: This is the type of reaction to today's music and artists I expect from a forum called "Soulful Detroit". That is because it tends to attract older people who like the older sounds of the Motor City from mainly the 60s and 70s.

Actually, quite a few of my contemporaries were also not amused by the BEPs. Nor was I! Their Performance was no better than that of those rock bands. I actually felt kind of old watching it!