Good day,
Monday. It's snowville outside and after a particularly crushing
weekend of mostly work and very little play, I'm a bit knackered. I'm glad I'm
past it and all is well today, if not a bit sleepier than usual. And if you're
one of the lucky people who invested in some fancy snow boots and coats this
year, looks like you're getting a real bang for your buck- being well geared is
the only way to deal with this winter business. But let's talk about football
(yes I just said that).
I know it would seem quite odd for me to write about football, but as someone who is trying to one day make a real go of this writing thing, I should be diverse in my subject matter. I should be able to write about anything. And I should be able to bring my own point-of-view to things some may feel I have no business discussing. Screw 'em. I'm doin' it. I don't fully understand football, but I know what I know.
So let's first talk about Joe Namath's coat, an immediate meme sensation and fodder for speculations as to whether it was real or not- I'm banking on the fact that it was. Joe always loved a fur, and although I am not a fan of such things, I did think he liked kind of amazing, but I can see him reading the weather report the night before and being very pissed that it wasn't going to be fur weather. Clearly he decided to wear that crazy full-length fur creation, even though the weather was more fit for a more normal, and lighter, winter silhouette. He looked bananas, and for that, I was grateful.
And as I started to (sort of) watch the game, it became very clear to me, a non-Football kind of girl, that this Seattle team was going to suck on the bones of the Broncos. They basically left them for dead. And Steven Hauschka, are you related to that fancy organic skincare line (Dr. Hauschka) with that amazing rose scented moisturizer? These are the things I think about when I watch football. Just a question.
And here's another question- what on Earth is up with all of the homoerotic slow mo? I swear every time they did it, it looked vaguely pornographic to me. Get a room, guys. Jeez. If football is not the most homoerotic sport in all of organized sports, I'm not sure what is. I'm not the first person to say that, and I certainly won't be the last.
In terms of uniforms, I enjoy the pants and sneakers with that fluorescent green thing. It went well with the carnage, and showcased the incredible speed of Seattle's players, though the Broncos helmets have that throwback thing I was digging on, but in terms of overall look, Seattle won. Unfortunately, poor Peyton was also a throwback. A hologram of him would have played better. He looked like a deer in the headlights to me. And in terms of eye candy, Eric Decker, number 87 on the Broncos, gets the trophy. He's a hottie and a half. Oh and anyone with the first name Golden? Good stuff. Awesome name. And he played for the right team, so he lived up to said moniker. Thank goodness for that. I also found it super intriguing that the match up was from two places where pot was recently made legal for recreational use. Perhaps Denver should have gotten some coffee from Seattle to go with it. They seemed a little too stoned to play.
But let me jump back to pregame for a minute when Bill O'Reilly took the opportunity to interrogate our President with his hate filled questions in a wildly inappropriate interview at the White House. Shame on Fox for allowing this- it's one day that Americans come together, eat fattening food, and let go of bullshit and cheer for their favorite team. To talk politics and ambush our President on Super Bowl Sunday was an outrage- super awkward and sad that Fox took the opportunity of a large audience to showcase their right wing views. I would have loved to see a piece on how Obama does the Super Bowl- let the POTUS enjoy a damn football game. That really got my goat. Bill O'Reilly. What a loathsome character. I vote for exiling him, not Justin Bieber. Sure, this is America and we are all entitled to our opinions, but football and politics don't go well together. I almost spit up my nachos.
As for halftime, kudos to Bruno Mars. The kid is a hell of an entertainer- I loved his gold lame jacket, his great dance moves, and high energy. He's fabulously talented, even if you're not a fan; you have to give it to him. He did a great job. On the other hand, the Chili Peppers. Oof. Anthony Keidis looks like a combo of what happens to Hannah's boyfriend on Girls at midlife mixed with a creepy feeler who hangs out under the bridge. Just a big no for me. I do still love Flea, but they just seemed to be trying too hard. I guess they rocked but the whole shirt off angry boy thing is not that cute anymore. Thank goodness they didn't come out in their infamous socks. That would have also made me spit up my nachos. Also, what the hell happened to Pam Oliver's hair? You're at the big game, lady. Get your hair done. I know it's raining, but really. Not cute.
And of course, of course, you can't write a piece on the Superbowl without writing about the ads. To me, it was a lackluster night. I'm amazed at how much better the ads were for the awards shows like The Grammys. When it comes to brands, we're living in risk averse times. Every ad was just too damn safe and not new enough for me. Is there anything else happening in America beyond nostalgia for times gone by?
Trotting out Bob Dylan for that Chrysler spot seemed very off to me, though I enjoyed the use of his song for Chobani. As one ad for the new "Transformers" movie told us, "prepare for extinction"- and if the ad industry keeps putting out ads that don't hit the mark, we may have to. We need to find way to reinvent this very squeaky wheel.
In general, there were just way too many teaser ads, a domination by Fox to promote all of their own shows (yea, Prince was on New Girl last night- we got the point), too many exploding movie promos, and way too much rah rah America stuff that needs to be retooled for a generation growing up with everything digital, gay marriage passing in many states, and pot becoming legal (yea, I know I mentioned that twice). Oh, and we have a black President and a possible female one (please Lord) coming up in the next election. My point is- this steely, Clint Eastwood cowboy version of who we are is not who we are anymore. As a consumer, I want to know where we're headed, what we are currently celebrating, and what's happening in pop culture that is not all about a moment that has already passed.
As someone who works in advertising, I think it's a challenge to either come up with a new way to do this Super Bowl spot thing, or scrap it completely. Just think what that money could do for causes that need our attention. To me, that's the future- brands actually making a difference and not trying so damn hard to be relevant, yet having no clue how to do so. If you want to change the game, there are big opportunities to do so, and it's not going to happen in a 30 or 60-second ad. I think it's time for big brands to get in the game, because the rules have changed, and so have we.
In my mind, the only commercial worth mentioning- Budweiser's "Puppy Love"- it gave me the warm fuzzies and had the greatness you expect from a Super Bowl spot. I loved it and it felt timeless without feeling dated- feel good spots are amazing and bypass the need to address what's going on with the world. I like spots that allow us to feel happy- and in an agnostic kind of way- good for all ages, views, etc. Greatness.
I can't say the same about the rest. I do think the Maserati spot was shot beautifully, and thumbs up for Microsoft - I loved the idea of showcasing technology doing good, a big theme in the world right now. Strategically, it was smart. Honorable mention goes to Audi coming up with the term and notion of a "doberhauhua". It made me laugh a little, just not hard enough. And also hats off to Cheerios for bringing back the mixed race commercial. It just didn't move me in itself, but I like that it was there. Oh, and ps- I know how much work goes into the making of these-I would never take any of that away from any of the fine folks (and friends of mine) that kiss their families goodbye for weeks on end to go make these ads. But really, is it worth it? Not unless you really have something to say. And that's the truth. Or, unless you're David Beckham in your underwear. (Thanks for that, H&M. I'm not mad at you).
I'll end this piece by saying how deeply regrettable it was that Phillip Seymour Hoffman died yesterday. There are no words to describe his gifts as an actor, and somehow, it made me sadder because I bet he was a great guy to hang out with and watch the Super Bowl. He seemed like a great guy, and more than Peyton Manning losing or the lackluster performance of advertising, losing him is a great American tragedy.
And there you have it. I may not have written that much about the game, but what is there to say really? It was a crappy day for Denver and a great day for Seattle and a flat kind of day for mad men and women. And that concludes this post bowl kind of Monday in the 212. Yours, in pigskin. Game on. Go team and such. XO