Social Commentary on the Super Bowl

2.3.08

Are you ready for commercials?

So, are you ready for commercials? Super Bowl commercials! A friend of mine sent me an evite to a Super Bowl party the other day that was titled just that way. I thought about this for quite a while. Commercials? Commercials? How can you be thinking about commercials before the game of the year! It’s the Giants verses the Pats! I happen to be a Giants fan as well as a Jets fan and I am from New York so you can understand my feelings. I live in Chicago now though so I guess it’s fair for my friends to ask that question, especially after last year. The Giants are underdogs 13 to 1 so I may be heading down that path as well today but if there is one thing a NY fan learns especially in the last few years it’s where to find hope!

Just to talk about my Jets for a moment, I so look forward to the Giants winning over the Pats because their coach, Bill Belichick was hand picked by coach Parcels (a great man) years earlier to take over as coach of the Jets and Bill decided to take some of the best players and run to New England! That traitor! All those Pats victories could have been ours! It takes a good leader as part of a winning equation though and he is one, even if a traitor.

Anyways, I can’t wait for this game to begin and I hope that the Giants will be taking their strength and determination they’ve had since the last time they played the Pats and really stick it to ‘em. Are you ready for commercials, no, I’m ready for a war!

Thinking about commercials though, they say that 30 seconds of commercial time during the big game will cost 2.6 million dollars, or 26,000,000 dollars, does that put it in perspective? Can you believe that? Where has this world come to where only the big companies can afford the time that has gotten so inflated and expensive? There was a story on the news where one person came up with the money to buy 2 seconds of air time for his business, a small business, a private business, yet the big wigs upstairs that control the time rejected him saying there wasn’t enough time for his commercial. It’s something to think about as you watch these entertaining yet high powered, high cash commercials today. Where’s the little guy? Where are the commercials for the stores down the street in your neighborhood? What about the chains that took years to grow because they are still owned by mom and pop or the family? Did they have the money for a commercial? Did they try? Did they want to be part of the action? Were they rejected a spot because their time requirement was too small or their business not popular enough, could they even ever hope to afford it? Who really is controlling what you are seeing today at commercial time? Maybe it’s too much to keep track of but perhaps the next time you buy something you can ask, “Am I buying this because of a Super Bowl commercial? A very expensive Super Bowl commercial?” If you are, maybe it’s a good idea to put that down and buy a smaller competitor’s product.

As I think about the dream of the Giants sticking it to the Pats, I also think about us, sticking it those fools who paid such high prices for their commercials. Be entertained by it, sure, it will probably be the only time this year when people talk about wanting to watch the commercials, they’re major annoyances though that strip the mind of the ability to think for itself (much like other things in the world today).

On that note, I’m excited to watch and see if the presidential candidates purchase any time during the Super Bowl today. It’s been rumored that they will. Super Duper Tuesday is this coming week and it’s the perfect way, albeit super expensive, to reach every man, woman, and child, as they will be watching the game as well as eagerly awaiting the commercials. Most of their commercials I admit are very annoying as well and don’t say much when you get down to it but I just want to tally up who thought it was a good idea and think about what kind of example they are setting as they move forward in their presidential campaigns. Honestly, you’re better off watching the evening news after or before the Super Bowl to hear more about the candidates and I for one hope people are going to do that and not only today. Pay attention to the news and if you can, the news from outside this country, like the BBC, as close to unbiased as you can get.

The Super Bowl commercials are a terrible and expensive waste of time. On any other day I would be forwarding my Tivo over the commercials because that is what I bought it for! Today though, folks who have no interest in the teams playing today have already set up commercial parties, you can be sure not one will be missed! What a concoction this is, I tell you what though, I’m ready for a game! And, I’m ready to party! Go Giants!