If you have grown up in America, lived in America, or perhaps even heard anything about America, odds are that you have at least become aware of the strangest occurrence in this great nation. It is not kids dressing up for free candy, a belief that a fat old man in a suit (supposedly jolly) sneaks into your house, nor the disturbing spiral towards a nation of obesity (though this and what happened last Sunday may be linked). No, what I am talking about is something much more strange : The Super Bowl. What we find is an event that somehow influences almost everybody in America. Ranging from the "die-hard" football fanatics that have to watch the game to the "hipster" crowd that does something else simply because watching the game or partaking in festivities would be too normal or mainstream, the nation changes for a day. Those that watch the game find themselves utterly disappointed in the actual sporting event (unless your team miraculously makes it, which being from CO and loving Tim Tebow, my team obviously didn't make it) but instead find themselves drawn to the commercials. Observed in the film we watched in class, The Persuaders, ads and commercials are now becoming the entertainment. I can think of no better example than the Super Bowl. When else do we have people gathered around televisions in such quantities for the mere purpose of watching something that intends to sell a product or service to them? In the attached website, it can be found that there were 111 million viewers this year alone, while only 38 million viewed PResident Obama's State of the Union Address just days before. The American Consumers are asking to be spoon-fed these advertisements.
No, I can not think of many more strange events that occur in this country than the Super Bowl. But, perhaps that's the "dream"? Come to America, get the house with the white picket fence, and then trash that house every February with friends, family, beer, pizza, chips, and a party with half of its attendees utterly upset and the other half in total bliss.
I am not saying that I did not watch (because I did watch, and I did enjoy the commercials). I just merely find the entire charade (including my own desire to participate) very strange. Attached is a link that highlights some outrageous and funny facts concerning this year's Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 2012 Facts and Figures
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