Paramount Theatre
Super Bowl Coverage as Cultural Indicator
RECEIVED Tue., Feb. 3, 2004
Dear Editor,
Like many pseudo football fans, I find the Super Bowl enthralling. To me it is the quintessential example of how American culture has come to its hyper-realistic endpoint. Super Sunday is the culmination of our Romanesque excesses: gladiatorial sport, chemical indulgence, crowd mentality, and bulk entertainment. In a word, pop.
However, not all of these attributes are inherently bad. It could be argued that what you see before, during, and after Super Bowl Sunday is in essence the fabric our society. If the culture of America has changed, chances are the pattern will reveal itself on this day.
Cases in point: America doesn't know when enough is enough – four-bladed razors. The SUV will soon be passé – hybrid station wagons. Trendsetting celebrities are shifting back to more conservative hairstyles – a noticeable lack of cornrows on the sideline. Popular music is ready for its next evolution – an overdose of hip-hop at halftime. And most surprisingly of all, America is ready to discuss nudity in public – Janet Jackson.
For anyone who has not visited Western Europe it may come as a surprise that many countries offer nudity on public television around the clock. For anyone who has not visited the Marriott hotel at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, it may come as a surprise that business travelers enjoy commercial-free porn with their room service. But if you show a pastie on national television, buddy, you are going to get it from the conservative right.
America is always ready to punish itself with a new debate on an old social issue. Our country hasn't figured out what to think of Roe v. Wade, let alone gay marriage. But this past Super Sunday we added another debate to the mix: How much nudity is America ready to accept, and how quickly will this change?
Like many pseudo football fans, I find the Super Bowl enthralling. To me it is the quintessential example of how American culture has come to its hyper-realistic endpoint. Super Sunday is the culmination of our Romanesque excesses: gladiatorial sport, chemical indulgence, crowd mentality, and bulk entertainment. In a word, pop.
However, not all of these attributes are inherently bad. It could be argued that what you see before, during, and after Super Bowl Sunday is in essence the fabric our society. If the culture of America has changed, chances are the pattern will reveal itself on this day.
Cases in point: America doesn't know when enough is enough – four-bladed razors. The SUV will soon be passé – hybrid station wagons. Trendsetting celebrities are shifting back to more conservative hairstyles – a noticeable lack of cornrows on the sideline. Popular music is ready for its next evolution – an overdose of hip-hop at halftime. And most surprisingly of all, America is ready to discuss nudity in public – Janet Jackson.
For anyone who has not visited Western Europe it may come as a surprise that many countries offer nudity on public television around the clock. For anyone who has not visited the Marriott hotel at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, it may come as a surprise that business travelers enjoy commercial-free porn with their room service. But if you show a pastie on national television, buddy, you are going to get it from the conservative right.
America is always ready to punish itself with a new debate on an old social issue. Our country hasn't figured out what to think of Roe v. Wade, let alone gay marriage. But this past Super Sunday we added another debate to the mix: How much nudity is America ready to accept, and how quickly will this change?
Rad Tollett