Wednesday, February 04, 2004
A CORRUPT CULTURE EXPOSED
Let's Take It Back
by Wayne Robins
Sometimes you just get lucky. Because I love football, I hurried to post my impressions of the Super Bowl half time show (see Feb. 1, below) and missed Janet Jackson's contrived publicity stunt.
But Jackson's breast-baring was just a symptom of a culture gone wrong. In a post-mortem, one ad executive correctly characterized the $2.3 million-per 30-second commercials as a stupidity sweepstakes. The MTV-produced entertainment spectacle on fellow Viacom network CBS said all that needs to be said about how the concept of media synergy has backfired like that flatulent Budweiser horse. The production itself--you were expecting better from MTV?--was so devoid of organization or sensibility that it didn't even rise to the level of trash. And the NFL, like CBS and MTV, by slavishly feeding stupidity to a demographic it already regards as moronic, showed contempt for its own "product," which happened to be a great football game.
Maybe we were lucky to catch all this. I think we were delivered a defining moment in American cultural history, a moment when all the pretenses have been stripped, and we can all reflect on just how low we've let our institutions sink: Rock and roll, television, advertising, show business, pro football, the perversion of the American flag. This is the nadir, people. Let us learn and rise from it.
The best review of the Super Bowl spectacle came from New York City taxi driver Travis Bickle. "All the animals come out at night," Bickle has said. "Sick, venal...Some day a real rain will come and wash all the real scum off the streets."
Let's take back our pop culture, now! Suggestions?
(c) 2004 Wayne Robins. All rights reserved, except Bickle monologue written by Paul Schrader.
Let's Take It Back
by Wayne Robins
Sometimes you just get lucky. Because I love football, I hurried to post my impressions of the Super Bowl half time show (see Feb. 1, below) and missed Janet Jackson's contrived publicity stunt.
But Jackson's breast-baring was just a symptom of a culture gone wrong. In a post-mortem, one ad executive correctly characterized the $2.3 million-per 30-second commercials as a stupidity sweepstakes. The MTV-produced entertainment spectacle on fellow Viacom network CBS said all that needs to be said about how the concept of media synergy has backfired like that flatulent Budweiser horse. The production itself--you were expecting better from MTV?--was so devoid of organization or sensibility that it didn't even rise to the level of trash. And the NFL, like CBS and MTV, by slavishly feeding stupidity to a demographic it already regards as moronic, showed contempt for its own "product," which happened to be a great football game.
Maybe we were lucky to catch all this. I think we were delivered a defining moment in American cultural history, a moment when all the pretenses have been stripped, and we can all reflect on just how low we've let our institutions sink: Rock and roll, television, advertising, show business, pro football, the perversion of the American flag. This is the nadir, people. Let us learn and rise from it.
The best review of the Super Bowl spectacle came from New York City taxi driver Travis Bickle. "All the animals come out at night," Bickle has said. "Sick, venal...Some day a real rain will come and wash all the real scum off the streets."
Let's take back our pop culture, now! Suggestions?
(c) 2004 Wayne Robins. All rights reserved, except Bickle monologue written by Paul Schrader.
Sunday, February 01, 2004
It's Half-Time at the Super Bowl
by Wayne Robins
Excellent first half. Manchester United and Arsenal were playing a tense scoreless tie, the big surprise being Manchester striker Adam Vinatieri missed two open penalty shots. About about 26:30 of the first half, however, all heck broke loose, goals began being scored with manic alacrity, and the half ended 14-10. (Oh...I'm told by the desk that it wasn't Man United vs. Arsenal but the Patriots versus the Panthers...never mind!)
Halftime show: Janet Jackson bogus. P. Diddy looking good, Nelly with the charisma edge, and Kid Rock, wearing an American flag-motif tallis, forcing my kids to ask the question: "Why does anyone like him?" We suspect Kid Rock nation is like, NASCAR kids, small town midwestern and southern suburban adolescent boys who like a little rap, a little rock and roll, but frankly, would rather be in the den maxxing out on the XBox or PlayStation.
So far commercials disappointingly dreary. Bud Light's commercials, what with a horse farting a candle flame into a torch that sears a lovely blonde during a supposedly romantic moment the most embarrassing. Bud Light's demographic seems to be dropping along with the taste of its ad writers: They seem to be trying to ween 14-year-old boys away from Kid Rock's Coors Light. Ain't that America!
(c) 2004 Wayne Robins
by Wayne Robins
Excellent first half. Manchester United and Arsenal were playing a tense scoreless tie, the big surprise being Manchester striker Adam Vinatieri missed two open penalty shots. About about 26:30 of the first half, however, all heck broke loose, goals began being scored with manic alacrity, and the half ended 14-10. (Oh...I'm told by the desk that it wasn't Man United vs. Arsenal but the Patriots versus the Panthers...never mind!)
Halftime show: Janet Jackson bogus. P. Diddy looking good, Nelly with the charisma edge, and Kid Rock, wearing an American flag-motif tallis, forcing my kids to ask the question: "Why does anyone like him?" We suspect Kid Rock nation is like, NASCAR kids, small town midwestern and southern suburban adolescent boys who like a little rap, a little rock and roll, but frankly, would rather be in the den maxxing out on the XBox or PlayStation.
So far commercials disappointingly dreary. Bud Light's commercials, what with a horse farting a candle flame into a torch that sears a lovely blonde during a supposedly romantic moment the most embarrassing. Bud Light's demographic seems to be dropping along with the taste of its ad writers: They seem to be trying to ween 14-year-old boys away from Kid Rock's Coors Light. Ain't that America!
(c) 2004 Wayne Robins
