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“A record 126 million U.S. viewers watched the Philadelphia Eagles crush the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday… The Eagles cruised to victory from the first quarter onward, defeating the Chiefs by a score of 40-22.” Reuters
“Rapper Kendrick Lamar entertained a packed stadium crowd and audiences around the world watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, teasing and then delivering his ubiquitous, Grammy-winning diss track ‘Not Like Us.’…
“‘Not Like Us’ is part of a longstanding feud between Lamar and Canadian musician Drake, and there had been speculation that Lamar might skip the song at the Super Bowl. Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group, saying the song's false accusation that he is a pedophile has put him and his family in danger.” Reuters
“Anheuser-Busch InBev brought back its iconic workhorse Clydesdales for a Super Bowl ad that the brewing company says celebrates the ‘grit and determination’ of the American spirit… The return to safe, familiar, nostalgic ground represents a trend among some advertisers for this year’s Super Bowl LIX… Brands, which spent $8 million for 30-seconds of air time, leaned on humor, celebrity and warm references to America’s heartland, reflective of the cultural zeitgeist.” Reuters
The left praises the halftime show and was disappointed by the ads.
“While Lamar, who has Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize, didn’t say anything overtly political, he didn’t need to. While performing ‘Humble,’ he created an American flag with his backup dancers — every one of them a man of color…
“It was a powerful image, one that both rejected Trump’s attempts to whitewash our country while embracing the diversity that is actually what makes this country great. That Lamar had struck a nerve in Trump World was evident by all the Tweets criticizing the halftime show. ‘Not Like Us,’ it’s not just a Drake diss track!”
Nancy Armour, USA Today
“Innumerable people—I’ve been hearing from them all week—were praying that Lamar would say something about Trump or Musk to the tens of millions of viewers. They wanted him to take on all the weight of this moment. It’s an understandable desire, but it’s also unfair: a ‘save us’ burden that always disproportionately falls on the shoulders of Black artists… He said, ‘The revolution is about to be televised. You picked the right time, but the wrong guy.’…
“To me, these 16 words are not a puzzle but a work of art. It’s not literal. It’s something you hear, something you feel, and something you interpret. Like a moving sculpture or tapestry, you need to account for the intentions of the artist but also how those intentions interact with your own perspective and gut emotional response. I take it as him saying—again in Trump’s face—that our mindset needs to be aimed toward revolution but do not look to him to carry the weight. It’s the ‘right time,’ but I am the ‘wrong guy,’ if that’s your intent. No more martyrs. This is an ‘all of us’ project.”
Dave Zirin, The Nation
“The primary message this year’s halftime show communicated is that Kendrick Lamar had a banner year (but Drake didn’t) and you should stream his latest stuff and catch him on tour with SZA in a stadium near you. It was Super Bowl business as usual, well-planned branding synergy meeting the celebration of musical virtuosity… The dancer detained for sneaking a flag in support of Gaza and Sudan onto the field was the lone acknowledgment of chaos in the world beyond the show.”
Craig Jenkins, New York Magazine
Regarding the ads, “Pair the game’s lackluster outcome with a spate of ads that touted AI technology or turned celebrities into terrifying CGI abominations of themselves, and the whole evening felt like a distant echo of what the Super Bowl once was…
“With no competition in the game itself and no ads that would suggest our culture has anything more exciting to offer than sequels and regurgitated, live-action adaptations of hit animated movies, watching the Super Bowl felt like turning on the TV in the waiting room of purgatory. Super Bowl Sunday used to be a day where culture was made. Now, it’s where culture is flattened into the most flavorless, insignificant iteration of itself possible.”
Coleman Spilde, Salon
The right is divided about the halftime show and praises the ads.
The right is divided about the halftime show and praises the ads.
“When the NFL chooses a Grammy-winning rapper, it should ask him to produce a show that connects with a wide audience, and pick a universal theme that grandparents, grandchildren, and everyone in between can relate to. Joy, unity, or victory are good theme ideas; ‘maybe this guy is a pedophile’ is not. Also, it might be nice to have less crotch grabbing and more sequins…
“Samuel L. Jackson had a speaking role, dressed as Uncle Sam. He has a strong stage presence, but it wasn’t totally clear what the message was. Besides, the audience was not there for a message — they were there to be entertained. Overall, it was boring if you didn’t know about the rapper war… The NFL drops the ball when it fails to demand entertainment broad enough to reach the many ages and subcultures watching.”
Beth Brelje, The Federalist
Others argue, “It's true that Lamar isn't necessarily a household name in America in the same way someone like Prince used to be, but he is by enough people in Millennial and Gen-Z circles. Lamar is one of the most streamed musicians in America… More than that, it has to be understood that the goal of the Super Bowl halftime show isn't to appeal to the largest amount of fans, at least not anymore. Entertaining the country is actually a secondary, if not tertiary, objective at this point…
“The real goal is to maintain the attention of younger generations, who will go and stream the music they heard and see what everyone is talking about. This means the streaming services, such as Apple Music (which is a halftime show sponsor), get to watch as people flood their music service, resulting in money. Since Lamar is so culturally relevant and influential, the chances of his music being streamed repeatedly go up, resulting in more money. You wouldn't get this same financial response if you were to bring in someone far more widely known yet not as culturally relevant as, say, George Strait or The Rolling Stones.”
Brandon Morse, RedState
Regarding the ads, “Nothing I saw suggested that woke was operative in messaging or context. If the Super Bowl previews the ad campaigns to come (and they usually do), the ad industry appears to have dumped the entire concept this year. Even the NFL dialed it down this year, removing the ‘End Racism’ slogans in the end zones and replacing them with ‘Choose Love’ instead. The ads and the programming both turned out to be blessedly woke-free for the first time in years…
“Even PSAs got into the act. One commercial for breast-cancer awareness spent at least half of the ad grabbing everyone's attention through lingerie, swimwear, and low-cut blouses before getting to the point of the message, which Wanda Sykes delivered… It was sassy and fun before turning serious, and celebrated rather than scolded… Democrats may not be listening to the electorate, but Madison Avenue certainly has.”
Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
