Boo on CBS

[vomitbunny]

I would have rather seen a more traditional half time show. Say, 1000 Elvis impersonators sitting on toilets shooting television sets while eating grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Then, uh, a ufo lands and those hanson boys jump out, but dressed like 50's greasers, and everyone sings a medely of Grease songs while doing the twist. In the background, a marching band is choosen by competition to march on behind all the proceedings and proceeds to play....nothing. Everything is lip synced, including the marching band.

[ChrisLaughlin]

I agree with Jens and Cranberry here -
I think we in the USA have our concerns completely mixed up when children watch murder after murder after murder (and all sorts of glorified death, destruction, murder and violence) on TV every day and nobody objects, but when a bit of the human body is revealed it becomes a moral outrage. The human body is a beautiful, wonderful thing that we've taught ourselves to be ashamed of for some unknowable reason. A breast is a breast. More than half the world's population has them. I've seen a lot of them in my day and it hasn't caused me any problems However, objectification of women (or men) is not such a good thing.
Killing people, on the other hand, is never, ever a good or beautiful thing....
If we really want to work on making TV less harmful to children (and people in generall) we should start by reducing the violence.

My two cents,
Chris

[Blackbeer]

Perfectly put Jens_Hoppe, perfectly put.



Tom

[peeplj]

Jens and especially Chris, I completely agree.

--James

[The Weekenders]

Chris: agree with sentiment but you are leaving out context. The clothing was "torn" off and the whole affair objectified it (you did mention that) and made it "dirty." It's the old Natl Geo thing, where a bevy of boobs is natural in Poonka-poonka but one "civilized" pillow (usually white) in a bikini is set up for Pavlovian-Freudian response in Leerland, USA. And it was the "climax" of the show I reckon, with Justin Timberrape "in charge." The fake apologies are more offensive than said chocolate hooter, btw. Tearaway clothing an accident, what a concept!

And, as pointed out, some kids were watchin' for crynoutloud, it wasn't after 10 or something like the most of the gruesome crime shows are. Fortunately, many kids have the sense to go run around during boring halftime shows, I bet. Even when I have watched SuperBowls for the local teams, I have yet to sit thru one of those bloated entertainments.

I viewed the offending gland on DrudgeReport, which was more closeup than anybody on tv saw, I reckon (I didn't watch game or anything) and its much ado about squished up very little. And the nipple-ring jewelry was lame, especially since she was "accidentally" wearing it.

I declare my desire for a Jackson-Free 2004!!! As if.

[Blackbeer]

If, Chris, you mean the violence we as a nation inflict upon the world then I totaly agree. I am much more concerned with the example being set by this nation, and its justifications for such actions then I am for the reflected national mentality brought to us by the mass media. The hipocracy is mind blowing.

Tom

[ChrisLaughlin]

Blackbeer,
Well put and agreed.

Weekenders,
I agree with you about the exploitation and objectification aspect. That's what makes me upset. It's not as if we don't have enough exploitation in the world. It was definately poor taste, a bad example and absolutely planned. Poor form indeed.

Still, my sentiment about the hypocrisy of condoning violence on TV while condemning sex remains.

Chris

[Zubivka]

I agree with Jens and Cranberry here -
I think we in the USA have our concerns completely mixed up when children watch murder after murder after murder (and all sorts of glorified death, destruction, murder and violence) on TV every day and nobody objects, but when a bit of the human body is revealed it becomes a moral outrage. The human body is a beautiful, wonderful thing that we've taught ourselves to be ashamed of for some unknowable reason. A breast is a breast. More than half the world's population has them. I've seen a lot of them in my day and it hasn't caused me any problems However, objectification of women (or men) is not such a good thing.
Killing people, on the other hand, is never, ever a good or beautiful thing....
If we really want to work on making TV less harmful to children (and people in generall) we should start by reducing the violence.

My two cents,
Chris

Bravo.

I'll just ad that a breast is strange--as in estranged--to a child only if he was weaned too early, or never even had a chance to taste the real thing... But I thought that latter piece of Americana was gone with the fifties (like the falsies), and most mothers went back to the good ole methods (and looks)?
Well, keep repressing it, and you'll still have, er... suckers to go see Super-Vixens movies and the kind, while some Mr/Mrs Scissors will keep adding those ridiculous wine leaves to statuaries, even when those are in museums.
Also, let's remark farmers, or generally country-dwellers have a completely different perspective, and don't think breasts more obscene than--now what's their name?--udders.
Else you'd be importing a lot of these cow-bras invented in Holland...
City kids different, if they're of those who think milk comes from cans. There again, I though that generation was mostly extinct.

[vomitbunny]

It would pretty much be a non issue in any country besides the USA a handful of arabic countries. Everyone knows that American nudity is shameful and discusting, and we never want our children exposed to it, less they be turned into a pilar of salt.

[The Weekenders]

Yup, Chris.. I'm not much for either. But I'm L7. I find that there is more over-the-top sex on tv these days with all of these reality shows than violence, which peaked during the idiotic wrestling heyday. Seriously, blood and guts NETWORK tv has been reduced, except for 10pm crime dramas, that have this scientific angle (the bullet going thru tissue on CSI e.g.). But that doesn't include re-screened movies and video games of course.

But the whole Britney lesbian slutobject thing, along with gay-theme shows are ubiquitous, in terms of pushing sexuality to the forefront. I would argue that there is more inappropriate sex titillation than violence on earlier hours tv.

[Pat Cannady]

*YAWN*

Tempest in a teapot, ladies and gents, a tempest in a teapot.

Can we resume the normal insanity now?

[Paul]

I dunno.. I watched the game at my neighbor's house. He played the Sousaphone in highschool band. His school band along the rest of the country's top highschool bands put on the halftime show for the 1968 Superbowl. He said they did a patriotic themed show. I personally feel that something like that would be much more appropriate for a halftime show today.

Jens' et al's point about violence is dead on too IMO. In fact, I believe that there really should be a voluntary reduction if not elimination by the American media of all this violence and these shock type events that are so ubiquitous these days. None of it is appropriate and it makes Americans look bad all over the world. Most of us (Americans) would agree I think. But then you get into all the usual suspects screaming censorship etc. Hopefully someone who can make a difference will do so.

-Paul

[EricWingler]

I don't own a TV, so I missed all of this--obviously no great loss. When people ask me what I do without a TV, it gives me an opportunity to say, "Have you ever played a tinwhistle?" Sadly, many people are so dependent on television that they miss a lot of life.

[antstastegood]

I don't own a TV, so I missed all of this--obviously no great loss. When people ask me what I do without a TV, it gives me an opportunity to say, "Have you ever played a tinwhistle?" Sadly, many people are so dependent on television that they miss a lot of life.

Hear, hear. I didn't watch the Super Bowl. I don't own a TV. And if I finish college, it will not be on the list of things to pick up. The only thing I would watch is Dodger games, and I can catch those on the radio.

Returning to the Jackson incident, the reaction I hear from most people is not necessarily shock or offense, but one for which there is no word. One person said it best, when they compared it to "a group of 5 year olds taking turns saying poo-poo, and laughing their heads off."

[Caj]

I watched the last 3 minutes of the game. It was all that was necessary.

Say what you will about the halftime show, but that was a fantastic game from beginning to end.

Everything else may have been a dud, but CBS couldn't have asked for a better game. The Patriots would march down the field and take the lead, then you'd blink and Carolina'd catch up. At about 7 minutes left they turned the game around after an interception in the end zone followed by an 85-yard pass completion. And there were some great "what the QPRNF?" moments all the way through.

Too bad for the Janet Jackson fiasco. IMHO Janet is one of the most talented "pop stars" in the business---just think how long she's been doing this!---while the rest were all flavors of the month, including that Timberlake shmuck. I guess I believe people who say it was planned, but the stunt does seem unusually unrehearsed for Jackson.

Caj