The Super Bowl… how does a football championship game play “second fiddle” to the halftime show and the commercial craze?
Disclaimer – the following thoughts are from a non Super Bowl watcher, Half-Time show boycotting, grammar challenged blogger.
The last time I watched a Super Bowl football game was about five years ago (and that doesn’t make me better than anyone who has). I am arguably the least likely guy to weigh in on what I think about the politicization of a sporting event even though the Denver Broncos are a lifelong favorite team of mine (I’ll turn 50 later this year). I have grown less and less interested in how things are working out. (I’ve been a Bronco fan from before Craig Morton first took the Broncos to their first Super Bowl loss). Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for another Super Bowl victory. I’ve stayed faithful to my favorite team through all 8 Super Bowl appearances (only 3 victories). But now I’ve lost track of my post.
Back to the thought on my mind…
I’ve lost all interest in the hype of the “big game”. While driving home Sunday night from a Magic Valley Baptist Association meeting I turned the radio on to hear if the game was over and who won. I tuned in just as Payton Manning was talking about how he was looking forward to hugging and kissing his family “talking to the man upstairs” and “drinking a lot of beer, Budweiser”.
Oh.
Okay.
He can do that if he wants. No skin off my nose. Lots of sports guys drink beer. But really? That’s your victory speech? I’m sure the beer industry likes an endorsement from a guy that is considered by many a wholesome guy. The beer drinking evangelical community likes to hear this kind of talk too, I suppose.
That’s not even the main issue I’m writing about though.
I’ve learned over the past several years that the social media world will prolong the commercial discussion over the best, worst, most offensive, most wholesome, funniest commercials. Then I brace myself for some kind of rank behavior and opinions to flow about the half-time show.
Let me quickly say this about the half-time show. I’m writing about a show I have not seen and quite frankly don’t care about – at all. I’m not interested, and I’m prepared for Christians to express their normal shock (while watching anyway) of the bold politicizing artist, vulgar dancing, and godless lyrics. That’s just the way it is. I’m not surprised by what I’ve read about it.
…the commercials.
I’m sure the funny ones were funny. The shocking ones were shocking. The vulgar – unsuitable topics for children – unfit for mixed company – and the ever popular politically incorrect were the most popular.
The one that seemed to get a lot of discussion was the Doritos commercial that pro-choice advocates are up in arms about. It seems to be making many of the pro-life community want to go out and buy more Doritos.
At the end of the day; this shows that marketing schemes are successful. Is it possible, Christian, that you’re being made fun of and you don’t even know it? I have seen the Doritos commercial, it has a likable touch. How quickly we forget… Remember Doritos endorsement of the LGBT movement this past year and their “It Gets Better” project?
Has Doritos found a way to make massive amounts of money by offending as many people as possible? They seem to have mastered the medium of the 30 second attention span of the typical American Christian.
This is a reminder to me that in this world I’m called upon by God to live a life unstained by the world and to live a set-a-part life as an ambassador of Christ’s reconciliation. I’ll have to do this with grace too; I come pre-stained and a former enemy of God. Grace will have to arrest my mind, my tongue, actions, and my attitude as I engage in this world.
Christian, stop being played the fool by thinking anything godly will come from the ungodly. Turn the lamp of Scripture on and go forth into the dark with the Gospel.