February 5, 2012

Madonna: greatest half-time show ever or...

... greatest show ever?

164 comments:

Carol said...

She kinda blew up at the end.

Anonymous said...

Thank God there is one woman in the world with the courage to stand up for World Peace!

Rob said...

I would have preferred hearing Steven Tyler sing the anthem again.

robinintn said...

My 17-year-old is reading me tweets from her friends and they are all along the lines of Dorian Gray references.

John Borell said...

Madonna absolutely killed it; best ever.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

She almost triped.. other than that she was marv..

She did Cleopatra.. w/o Burton.

Chip Ahoy said...

The dancers are amazing.

Scott Bradford said...

I could have done without the painfully obvious lip-synching...

Can't we make a new rule that if you're going to perform at the Super Bowl, you actually have to perform?

HT said...

ew, lip synching. i'm glad i missed it.

Meanwhile, Danny Woodhouse is adorable.

Chip Ahoy said...

It looked like CC Green (Yes Yes Verde, as he is known in the barrio) was the guy dressed in the shiny preacher's robe at the end. This compensates for singing the fuck you song.

Ann Althouse said...

See? She brainstormed about football and came up with the Roman theme — the huge arena, the colosseum —  which made her Cleopatra, arriving like Elizabeth Taylor in the old movie. There were lots of football elements, like bleachers and cheerleaders.

There was a narrative arc to the songs, beginning with the narcissism of "Vogue" and ending with the "Like a Prayer" in which Madonna self-annihilates.

There were so many details throughout. It's obvious that Madonna took the honor of performing in the Super Bowl with utmost seriousness and set out to make the greatest show ever.

For all her seeming showing off, there was never one instant where she took it for granted, as if we're lucky just to get to see her. She worked for our respect every moment. The other singers, the dancing, the set and the light show were all fabulous.

HT said...

well you all must be happy with that anti union ad. gak.

Cincinnatus said...

Uh, no.

Andy said...

What does all of this have to do with the puppy bowl?

HT said...

Ann, but she lip sank. (says someone)

Ann Althouse said...

Here's the "Cleopatra" scene (for anyone who didn't get the reference).

Ann Althouse said...

Did you see the Clint Eastwood "imported from Detroit" ad?

It had a shot from the Wisconsin protests that included the Hans Christian Heg statue.

Chuck66 said...

Wake me up when the Green Bay plays again.

I'd rather watch minor league football in Menomonie Wisconsin than a Super Bowl (sic) without the 15-1 Packers playing.

PaulV said...

I knew Elizabeth Taylor, the woman is no Elizabeth Taylor. Actually I did not know her, but when she was campaigning with John Warner my brother got Warner to kiss our mother. 2 degrees of separation.

The Crack Emcee said...

Boooooriiiing.

Jeez, Ann, you're easy:

as if we're lucky just to get to see her.

Yeah, as if,...

The Crack Emcee said...

Ann Althouse,

Did you see the Clint Eastwood "imported from Detroit" ad?

Sure, and it got more attention in my house - before we even knew, for sure, it was him - than Madonna.

The reaction to her was a yawn,...

Henry said...

I was putting my kids to bed.

PaulV said...

Obama ad praising a bunch of Roan Occupiers and looted treasures?

Titus said...

She was fucking amazing.

I fucking loved it.

Loved all the muscle guys bringing her out at the beginning.

The bitch is 53, looked incredible.

It was so spectacular I almost came and cried at the same time.

She is an American treasure.

Thank you Madonna, from The US.

PaulV said...

Roman Roan Occupiers?

edutcher said...

She did the big entrada from Cleo?

Oh, Lord!!!

And no, uh, wardrobe malfunctions?

Well, it could have been Pelosi on the Nile.

HT said...

Ann, but she lip sank. (says someone)

I think that's synced, but we may both be right.

David said...

Bread and circuses.

damikesc said...

Best ever?

I know last year's Black Eyed Peas show was horrendous --- but that was crap on a stick.

Clumsy lip synching and a tedious performance of some --- let's be honest --- really bad music.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Madonna meh.

Clint for Prez! That was the best political ad since morning in America.

Chip Ahoy said...

The groundskeeper at that stadium should be praised.

To get the grass to grow white in patches the shape of those numbers and lines is awesome. It's very tight and organized for grass.

robinintn said...

And the way he gets it to grow yellow just for each upcoming first down!

Irene said...

It was amazing. She looked great. And she knew that she should cover her arms.

The "Juliet" costume was beautiful.

Palladian said...

I don't think she was lip-synching. There was a lot of processing and pre-recorded stuff mixed in, but I think she was actually delivering the lines.

She really was working hard, you have to give that to her. She realizes that, as a popular entertainer, she has to entertain, not just stand there or phone it in. And she's always understood that, as a mediocre singer, she has to deliver spectacle. And this was definitely a spectacle: big, loud, vulgar, complex, furiously paced, flashy... perfect for the occasion.

ricpic said...

Titus just told me Madonna is the new Judy Garland!

Rosalyn C. said...

Couple of moments when the performance achieved a level of transcendance -- some excellent singing by backup singers and extremely impressive synchronous dancing and acrobatics. Definitely a great half time show! Wish I had been there in person, the energy was fantastic.

The game itself? Yawn. But then I'm not a football fan.

Alex said...

Definitely goes a long way to redeem the Janet Jackson nipple-gate incident.

Automatic_Wing said...

No fucking way did Madonna top Carol Channing's performance in Super Bowl IV.

Alex said...

OTOH I hate OTT spectacles. YMMV.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

When I said it was Brady's to lose.. I didn't mean for him to give it away.

So far its a good game.. no blowout.

Scott M said...

The visuals were pretty damned good. The green screen on the field melding mostly flawlessly into that of the stage was excellent.

edutcher said...

ricpic said...

Titus just told me Madonna is the new Judy Garland!

Or the musical Ann Coulter.

Chris Althouse Cohen said...

I think she was lip synching but, in all fairness, Whitney Houston was lip synching when she sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. They might actually be required to lip synch. The acoustics are apparently really bad there and, given what a big show it is, I think they would rather everyone lip synch than risk anything. Some of it seemed live though. I could be wrong.

Titus said...

The bitch is a perfectionist and you can tell she works her fucking ass off.

She's dancing on the stage with kids half her age.
You have to give her props for that.

I have generally loved everything she has done but her new song is total shit.

Lastly, I won't those giant leaves that were surrounding her when she came on.

She's such a bitch. I love that most.

Ricpic, Judy was before my time.

chuck b. said...

Wikipedia has a list of Super Bowl halftime shows:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Super_Bowl_halftime_shows

Notes:

Carol Channing performed in 1970 and 1972, the second date with Ella Fitzgerald.

It's been all pop acts since New Kids on the Block in 1991, the broadcast of whose performance was delayed until after the game for Operation Desert Storm. I forgot/remember that.

The theme of tonight's show was **polytheism**. Wikipedia says so. How do you feel about that, angry conservatives of the American midwest? :)

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Did Madonna borrow the Lady Gaga idea of being carried out? If so turn about is fair play.

Owlbear Droppings said...

I've no idea who animated that pillowcase filled with clothes hangers and taught it to lip sync but I fear Madonna may sue for infringement.

Anonymous said...

So was the Carol Kane post a set up for the Madonna post? They look a lot alike.

Jim said...

Ceelo owned all that was good about that halftime show. The rest was tedious, as someone said above, if not just flat boring.

No way Madonna came up with that drum line idea - that' straight out of urban/black American football. She would not have the first clue about that. Ceelo grew up with it. His singing also blew her away like a dead leaf.

wef said...

Althouse is very Paglian lately.

Civil Sense said...

As one who is not a Madonna fan, the show was pretty interesting technically. My wife enjoyed it more than I did. It seemed at the end she fell into the cryogenic freezing chamber from 'The Empire Strikes Back'.

HT said...

I'm afraid the gints are going to win.

I like it that Eli Manning is kind of the aw shucks brother & quietly gets the job done, not caring how many regular season losses he racks up (two against Washington, by the way), and if I had to pick an NFL coach whose expression and demeanor most resembles me, it would be Tom Coughlin.

Still, I want Tom Brady to win.

If you were an NFL coach, who would you most resemble??

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

it doesn't look good.

Icepick said...

I thought it was kind of flat, which is almost assured by the pre-recorded vocals. Apparently the NFL insists on that, but Madge would have probably used them anyway. And nothing compares to Prince's Half Time show from several years back.

HT said...

Oh, all this talk about the mistake to score, words words words.

What is the Giants defense so bad?

No.

New England has to get it in the end zone. It'd be great, but it's not gonna happen.

Carol_Herman said...

Drudge is running the Clint Eastwood Chrysler ad top right column. Was it a car ad?

HT said...

Bummer of a season. boo

Peter Hoh said...

Chuck66, the team that beat the 15-1 team certainly deserved to be in the Super Bowl, and they showed it tonight.

I don't often root for a New York team, but I made an exception today.

Jason said...

Pretty hard to consider a halftime show good when the singer lip synched all of it. I dont think she sang one live note.

Original Mike said...

Hmmmm - Act of Valor, with real Navy Seals.

Must be a Democrate in the white house.

DaveW said...

Best ever? Hmm, I can't recall them all of course. It was certainly the best SB halftime show in many years. The wife and I both thought she looked great and sang and performed her stuff well without doing anything offensive or stupid. The show was very well choreographed.

The commercials, on the other hand, have been flat out lame this year.

Unknown said...

Drudge is linking a story that one of the singers flipped the bird and sang "I dont give a fuck". Did anyone notice that?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Somebody almost rubbed off the tupe

michaele said...

She did put out a lot of physical effort and I felt bad for her when she wobbled trying to step up on a riser.

Chip Ahoy said...

And then I tuned back and an old guy is walking with a metal football through a bunch of football players and he's all like, "touch my metal football, kiss my metal football," and they all do.

DaveW said...

The Eastwood ad was a Chrysler ad with the theme "imported from Detroit". The wife tells me that's their new ad campaign. She and I agree (she's from Detroit) it fell completely flat.

kjbe said...

It had a shot from the Wisconsin protests that included the Hans Christian Heg statue.

The signs in the shot were edited.

Skyler said...

Huh? She was embarrassing herself. What's with always taking old has-beens for half time shows?

Alex said...

Notice the race of the singer who flipped the bird to America. Probably the same mindset as Moochelle Obama "finally I'm proud of my country".

bagoh20 said...

I did like Madonna's dress. It looked very crisp.

The GM ad was just sad. GM is not America's future. It's everything that's wrong in this country: legacy, lazy, fat, union, uninspired, too big, and living off tax money. Clint was talking about it like it was attacked by something, and fighting back. The only thing it was attacked by is reality, which none of us are yet willing to face up to.

Madonna, Michael Jackson, and I are all the same age. I'm the only one who is underrated, and the world has suffered a great loss from that.

Carol_Herman said...

Drudge says the Giants won.

And, for some reason, no one is making a big deal of the Pepsi ad. The one that starred Elton John.

You were not impressed?

DaveW said...

Bill RoT,

Yeah, I caught that. It was one of the backup singers.

Alex said...

DaveW - regardless, the optics of the Big 3 doing better is good for Obama with a large swathe of America that has a festish for American autos.

Jeff Weimer said...

Noting will ever beat the 2004 "wardrobe malfunction" for pure buzz. We're STILL talking about it 8 years later....

Alex said...

Disappointed in Clint. I thought he was a libertarian, but I guess those instincts get overrun when he thinks back to the "glory days" of the 1950s when Detroit Auto was king.

Anonymous said...

I'd never buy an American car, but I'd vote Clint for president!

Skyler said...

All the tweener girls at the party I was at thought she was Gaga. Someone had to explain to them that Gaga was just copying her style from 20 years ago.

Anonymous said...

Dirty Harry has submitted and sworn loyalty to the Establishment.

Gosh darn there were a lot of Chevy ads... like 4 or so before halftime.

Do the taxpayers still own part of GM? It would be nice to know if I helped pay for those pricey spots, and for Eastwood's fee.

Original Mike said...

"Disappointed in Clint. I thought he was a libertarian, but I guess those instincts get overrun when he thinks back to the "glory days" of the 1950s when Detroit Auto was king."

Instincts? You mean like the instinct to earn money? Nothing wrong with that.

Unknown said...

@DaveW

We missed it. Will it be a big scandal like the wardrobe malfunction?

Anonymous said...

And, for some reason, no one is making a big deal of the Pepsi ad. The one that starred Elton John.

I don't think very many people recognized that it was Elton John. I didn't, and I saw the ad on YouTube yesterday and again during the game.

Icepick said...

On the plus side, that was the best enterance for a Super Bowl ever, and will likely remain so. Also, a great exit. The performances were good, I just thought they were flat. And the staging and production were just great.

bagoh20 said...

I would prefer a giant-screen montage of the year's best youtube clips. That would be entertaining and full of originality, while celebrating the whole nation. These past half-time shows just don't work for me. They never seem to be anywhere near the best of anything, and the Superbowl is all about the best! Youtube is what brings the world together now, not music.

Anonymous said...

Funny that the Eastwood ad totally ignored the intra-Detroit antagonism.

DaveW said...

Bill RoT,

It'll be a scandal of sorts I'd guess, but not a big one. It wasn't Madonna - just some gangster gal pulling a stunt, or so it seemed to me. I read the F-U on her lips.

CachorroQuente said...

PaulV says:
I knew Elizabeth Taylor, the woman is no Elizabeth Taylor. Actually I did not know her, but when she was campaigning with John Warner my brother got Warner to kiss our mother. 2 degrees of separation.


Yeah, very funny. You go closer to E. Taylor than L Benson ever got to JFK. Or Chris Mathews, for that matter. But, who would want to get close to the Blockhead.

Icepick said...

I heard an interview with Angus Young of AC/DC. He was asked why they haven't done the Super Bowl. (Obviously they're a better fit than Madonna, or even Prince.) Apparently they were approached once to do the show. Angus said they told the NFL they'd only do it if they were allowed to perform live, and that the NFL said they don't allow anyone to do that. And that was that.

bagoh20 said...

Icepick hits it: flat performance, but great staging and imagery. It looked very sharp and even seemed technically and even artistically beyond what I thought was possible in such a venue, but Madonna was slow and flat. She was clearly thinking: "this is no time or place to fall down".

John Burgess said...

Not as bad as the Black-Eyed Peas. That's about as far as I can go.

Anonymous said...

American taxpayers still own a 26 percent stake in G.M.

source

So many ad spots from GM! All for Chevy, weren't they?

A semi-socialized company can certainly splurge! Pisses. Me. Off.

And who the hell paid for the Eastwood ad?

Unknown said...

DaveW good point about it not being Madonna. I guess the singer was some piece of Euro-trash named M.I.A.

Original Mike said...

"And who the hell paid for the Eastwood ad?"

That would be you.

maudgonne said...

I give her points for realizing she's at that stage where a woman should cover her arms.

Icepick said...

And I have to agree with Titus that M. clearly works her ass off, and I appreciate that. Also, her costume was great: it showed off her figure, but covered up the stringiness of her muscles. At her age that leanness comes with a price, looks-wise, but she managed to get all the pluses and none of the minuses of her physique.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

..no one is making a big deal of the Pepsi ad. The one that starred Elton John.

The idea that a fresh queen / would be queen dethrones a old queen.. whats new about that?

Craig said...

Springstein's SB half-time show still hasn't been surpassed. Didn't see this one. Just tuned in for the Hail Mary.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oh Yea said...

Looks like it was a hit with the over 50 set. My son watched it for about 2 minutes and went back to his video games.

Tank said...

Giants.

Oh ya !

Ann Althouse said...

When Madonna sang "I'm sexy, and I know it" we thought she was singing "I'm 60 and I know it" which we thought was pretty cool. She's a few years from 60 but I thought she was being edgy, rounding up!

Patrick said...

I actually thought the Clint Eastwood ad was going to be a campaign ad for Obama. "Near Halftime." Then I was thinking, why the hell would a campaign ad refer to Detroit, which let's face it is nowhere near coming back.

I thought Madonna's dancing looked pretty lazy. But I don't know much about all that, so I could be wrong. Bottom line is, I don't care.

chickelit said...

I noticed that she didn't dare show those wretched arms.

Good costuming I thought. She moved slowly, almost lethargically. Her supporting dancers were outstanding and carried the spectacle.

Anonymous said...

"She did Cleopatra.. w/o Burton."

Not without a little spittle on her face she can't.

Unknown said...

The Pepsi ad with Elton John was terrible. What was he? The Pepsi Nazi? "no Pepsi for you!" And I can't stand the screeching female singers of today.

DADvocate said...

Cant' remember last time I watched the half-time show, pre-Janet Jackson for sure.

Julie C said...

I also thought Madonna was moving slowly, especially at the beginning. Seemed like she didn't want to fall over! She loosened up more towards the end. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. She's not my favorite but I have to say she did not take this opportunity for granted and put on a great show.

Ralph L said...

I saw Eastwood was on a Chrysler ad. Guess it wasn't very effective if you all thought it was GM (or did he make two, I didn't watch all of it?).

Wince said...

Never a real fan, but Madonna's absolute best show was her Drowned World Tour 2001. It made me appreciate her talent like no show of her's before or since. There was an HBO broadcast from her hometown Detroit that's available on DVD.

The show was divided into five segments, namely Neo-Punk, Geisha/Anime, Country/Western, Latin/Gypsy and Urban/Pimp. The setlist consisted mainly of songs from the last two studio albums released at that point, with two pre-90s song added. The first segment displayed high-energy performances with Madonna wearing a kilt and dominatrix style costumes. In the geisha segment performances Madonna wore a kimono and later performed airborne martial arts. Acoustic songs were performed in the country segment which featured Madonna in cowboy costumes. The Latin segment featured flamenco dancing and the last segment featured ghetto-themed performances. Drowned World Tour was critically appreciated from contemporary critics who complimented her ability to re-invent continuously.

Aside, not lip syncing was how the Black Eyed Peas got into Super Bowl trouble, no?

Bob Ellison said...

This was the greatest pro football season ever, with the greatest vignette (Tebow), the greatest post-season, and one of the greatest Super Bowls.

sane_voter said...

Of the shows since nipplegate, my three favorits are: Prince, The Who, and Tom Petty. Madonna didn't do it for me, and the only part I sorta liked was the last song "Like a Prayer"

William said...

Eli Manning had the nerve to upstage her. That was one great game. She puts all that effort and talent into her show, and tomorrow the only thing people will be talking about are the Giants and their great game. It's good to see that so many on this blog have not lost their sense of perspective and understandn what really matters at the Superbowl.

HT said...

I disagree Bob. I thought there was more sloppy play overall this year than not, mostly due to the late start.

Tebow was sort of silly in retrospect, and I just get more irritated with him. Ok, but I'm not going to talk about that anymore.

I thought the season was a big disappointment.

TmjUtah said...

I bagged hard on an "end times" referent to her being chosen for the show.

I was wrong. Professional, entertaining, well done.

The Who didn't lip sync last year. They also did not rehearse. Nor did they take seriously any expectation they should actually entertain, or show any respect for their audience, either.

Halfway through tonight's show it struck me that for all the years of PR hoopla and hyperbole, the lady is still on her game and at least tonight was having a genuine good time doing it.

I think that the "World Peace" thing at the end was tossed in with tongue firmly in someone's cheek.

As far as the help tossing a crass hand gesture, you can't fix stupid. Hope they enjoyed their last paying gig.

Peano said...

She worked for our respect every moment. The other singers, the dancing, the set and the light show were all fabulous.

It was, like, totally awesome!!!!!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Madonna is a survivor..

Nobody goes through the ringer she did.. remember when Guccione bought her obscure art photos and publish them.. Madonna survived that.. and later as if to thump detractors nose.. Madonna did a naked pic album of her own.. Is this wath you want?

Lets see..

Madonna is an American sucess story.

Alex said...

Uh given that I've never bought a Chrysler and never will, I didn't pay for this ad. Also it's very disappointing to see Clint doing it for the money when he doesn't need it. Isn't he a GM man anyways?

1775OGG said...

Actually, I missed the halftime show! Did they have The Kitten Halftime show again? However, the rest of the Puppybowl was fantastic.

Aw, shucks, Google's still got an issue with its comments "preview" and WV. wonder if it will ever get fixed?

SteveR said...

I only like a couple of her songs and she did neither. Otherwise, its too short to be great, only enough to be bad.

bagoh20 said...

Oh yea, my mistake, it was a Chrysler ad, but still sounded less than inspiring, and I love Eastwood usually.

I also thought Madonna was singing "I'm sixty and I know it." That's what it sounded like, and knowing her age, the mind goes to that first.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

The American People vote with their pocketbooks.. and they/we/I have voted for her overwelmengly.

Madonna is beloved in every hamlet of every country on planet earth.. except for North Korea..they probably never heard of her.

There is allways somebody saying NO... which btw its suppsed to be all of us.

Bob Ellison said...

HT, you're obviously a connoisseur. I defer to your judgement on the football. But this season will be remembered as the best ever. I'm more of a PR guy.

Cedarford said...

Best show since Tom Petty.
Not thrilled with Madonna no real fan, but she is a 1st class pro with a 1st class pro team of producing, dance, choreography and FX behind her.
PLus I believe CeLo was a big contributing factor.
And she and the rest of the performers gave it their all. This wasn't some washed up dinosaur act 30 years past their prime going through the motions as just their due for being popular and relevant long ago.

That said, the game was better.

Chalk this one down as one of the best and most exciting contests.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

That said, the game was better.

Its a good thing that is waht people are paying to see.

Up untill the last time I checked.. maybe JAC knows something I dont ;)

Carol_Herman said...

Well, the Giants won.

Madonna is an aged hippy.

And, Clint Eastwood's ad was for an Obama second term! You know, "halftime." What's you call the space between two terms, for an incumbent president.

I think the ad fell flat.

Wasn't the Pepsi commercial better?

garage mahal said...

#wiunion makes an appearance in Clint Eastwood's Chrysler ad. Haha.

chickelit said...

@Cedarford: I think goddess Madonna is a totem with an aging fan base. She' appears to have lost her spell upon the teenage female cohort which is a good thing.

Known Unknown said...

Prince would have kicked Madonna's ass all over that stage.

He played in the f-ing rain. And I'm sure his heels were higher than hers.

Known Unknown said...

#wiunion makes an appearance in Clint Eastwood's Chrysler ad. Haha.

Go back and listen to the VO. At that time, he was talking about the antagonism of current political expression.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I think the ad fell flat.

The I dea that add was made possible by the taxpayer.. its enough to turn my stomach.

But you see.. In the time of the One nothing is what it seems.

The Idea that our goverment is running GM is.. a miracle... a miracle brought to us by... a saviour.

I hope Clint will have a fucking good charity to contribute to.

Known Unknown said...

The I dea that add was made possible by the taxpayer.. its enough to turn my stomach.

It's altogether possible Fiat paid for the Chrysler ad.

Not sure how much they currently owe us and how much they've paid back.

Sanddog said...

Yes Madonna used pre-recorded tracks. That's because it's a PRODUCTION vs someone standing on stage singing a few songs.

I'm just a couple of years younger than Madonna and was never a "fan" but the woman does have talent and a lot of smarts as evidenced by the fact that she's survived this long in a cut throat business where everyone's always looking for the next 15 year old kid to storm the world.

As for snark from teenage girls... they'll be lucky to keep it together into their 30's, much less their 50s.

Paddy O said...

The only people I know who liked it are 55+ year old women.

I'm not kidding. Everyone else said it wasn't so good.

I missed it. So I can't offer an opinion. Went to the San Diego Zoo for the day.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Not sure how much they currently owe us and how much they've paid back.

Yea, I keep looking for US on the board.. an I cant find us.

USCC.. Under* United States Car Company.. its a dry hole.

*even the English language conspires againt the One.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

My team lost the super bowl.. face me at your peril.

I only have the internet and a fuzzy memory at my command.

otherwise I'm doing a music theme.

MadisonMan said...

Wasn't the Pepsi commercial better?

I thought the TaxACT commercial was the best.

traditionalguy said...

I tried to hate the show, but it turned out to be well done ...really better than the last 5 such shows put together.

And she did it with her personality and attitude, and unlike Cher, she did not use sexually seductive clothes.

That'll do girl.

Trashhauler said...

Madonna was very good and I'm not a fan of hers. My daughter said she thought Modonna should act her age, but I thought the dancing was carefully paced to avoid too many moves too quickly. Good concept and good show.

The Clint Eastwood ad made me want to go punch out a Honda.

Mountain Maven said...

Let's see...
She can't sing.
The music sucks.
Gratuitous crotch shot early on.
The finger and the curse by MIA.
Who cares about the sword and sandal guys?
A great football game.

Chip Ahoy said...

I do admit that being 60 years old almost or whatever and allowing yourself to be spun around like a windmill while dancing on bleachers for money is admirable but my favorite part was at the end where she experienced a spiritual transformation and fused with her divinity fragment and combusted spontaneously right there on stage. Poof. Just like that. Gone from us forever, no longer among the thick and clunky Earthbound creatures but rather transmigrated into another reality. That part was awesome with high entertainment value.

The Crack Emcee said...

Trashhauler,

My daughter said she thought Modonna should act her age,...

That was EXACTLY my thought during the first song:

Could she even try maturity?

It's possible to be cool and still not act like a damned fool teenager,...and even teenagers know it.

Unfortunately, women over 55 don't,...

DEEBEE said...

Even though in mid fifties (she still looks good, but seeing the contrast of her athleticism between her and her co-performers reminded me of a Diana Ross performance I saw many moons ago and realizing the impact of the passage of time. Don’t get me wrong, even though she is my contemporary and I would exchange my springiness (or lack of it) for hers in NY minute, but was it Super Bowl caliber – perhaps not so much.

rhhardin said...

Imus said she almost broke her hip.

Toad Trend said...

Not!

My wife, a huge Madonna fan in the 80's, was disappointed. She even went on to YouTube to find supposed proof of what a great dancer Madonna was. There was no such proof.

My daughter, a competitive dancer, was underwhelmed.

Yes, the woman is in her 50's and not the same in terms of physical ability. No question.

So much hype.

Darcy said...

Interesting.

I was a pretty big Madonna fan early on, but I thought this performance was painful to watch. She looked stiff to me.

I thought it was boring and awkward.

She rocked the sexy boots, though.

Republican said...

My grandparents enjoyed Grammadonna. They overlooked the clumsy thigh-high boots and the awkward lip-syncing, and the black cheerleader outfit that looked faded and dull and washed out against a dark background-they liked her performance despite how every step was so choreographed as to drain any chance for spontaneity.

Predictablle!

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sane_voter said...

Why do they even have a halftime show? If they have to do something, get a comedian up there to crack jokes for 10 minutes.

And no one will ever top Prince's guitar-penis shadow on the curtain at Super Bowl 41.

Writ Small said...

See? She brainstormed about football and came up with the Roman theme — the huge arena, the colosseum — which made her Cleopatra, arriving like Elizabeth Taylor in the old movie. There were lots of football elements, like bleachers and cheerleaders.

There was a narrative arc to the songs, beginning with the narcissism of "Vogue" and ending with the "Like a Prayer" in which Madonna self-annihilates.

There were so many details throughout. It's obvious that Madonna took the honor of performing in the Super Bowl with utmost seriousness and set out to make the greatest show ever.


Only the second halftime show I've watched more than once ("Thank you" Janet Jackson).

In addition to the football themes Ann already pointed out (Roman Collesieum, bleachers, cheerleaders), I caught a number of others: marching band, cute girl standing behind metal railing in the stands, the large screen that started out as those flip cards you see in the stands, The main symbol was Madonna's 'M' mixed with an "X" and an "O" -- the chalkboard diagram symbols for players, and it ended with the overt connection to religion the game often has.

Conditioned by years of mediocre halftime performances, I was impressed.

Michael Haz said...

I looked up from what I was doing at the time and wondered "Why is Florence Henderson doing the halftime show??"

Tank said...

My wife was hoping that her daughter, Gaga, would make a surprise appearance.

Oh.

World Champion New York Giants.

Again.

Ah.

Seeing Red said...

I cut Madonna slack on the dancing because of her heels. In the opening, some of the dancers were wearing stilettos. 1 dancer did a backbend in stilettos. I told my family that's easy choreography because of the heels. She almost fell once. Loved the beefcake entrance.

Stages aren't big enuf for that.

I've already watched it once, will do so again.

X said...

Madonna is so sexy that only gays and older women can deal with it. Straight men can't deal with how sexy she is. What does sexy mean again?

prairie wind said...

Nobody else thought it was hysterically funny that Madonna was on stage with Trojans?

Rusty said...

Chip Ahoy said...
The groundskeeper at that stadium should be praised.

To get the grass to grow white in patches the shape of those numbers and lines is awesome. It's very tight and organized for grass.



I can't get over how they make that yellow line appear on the field. They must have one buried at every yard.'
Amazing.

Tim said...

Icepick said...

"...And nothing compares to Prince's Half Time show from several years back."

Indeed. Prince's show was much better.

Otherwise, the game? Ugh.

The last drive of the first half and the last two drives of the 4th quarter were the most interesting parts; the rest? Not so much.

And the Giants? Still a 9-7 team that gave up more points than they scored. They'll finish in 3rd place in the NFC East next year.

Tim said...

X said...

"Madonna is so sexy that only gays and older women can deal with it. Straight men can't deal with how sexy she is."

Huh? Concerning sex, I'd do her (not that I'm suffering under any illusion that she'd do me...lol!).

But I wouldn't buy any of her CD's or mp3s.

Joe said...

Ann said: "There were so many details throughout. It's obvious that Madonna took the honor of performing in the Super Bowl with utmost seriousness and set out to make the greatest show ever."

The show was a self-referential bore. It was Busby Berkeley trying too hard.

About halfway through I realized I was looking at the reason popular music had gotten so bad about that time. Madonna begat Britney Spears and all the other clones.

And the lip-syncing *was* painfully obvious.

Unknown said...

Madge did a great job. Her concept and execution clearly eclipsed the insignificant Mia and her "shocking" finger (which I missed BTW).

The game was good. Kelly Clarkson and the choir for the anthem was a high point too. Low point: O.Bam.A.

Amartel said...

Dropped through the floor like the wicked witch of the east albeit a bit faster, like she was being vacuumed into hell.

Then there was this whirled peas sign on the floor. All purpose universal sign for "like me."

I can't be bothered, really.

Amartel said...

"Nobody else thought it was hysterically funny that Madonna was on stage with Trojans?"

This! Thank you and me too. She WAS a trojan.

Madge sacrificed substance for style. What else is new. Dancing is her whole ACT ('cause it's not the singing) but she couldn't even do much of that with the big tall boots on. Good for her for bringing in other singers, esp Cee-Lo since that guy can saaang. I did see that fat girl flipping me off, though. It seemed like maybe something crawled up her hoo-ha while she had it out and about all those times. Unpleasant, I guess!

mtrobertsattorney said...

I can't believe all those liberals crowing about Madonna's half-time show missed the point entirely.

Her production was nothing less than a celebration of the grandeur of the Roman Empire. The subtle message was that the only thing that can save Western Civilization now is the reincarnation of the Roman Empire.

And don't be mislead by the ode to World Peace at the end. Those blinking lights clearly spelled out "Pax Romana".

Petunia said...

Why not just go back to a marching band? The halftime show rarely lives up to its billing and detracts from the game itself.

I nominate the UW Band to perform every year.

BJM said...

The only thing scarier than Madge semi-naked is Madge in quasi-Nordic warrior drag.

The English have a saying for an older woman trying too hard to look young; "Mutton dressed as lamb"...a very stringy bit o' mutton in this case.

knox said...

She didn't even sing live for god's sake!

Prince's halftime show was the best, ever. And in the middle of a downpour.

carrie said...

My 18 and 21 year old sons said "Madonna who?" and then wondered what demographic was targeted for the half-time show. They both said that they should bring back Prince.