Was SportsChat the only one who felt like last night’s Super Bowl commercials were yet another sign of our lagging economy?
Overall, it seemed like production costs were down, showing people not wearing pants was mistaken for cutting edge comedy often enough to make SportsChat wonder if there is another writers’ strike and you still don’t get to actually see boobs when you hit up Godaddy.com. The last gripe isn’t economy related, but it is very aggravating.
Not to mention, Pepsi didn’t run a Super Bowl commercial for the first time in 25 years. Ostensibly, this was because Pepsi Co. wants to experiment with new forms of advertising via social media, but SportsChat imagines the truth is closer to them not wanting to shell out the cash for what always amount to “We’re number two!” commercials anyway.
Special Memo to E*TRADE: Talking babies haven’t been at all amusing since about minute two of “Look Who’s Talking.” Please stop.
There are other ways besides economics in which this batch of Super Bowl commercials served as a sign of the times. Kudos to Dwight Howard and LeBron James for celebrating the lack of fundamentals in today’s NBA. Teams used to play things close to the vest to gain an advantage over their opponents. Sometimes they even worked hard on their shortcomings in order to improve their game. Today’s NBA is represented by Dwight Howard, who literally advertises the fact he can’t hit a jump shot:
The Doritos commercial featuring the shorty pimp slapping a prospective suitor for ogling his mother was actually quite funny. It was fresh, unexpected and fell firmly within the Zeitgeist:
Of course, the most jarring commercial featured Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman and Jay Leno all on the same couch. While everybody else wants to know how this came about, SportsChat wants to know why Leno is helping Dave advertise “The Late Show.” It’s like filming a commercial with “The King” eating a Big Mac.
Perhaps the competition is good for them both, but it was an odd PR move at the very least. Yes, it makes Jay look like a good sport, but it will only bolster the sentiment that he is a ruthless backstabber once the late night wars resume.
In short, the Super Bowl commercials were a disappointment. This was one of those years where you had to watch the Super Bowl for the game.
Which makes it so much easier to pee during commercial breaks.
