1) I wish Beethoven could know they were using his music to sell Coca-Cola during the Super Bowl. (“Coca-Cola? Super Bowl?”) (The music was from his Fifth Symphony.)
2) There was a hint of Wagner in a Lexus commercial. (A motif from The Ring.)
3) There was Verdi in a Doritos commercial. (“La donna è mobile,” from Rigoletto.)
4) There was Bach in a Time-Warner Cable commercial. (C-major prelude from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier.)
5) You might think the Obama presidency is the ultimate in the triumph of hype. But I ask you to consider Madonna’s career. This is what America — nay, the world — pants for? And we think our problems are economic!
6) At the end of the halftime show, they displayed the words “World Peace.” They never, ever say “World Freedom,” do they? Never. (A point I make in a book to be published next month. Sometimes — not always, but sometimes — you could cut the tension between freedom and peace with a knife.)
7) Outside my window, here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, they’re whooping it up for the Giants. Last time I heard such whooping, I believe, was in November 2008, when Obama won.
The national anthem was delivered in a somewhat pedestrian style. But I will take that any day compared to some of the garbage that I have seen. Tonight's performance was competent and had dignity, which is the most important thing.
Even Madonna did a good job. I am not much attracted to the material girl (musically or otherwise) so I was not exactly glued to her performance. But it was visually splendid. And dignified. We may actually be becoming as civilized as the Chinese showed themselves to be in their Olympic pageantry.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Tonight's performance was competent and had dignity..."
And delivered by a fellow Texan, if I might say so. Ms. Clarkson did a really nice job. I especially like the choir backup and the snare drum.
What does it say about the American music scene that the NFL has to recycle an aging pop star one more time? Who will they select in 10-15 years? Will Mick Jagger roll out in a wheelchair because the NFL doesn't dare turn Lady Gaga loose in the stadium? There haven't been many truly talented artists come along in quite a while. It's all pomp and production now - no real musical talent is required.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Super Bowl does sometimes get some genuine talents for the halftime show, though usually decades past their relevance (Springsteen, Santana, Stones, Prince). I expect in 15 years we'll get the Dave Matthews Band. Or The Killers if they're being daring.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMaybe it's just me, but as a member of the "50%" (the half of the nation that pays Federal taxes, and who lost money on the Chrysler/GM bailout), I was greatly irked by the subliminal political tone of the Clint Eastwood ad for Chrysler that run during the Super Bowl tonight. Running this ad demonstrated poor political judgement on the part of Chrysler and whomever at the WH was consulted and said OK to spending money on it.
Shouldn't someone look into this? Live Free or Die!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThese are the best comments I have ever read from Mr. Nordinger, and he is +1000 with them,
Sadly, the young people I watched the game with were shocked that Coke would use such music for their commercials, and didn't know who wrote the music until I told them. But they did enjoy hearing it.
Madonna is nothing but a waste of time, electricity and bandwidth. But I still prefer that pile of rubbish she did to the enforced regimentation (and lip synching IIRC) of the gang of criminals in Peking at the last Olympiad.
Again, marvelous comments about a marvelous game, and why in the world did the Patriots now run the ball twice more on their last procession after they got that 1st down with 5 minutes left in the game? Two runs even if they don' t get the first down sucks up the Giants TO and they don't get in FG range to win the game.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI am shocked, shocked, to find tha Coca Cola is using the music of dead white European male oppressor-people to promote their product.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"This is what America — nay, the world — pants for? And we think our problems are economic!"
Right on. Sorry, Clint Eastwood, but it's more like the two-minute warning in America. (note to Mark Steyn: you can use that line for free)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseInteresting comment on the "World Peace" rather than "World Freedom". I think it was Orwell that said that pacifism is the same as pro-fascism - because if you are a pacifist, you refuse to fight against evil and therefore you are in a sense embracing it.
Peace is something you get when everybody voluntarily agrees to it, which will never happen. But very likely, if there is World Freedom, there will be World Peace. People who are free in similar ways (classical liberal ways, that is) don't worry about what other people have, don't look for more power, etc. All the usual things that cause conflict.
Oh, and . . .
YEAH, GIANTS!!!!!!!
:-D
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou neglected "Thus Sprach Zarathustra", but good catch otherwise.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNice point. There is peace in North Korea, but not much in the way of freedom.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCongratulations Eli and the NYG!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJay, all the classical music I heard as a child was through Bugs Bunny episodes. Whenever I hear certain Wagner or Grieg pieces (or the Barber of Seville!) I can't help but think of the accompanying cartoon scenes.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"6) At the end of the halftime show, they displayed the words “World Peace.” They never, ever say “World Freedom,” do they? Never."
Peace is relative. Freedom is absolute. Take it for what you will.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMadonna's half-time show was hilarious. Who'd have ever thought a song (Vogueing) about a dance movement created by gay drag queens in Harlem would open a "macho" game like the Super Bowl? Hopefully everyone went out and watched the film "Paris Is Burning".
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd her new song is terrible. Far from showing any growth or maturity it sound like something one of those brand-spanking new 18-year-old pop icons would crank out to attract the tween demographic.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHow about Clint Eastwood shilling for Chrysler at halftime? "We're Americans, we're Detroit, just loan us $8,000,000,000 and we'll be back, united, better than ever."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat ad came across as a real thumb in the eye to the taxpayer: "Now that we've picked your pocket for the benefit of the unions that run us, why can't we all just... get along?"
Clint did what he could to deliver the poison the pill but I don't think he had a full grasp of who the goods and bad guys are in the scenario. (Hint: the people rigging the markets are generally the bad guys.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI live near Detroit. Trust me, it's not "back" (unless you're referring to its place in the line of healthy cities).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDid you catch the footage of the Wisconsin anti-democracy protests in that ad? Truly disgusting.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJay, regarding points 1-4 -- I'd much rather hear classical/baroque music in those commercials than some crummy rap "song." (I'm sure you would too.) Of course, I'm of the generation that learned all about classical music from watching Bugs Bunny.
Regarding "World Peace," you make an interesting -- and correct, I think -- point. Whenever my children ask for something, and say they "really, really" want it, I tell them "I really, really want world peace, but I'm not going to get that either." Looks like I will have to rethink my wording!
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