NFL Doesn’t Take Risks = Boring Halftime Shows :: Alternatives
David Allan, Ph.D., an entertainment marketing expert, says Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s slotted performance during Super Bowl XLIII’s halftime show is just another example of the NFL playing it safe.
“Remember when rock was risky?†asks Allan. “Well now it’s the safest thing to broadcast during Super Bowl halftime, except for country.â€
Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction†at halftime of the 2004 game compelled the NFL to skew away from younger and bolder performers in favor of older and more mainstream acts.
“Ever since Janet and Justin Timberlake decided to play dress up, or dress down as the case may be, the NFL has avoided taking risks,†says Allan.
He believes acts like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers alienate an increasingly larger, younger demographic of the Super Bowl’s viewing audience.
“There are some great bands from the ’70s that are still rockin’, but they have little appeal for many viewers in their 20s or early 30s,†says Allan. “Can’t the NFL get a little younger?â€
Looking toward next year, Allan has a suggestion for NFL corporate:
“How about Beyonce or even Coldplay?â€
Better Ideas
Since football is just popular culture and the Super Bowl deserves a halftime show that is equivalent in popularity why stick to music? Music is too personal and since the Super Bowl is watched worldwide would it be better if the entertainment was more mainstream? There isn’t one music genre or misc popular culture entity that could possibly meet the full demographics tastes, except one . . . the internet! Yes the internet is more popular than music, television, movies and yes, sports.
The NFL just needs to put up screens and have Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn host a 1/2 live show
- “Around the net” – introducing the best videos of the year
- Going down memory lane with the most creative Super Bowl commercials
- Showing Highlights of the year for the NFL games
- Show the entire musical “Dr. Horrible“
Bad Ideas
- Micheal Vick hosting a dog fighting match
- Richard Simmons with a field filled of fatty’s sweating to the oldies
- Being entertained by anyone associated with “American Idol” or “The X Factor”
- Musical by the cast of “Ugly Betty”
Change the Channel
There are more alternatives on TV than watching the Super Bowl “Half Baked” Half Time Show, note: The networks will cut to the competition as soon as the first-half Super Bowl whistle blows on Fox.
- Oxygen will premiere the first episode of reality series “Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love,” in which viewers peek into the home life of flamboyant former athlete Deion Sanders more than two months ahead of the series’ debut. “We have one of the biggest stars the NFL has ever turned out on our airwaves,” Oxygen general manager Jason Klarman said. “A lot of people will be interested in both the game and in Deion.”
Animal Planet, which for the past few years has aired the Puppy Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday, has begun to take it one step further — it’s airing its own halftime show, a kitten bowl, during halftime of the Puppy Bowl, timing it to coincide with halftime of the game featuring humans. Heck, the cuteness doesn’t matter when taking bets.
- Spike TV will show an eating contest featuring the likes of Eater X, Tim “Gravy” Brown” and rising star (in the eating world, anyway) Joey Chesnut. Spike will telecast an undercard of hard-boiled-egg consumption (world record: 65) as well as a ham-eating main event.
Los Angeles Temptation vs New York Euphoria Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles February 5, 2006. The game was aired locally on pay-per-view during halftime of the XL Super Bowl
Also look to MTV, Comedy Central and many more catching on for mini Super Bowl Half Time shows. Until the NFL updates its Super Bowl entertainment alternatives will always be more creative and entertaining than what you watch on Fox, unless of course it is a musical montage using the characters of “The Family Guy”.
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