The happiest and saddest days of the year are when football season begins and ends. With the end game comes the halftime show, which has evolved over the years in terms of presentation.
Halftimes of years past
Up until 2001, the halftime show was a themed extravaganza like “Something Grand” that had 88 grand pianos being played in some showtime spectacle with the Rockettes. Ooh!
In 2002, U2 did the thing they’re very good at and that’s a musical tribute to tragedy and it was SUCH A FUCKING BUZZKILL, the NFL decided to stop the themed halftime shows and turned to big names in music, instead. Thanks, Bono! No, really. Thanks.
The most memorable performance is unquestionably Prince in the pouring Miami rain in 2007. Even if you thought Prince sucked, if you compared it to what’s been on since then, Prince was magical! The ONLY performance that was memorable in any way was been Katy Perry and that’s because of the shark. (ok she put on a pretty big fun spectacle, too. i’m fair)
Enter the Weeknd
Last night, it was the Weeknd’s turn. I am not exactly a fan in the same fashion that I LOOOOOVE the Dave Matthews Band or Nine Inch Nails or Zeppelin. And as a rock music kinda gal, I never listen to top 40. But it’s ubiquitous, so the Weeknd has always sorta been on my radar. (I thought that feel my face song was Justin Timberlake, for example)
The performance was mediocre-to-really good. I don’t think it will be memorable and that’s probably because there was nothing controversial about it. But that’s also exactly why I enjoyed the absolute fuck out of that mediocre-to-really good halftime show.
Let’s hear it for the boys
No tits. No ass. No hyper-sexualized women gyrating all over the tv. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s that I just don’t care. Pop music and half naked chicks have dominated the halftime show for almost 10 years. It bores me!
This show was all men. Men in the stands, men in the fields, men dancing with weird shit on their heads. LOVED the all-male show and I’m sure it was deliberate and I love it. Has anyone even mentioned this? I’m surprised feminists aren’t up in arms about the lack of female representation tonight.
Was he the best choice for a halftime act? Just as good as any of his predecessors. Was he the worst? Also a no.
There was that one moment with the spinning camera in the house of mirrors where I had to turn away because it was starting to make me nauseous. It’s unfortunate that there was trouble with the sound at the start. After it was fixed and the rest of the show was pretty fucking good.
I’m really hoping the NFL gives us a rock act for next year’s show. I’m sick of pop music. I think the Killers or the Foo Fighters would be PERFECT choices. Maybe a special guest appearance from Post Malone. They all put on solid live performances and know how to play for a large crowd.
Someone get me Roger Goodell. Foo Fighters and Posty. I’m in.