Quit Your Crying: Why The Who at Superbowl XLIV is the Best Idea Ever
-
Artist:
Written by: Dell Frost
The Who will be performing at the halftime show during Sunday's Super Bowl and the kids are crying. Immediately after the November announcement, the accusations immediately went out: Janet Jackson's infamous Nipplegate incident and the ensuing dog and pony show had again caused the NFL to summon a pack of aging dinosaurs out of their slumber. From the outside looking in, it may seem as if the NFL is simply being conservative, but, I'm beginning to believe that their programmers may just be sick of the BS. Nipplegate was just an excuse to take action.
While many are ecstatic at the prospect of mainstays like Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen running through old hits at the Super Bowl, the blogosphere can't stop bellyaching about how parents just don't understand (hrm, didn't The Who write a song about that?). I initially joined in the bitching about the shift in Super Bowl acts, but the more I think about it the more I realize the NFL is absolutely right.
Why let the masses responsible for toss-away pop starlets like Ke$ha breaking Billboard records have any say whatsoever in the biggest television event of the year? Why allow the wider world to be influenced by bunch of Jersey Shore-watching, Pants-On-The-Ground-ringtone-havin' lemmings who don't know enough to keep away from that crap?
Watching McCartney and Springsteen drag their wrinkly corpses across the stage at halftime is the television equivalent of mom making you take nasty cough syrup that made you feel all better in the morning. Prior to the nipple seen round the world, Super Bowl viewers were usually "treated" to 15-minute group sing-alongs as multiple artists cycled through their hits. Would that be better? Hmmmm what artists would comprise this lineup today?
The Black Eyed Peas: Do we really want to see "I Gotta Feelin" for the millionth time? (After that Grammy performance, if you answer "yes" to this question, have your head checked).
Lady GaGa: She is a pretty good artist, but we've seen her perform the same songs at every award show in the last eight months. At this point, the only thing holding our interest is the crazy costuming, and she already wore shoulder pads and face-paint in last week's Grammy opening.
Taylor Swift: Don't even get me started on Taylor. Let's just say that even her manager admitted she isn't the best singer and leave it at that. Records are fine, but live? Let's quit encouraging the kid.
Lil Wayne: Gee, maybe the fact that he performed "I wish I could fuck every girl in the world" three days after the death of Michael Jackson at a BET Awards show dedicated to the king of pop hurt his chances? As a hardcore hip-hop fan, even I have to admit the majority of the artists in this genre are downright horrible at major public performances.
Sure, there are lesser known bands/artists that make great music, but when you're trying to please as many people as possible, the likes of The Who and Springsteen are simply your best bet.
Having modest followings simply isn't enough. Until the public starts demanding and supporting more resonant music in the mainstream, we're going to get what we deserve. So, let's start pushing up better bands. If Ke$ha makes it to the top of the charts again, Billy Joel is the sure bet for next year's Super Bowl.
Mmmmm, mom's medicine never tasted so good.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (19)
The Who no longer exist. Its just Roger Daltry & the pervert now.
Ooooh dmdm, them's fighting words. The pervert was cleared by the police and had all his computers returned. But you are absolutely right. There was once a band called The Who and some of their amazing videos are all over YouTube. I especially like the post-9/11 benefit at MSG where they just towered over the place. Think I'll go there now.
Enjoy the show on Sunday sports fans.
THIS is The Who:
the Who is dead. Long Live The Who!
Hey! The deadman is right
ROCKER PETE TOWNSHEND has been identified as a sex offender on hundreds of flyers sent to US homes and schools, The Sun can reveal. The leaflets are being posted to residents near Sun Life Stadium in Miami, where he will perform with THE WHO at the NFL Super Bowl half-time show. They show a picture of the guitarist and warn he is "at large" on February 7. The 64-year-old was cautioned in Britain in 2003 after admitting viewing a child porn site, claiming it was research for a book. He was put on a list of sex offenders for five years. The Protect Our Children, Inc. group plan to send the leaflets to 1,500 homes. A band spokesman refused to comment. Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2829979/Pete-Townshend-in-pervert-alert.
The Who are timeless -- I never get tired of them. The Who Sell Out may be my my Top Album of all time -- and I first listened to the whole thing decades after it came out. I predict they will put on a good show for "the kids" and everyone else.
PS. Those stupid flyers were a publicty stunt, if they were ever even posted. What a load of BS.
The Music The Who is indeed timeless. Thw Who no longer exist. As for Mr Townshend's.....troubles.......who cares?
BUT LET'S BE CLEAR: The WHO are LONG GONE. Period.
The Who: Not actually The Who since their brilliantly idiosyncratic drummer expired - and even less so after their inimitable, equally crucial bass-player passed away.
Pete Townshend: Exonerated. Get used to it.
CBS: The network of this year's Super Bowl - and the home to the gigantically popular "CSI" TV series franchise whose three theme songs just happen to be classic Who tracks includng "Won't Get Fooled Again." Coincidence? Hmmm.
The Super Bowl halftime show: A heavy-handed embarrassment featuring lame mainstream pop acts and/or a step into overblown irrelevance for good or esteemed rock artists (even The Boss) - except for U2's powerful post-9/11 appearance.
Pete Townshend: Exonerated. Get used to it.
".........and here's a song to sing for every man inside
If he can hear you sing....Its an open door
There's not a rich here who couldn't pay his way
and buy the freedom thats a high price for the poor"
....................G. Nash
@genderblender.....Yeah, I suspect as much.
Uncle Ernie...I mean Pete Townshend has always been sexually suspectMock warning leaflets being issued by Protect Our Children
No judgments here, re: Townshend and his alleged perversion, but he was cleared of criminal charges. Was it O.J. justice? Feel free to discuss this amongst yourselves and your brokers.
@deadmandeadman............jeff, You gotta know thats an insulting term, right? Sexually suspect?
This song creeped me out from the first time I heard it.
"Townsend is taken away by police in 2003 after his name appeared on a list of people who had accessed a Texas-based child porn website. He was subsequently cautioned and placed on the sex offenders register for five years"
I have to admit I am a Huge Who fan and I have seen them live more than any other band but when I hear this story I get a knot in my stomach.
Meanwhile, getting back to the "aging dinosaur" part of the thread, i agree that i would rather see this stuff than be force fed what is thrown at me most days like the list above. It's just a freakin' halftime show and you can always hit the loo.
No matter who plays, with an audience that big there will be millions of complaints and something to blog about. Maybe that's why they chose the Who......what's that phrase by the immortal Vanna White? "Any press is good press?"
by the way.....i dug Prince's halftime show.
I hate to quibble but the small pox vaccine was the best idea ever. The Who at the SuperBowl is merely a very very good idea.
I guess beer drinking baby boomers like football and the who...not really a surprise. The NFL know who butters the bread and they are giving them what they want..of course anyone would be better than the Up with People type- choruses that they had at half time for years.
That's right! I knew a girl in "Up with People" --- she performed the year they played in Detroit at the Silverdome! She turned out to be a pretty good jazz singer in the end.
I thought The Who -- after an iffy starty -- did a pretty good job. Great light show.
Seriously, its the SB. It's supposed to be over the top and one of a kind... SO I want to see The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne perform together for 15 minutes. Even if they only cover Who songs.