Superbowl Halftime Show - M.I.A. Flips the Bird

[wordspeak2]

About her possibly flipping off the western world? That may be the closest thing we have to dissent on national TV, Simulist.
Unless, you know, you count Ron Paul.

[Simulist]

Well, if that's what she was really doing, I'd see her finger, and raise her a fist — and a toast.

[justdrew]

why do we keep talking about a W.M. that happened for a couple seconds almost ten years ago?

[Simulist]

Because people actually thought they saw... wait for it... a nipple!

(Instead of the usual boobs on the tube.)

[Jeff]

Some ugly lessons I learned from this year's Super Bowl ads



Life may be grim after the apocalypse. But at least, according to GM, there will be Twinkies.

By Lindy West, msnbc.com contributor

Did you guys see the same Super Bowl ads I did? Well? Are you freaking out? The end is obviously hella nigh! Are you totally barricading right now? Because, seriously, WHOEVER ISN’T BARRICADING RIGHT NOW BETTER GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY.

The powers that be would have you believe that the behavior modeled in this year’s advertisements is “cute” or “funny” or “harmless,” but do not be fooled! If that collection of Super Bowl ads wasn’t the most base, unapologetic paean to depravity ever to air on network television, then my name’s not Madonna’s Awkwardly Shaky Equilibrium (okay, not technically my name yet, but after the apocalypse we can pick whatever names we want—the nuclear hill mutants are terrible with paperwork).

...

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2 ... me_oneline

[Searcher08]

the iconography is utter kitsch and devoid reference to or involvement with elite magick, in the sense that it's nothing but illegible pastiche. there's no message here; it's just the cladding of an empty spectacular edifice. madonna made no effort to disguise her performance as anything but fake, which i thought endearingly honest. she teetered around on her heels looking like she feared a fall would break her hip. harmless and quite charming actually, and i'll say it-- 'vogue' is an absolutely monster jam.

I thought she had mighty balls to attempt it.

Its aspired to be a bouillabaisse of an Annunaki epic with a Riefenstahl sensibility but the later songs turned it into a soggy ragout of Kaballah Centre meets The Wiz.


Maybe I'm thinking too much about the Iran thing, but Clint's car advert gave me the creeps.

[Saurian Tail]

Wait a minute. How is this not a "wardrobe malfunction"?

(In fact, it's so bad, I hadn't even noticed the finger.)

Its worse. See the video at 7:40 ... M.I.A. puts her leg on the platform, sticks out her crotch, uncovers it, and then gives the finger. On the biggest stage she will ever have.

Perhaps ironically, M.I.A. provides the necessary bridge in the narrative.

--------

Madonna, the angel of death, arrives with her slave/drones to a flaming backdrop to take her place on her demonic throne. Whatever fun follows, this will not end well.

As the show progresses, she appeals to the masses "Give me all your love! I'm a different kind of girl!" There is a chant "Luv Madonna! Luv Madonna! Then we have M.I.A.'s grand reveal ... no matter how intense your desire, you are fucked.

The show concludes with a harvest of souls. It is dark. The heads of the dead are bathed in an eerie red glow. Madonna invites her choir of souls to sing:

When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

Just like a prayer, I'll take you there
It's like a dream to me
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there
It's like a dream to me

Madonna leads ... writhing on her knees. Everyone gathers around. The grand depart is upon us. Madonna, in her full glory, deathly black outfit, golden hair alight, sings:

Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like ... home.

She disappears descending into a steaming pit. Yes. This is where she will take us.

The stage darkens. The final words are written: WORLD PEACE

------

This is extraordinarily dark stuff folks.

[Simulist]

Huh. Well, your analysis actually encouraged me to watch much it, ST.

All I can say is: I'm glad I didn't let the Superbowl interrupt our Downton Abbey marathon yesterday.

[Saurian Tail]

The Pepsi Super Bowl ad deserves to be included here for it's Masonic/Tarot/Occult themes and final plunge into satan's pit ... reinforcing the dreary message of the halftime show.

[Saurian Tail]

Huh. Well, your analysis actually encouraged me to watch much it, ST.

I'd love to hear your take Simulist. Kelley is right, this was not a great work of art ... it is not even very entertaining. But it is interesting for what it actually appears to be communicating.

[wintler2]

..Then there was the grotesque half-time extravaganza featuring Madonna, which was a weird parallel commentary on the state of American womanhood. Pretending to be ageless and indomitable, the old trooper performed a variety of standing crotch-locks on her Praetorian guard of hoofers and then stumbled more than once on the ridiculous bleacher stage-set that looked as if was designed to trip the performers up.

Message to American women: be sluts as long as you possibly can because there is nothing else for you in this culture. ..

http://kunstler.com/blog/2012/02/all-sc ... honor.html

[Simulist]

I think my analysis would be disappointing, ST.

Although, I dare say, it's a real shot in the arm to see us old people represented in the media lately: Madonna, Betty White...

[eyeno]

Some ugly lessons I learned from this year's Super Bowl ads



Life may be grim after the apocalypse. But at least, according to GM, there will be Twinkies.

By Lindy West, msnbc.com contributor

Did you guys see the same Super Bowl ads I did? Well? Are you freaking out? The end is obviously hella nigh! Are you totally barricading right now? Because, seriously, WHOEVER ISN’T BARRICADING RIGHT NOW BETTER GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY.

The powers that be would have you believe that the behavior modeled in this year’s advertisements is “cute” or “funny” or “harmless,” but do not be fooled! If that collection of Super Bowl ads wasn’t the most base, unapologetic paean to depravity ever to air on network television, then my name’s not Madonna’s Awkwardly Shaky Equilibrium (okay, not technically my name yet, but after the apocalypse we can pick whatever names we want—the nuclear hill mutants are terrible with paperwork).

...

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2 ... me_oneline

jeff thanx a million for that post. I would send it right now but due to slowly unfolding apocalypse i'm a little short right now.
My favorite post of the thread. Took me a long time to get through it because I watched ALL the commercials.

Commercial with most tells for me was the Swamp People commercial. I highly recommend it. Your laptop is a rifle. (your weapon) The sales pitch is a treble hook. Your cubicle is a swamp wilderness. Your co-worker is a dog. Your IT (internet technology?)is only a fishing pole. Your 401K is shooting the gator or the dragon. Your reboot is cranking your outboard motor. Your water cooler is a stagnated swamp pond. Your wing tips are a pair of high top rubber boots. Your light switch is the Sun. Your break room is your meager little kitchen with what sustenance it may still provide. Your car pool is an air boat to traverse the dangerous water world swamp.

And "just so we're clear, this is your BOSS." (Cut to picture of huge dragon gator mouth full of huge teeth.) "Swamp People, no guts, no gator." In other words, if you don't get brave and resist you won't get the teeth? Or maybe if your body can't be found maybe we won't eat it?

Note to PTB: I'm just an observer of time. This laptop is not intended as a weapon. Ok? Perhaps I should use it less often, and perhaps I will.

[Saurian Tail]

I think my analysis would be disappointing, ST.

Although, I dare say, it's a real shot in the arm to see us old people represented in the media lately: Madonna, Betty White...

In 2004 we saw Janet's nipple and the next year they played it really, really safe with good old Paul McCartney!:

[Simulist]

Paul McCartney: just a kid.