Well, it was a damned good game, closer than most Sooper-Dooper Bowls I've seen. Seein' as how I don't follow the NFL... or watch any of their games, this bein' my first one all season... I had no dog in the fight. It's amazing how cool, detached, and analytical one can be when one isn't emotionally invested. I almost wish I could feel that way when watching college ball or hockey.
Nah. Not really. Not EVEN!
As for the ads? They sucked compared to previous years. Some were downright embarrassing to the products they were supposed to flog, others were simply tasteless, and most were just tacky. Madison Avenue ain't what it used to be if Sooper-Dooper Bowl ads are the industry's Academy Awards. There were exceptions, of course. The Bud Light ads were good... they're ALWAYS good (a shame about the BEER, though)... and the Volkswagen "Darth Vader" ad appealed to me.
But the BEST one, for my money? This:
The car mags say that Chrysler 200 is much much better than the cheapo rental Sebring it replaces. Not that I'm buying one or anything.
ReplyDeleteI know you have fond memories of the great city of Detroit and I want to be respectful about my comment here since I've only been there once in my life and that was in 1956 (I liked it so much then that I thought I might live there one day).
But there seem to be lots of people who view the city differently nowadays. Some of the things in the news over the past couple of decades have dirtied the image considerably (political corruption, drug busts, a large and vocal Islamic population, a rapidly deteriorating infrastructure, gang warfare, Michael Moore's ugly smear job on GM, poor business decisions by US carmakers, bailouts, etc.). So the last line of the commercial (I believe it read: "imported from Detroit") was, in my mind, pretty risky. Why? Because some people think the vibe of the city is almost 3rd world and that buying a car from there is truly almost like buying an import.
Anyway, whenever you have time or the inclination, I'd like to hear more about your views on the city, now vs. then, etc.
Agree about Reagan, He was a good one for America at the time. We needed Reagan.
ReplyDeleteThe game was good, and the ad's were worth watching for the most part. The ad by Chrysler on Dee'troit caught my attention and held it, not the car, but the city.
Good memories of Hudson's Dept Store, Dragging Woodward Ave. and Cobo Hall. Still a great city.
Dan: Excellent points... all of 'em, but most especially about political corruption. Some wag of a local columnist said "Detroit is America's first Third World city" back around '85 or '86 and got in a WORLD of trouble for sayin' so. But the guy was right and "things" have only gotten worse.
ReplyDeleteDetroit was in deep decline when I moved there in 1985 and it pained me to watch the city slide further and further into the ditch. Friends who still live there aren't optimistic and most are planning their getaway.
That said... I loved Detroit and still do, albeit from a distance. Most of the city's asshat detractors have never set foot in Detroit, and of those who HAVE been there, most didn't stay long. The Detroit I knew was a beautiful city with stately old homes, wonderful restaurants, a glorious history, and the remnants of a work ethic that made this country great.
It's just SO sad to see a great city kill itself.
Ed: Much of the above applies to your comment, as well.
The Detroit commercial was not one of my favorites, but I did think about you and your Wings.
ReplyDeleteThat comercial made me think of Alisa and I seeing Phantom of the Opera in the Fox Theater... Good memories.
ReplyDeleteWe up here in Canada didn't get to see the commercials until AFTER the Super Bowl... but I LOVED LOVED LOVED the commercial for Chrysler 200.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect, much more accurate depiction of Detroit than what people perceive it to be.
It simply deepened my affection for the Motor City. And much like you, I am homesick. And I will soon make that 3 hrs treck to her wonders and enjoy every mins of it.
THAT commercial alone (ok, well the Volkswagen on with mini-Darth Vadder too) was worth the lack luster Super Bowl.
RIGHT FUCKEN ON is RIGHT FUCKEN ON Buck!
Word Verification: uprosh
I felt that WV when I watched that commercial.
Long live the Motor City.
Long live Deeee-troit baby!
...but I did think about you and your Wings.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed there weren't any Wings references in the commercial, Lou. But ya can't have it all.
Sam: Yeah, the shots of the Fox brought back some good memories for me, too. Paula and I saw some GREAT concerts there.
KC: You GO, Girl! Speaking of driving to Dee-troit... did I ever tell ya I made many a trip from Rochester, NY to Detroit via the 401? With my cruise control set on 90 mph. True stories.
Little Darth Vader was hands-down the best of show (and the "show" was rather lackluster). For runner-up, I gotta go with the Doritos-lovin' pug. But then, we had pugs when the kids were little and there's an extremely soft spot for the little snorters in my heart.
ReplyDeleteLast year's game was infinitely better. Infinitely.