I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I had to work for part of the day and to be frank, I really wasn’t too jazzed with the matchup. I thought both teams had compelling stories – the Patriots comeback in the post-Tom Brady era with a young up-and-coming quarterback in Drake Maye and coached by a former Patriot in Mike Vrabel. The Seahawks getting there with a first-year coach who is 37 years old, quarterbacked by a journeyman who was never able to see any success until he got to Minnesota a couple of years ago. Then Minnesota dumps him for their young draft pick, so he goes to Seattle and in his first year, gets to the Big Game. But despite the storylines, I wasn’t that enthused. Maybe it was because my beloved Chicago Bears had been eliminated. Maybe it was because I happen to think a lot of the hype around the Super Bowl is just that – hype and a bit too much, in my opinion.
But truthfully, another part of my calculus was the halftime show’s controversy. I have not heard one song by Bad Bunny (at least I don’t think I have) and in the last week, I’ve learned a lot more about him. What’s most important, in my mind, is that he’s incredibly popular with over 85 million Spotify followers and, oh by the way, he just absolutely cleaned up at the Grammys! Good for him. I couldn’t care less about the fact that his lyrics are in Spanish, or that he’s from Puerto Rico. He’s incredibly talented and he’s popular.
So was the NFL “crazy” to hire him to perform at the halftime show? Apparently a lot of people think they were. An alternative show was developed featuring Kid Rock and other performers. While not getting into all those details at this point, I once again was turned off by the national discourse around the show. A number of right-wingers called it, among other things, “un-American” because the show would be in Spanish. A number of left-wingers celebrated and mocked the right and their performers. As usual, I can see certain points on both sides and I certainly have my personal opinions, which I’ll keep to myself because they are irrelevant to my point. My point is that another cultural issue has once again become a flashpoint for our country to fight over. I’m so tired of this. I’m so worn down by the fake outrage and the proclaimed “ownership” of everything that is American from each side. This thing IS American. That thing ISN’T American. We’re in a constant food fight over what really should and shouldn’t be American and no one really listens to one another. And if you’ve read my blogs here over the last five years, you won’t be shocked to hear about my feelings on the media – stoke the division for likes, clicks, ratings and profit.
So predictable and so sad. So I chose not to participate. If you took a side, one way or the other, I understand. I can actually understand arguments on both sides. I just wish we could leave the Super Bowl, one of the most treasured and iconic events of our culture, alone. No one is winning this culture war and, in my humble opinion, until people start tuning out the loud mouths and the “fake ragers” as I call them, the war will be ongoing. Being able to accept differences in how we define “American” and “America” would be a good start. And maybe – just maybe! – there’s a lot of “American” that can be claimed by both sides.
So I sat this one out. Doesn’t make me special, a virtue signaler, or a culture warrior. Truthfully…..it’s just a function of my fatigue.
