As I did last year, I intend to keep a running commentary on the only aspect of the Superbowl that I particularly care about: The commercials. Feel free to stop by.
in terms of the team, we will be pulling for the Colts for one simple reason: We allowed Caroline to decide based on the following conversation:
“Caroline: Which do you like better, teddy bears or ponies?”
“Ponies!”
So there it is.
PAD
6:24: I’m not sure I just heard that right. Did the crowd just boo a player…because his last name is Mohammed? I don’t really follow football, so did I just mishear? Or is there some other reason?
6:25: Heh. Ford superdoody. He said superdoody. What kind of a name for a truck is that, superdoody.
6:26: Dooooooody. Superdoooody. Bet it’s a real piece of crap.
6:35: Funny Bud Light commercial. Best Rock Paper scissors competition ever.
Not sure if “Eat Doritos, have an accident” is the message you want to give.
Blockbuster: Oh, that poor mouse.
6:39: “Sierra Mist: the drink for guys who have no concept of personal appearance.” Best message since Doritos.
Okay, I’m thinking that even if you know Karate, if someone tries to rob you of your Sierra Mist, probably better to just give it to them, especially if he’s armed.
6:56: If I’m not mistaken, we have just seen the first male/male kiss in Super Bowl history. Nicely done, Snickers.
6:49: Feel bad for the space guy.
Okay, that’s the funniest commercial so far…the idea of hiring an auctioneer to blow through the vows so you can get straight to the Bud Light. Thus far the BL guys have the advantage.
6:58: “Chevy: The car for people who can’t sing worth a dámņ.”
Another score for Bud Light.
7:16: I don’t know that I’dhave any use for Go daddy, but it’s a cute commercial.
I’m not interested in having a Coke, but I sure want to play that video game.
7:23: Okay, doesn’t have a dámņëd thing to do with beer, but I want to see a whole movie about that dog.
Aw crap. Garmin.
7:28: Okay, I liked the careerbuilder.com ad. if I ever decide to get a real job, I might check that out.
I like the cashier in the Doritos ad.
Ariel has just seen the car she wants when she’s old enough. And, hey…the Naked Cowboy, a staple of Times Square. Go figure.
7:36: Okay, not all Bud Light commercials can be good.
My heart hurts.
7:38: What a sad little robot.
VERY nice use of Black History month by Coke.
7:46: Connectile Dysfunction. There’s a term that’ll catch on.
7:53: Another clever use of Black History month, this time from Doritos. I suppose the point is derived from the fact that both head coaches are black.
7:55: Of course, if the old guy had drank Coke all his life, perhaps all the corn syrup and additives would have killed him when he was younger.
7:58: I sure hope they’re paying John Goodman a lot of money for Dunkin’ Donuts, but I keep being afraid they’re just paying him in Donuts.
Dude…just put the autographed shoe up on ebay and use the money to buy a dozen more pairs.
8:22: Toyota. Eh. Not particularly clever.
Y’know, I don’t typically find “Mind of Mencia” funny, but that commercial was funny.
8:43: Yet another great Bud Light commercial. “Seriously, what’d you say?” Love it.
“Not Fade Away” Interesting: A commercial directed squarely at women during the Superbowl.
8:48: Still liking Careerbuilder.
We gotta get the Taco Bell lions together with the Bud Light Gorillas.
Since I wear mostly t-shirts, not much use for Van Heusen.
8:56: ROBERT GOULET?! Okay, I love that. I’m going to start buying Emerald Nuts just because of those.
Okay, that phone commercial would have been funnier to me if I’d known who the athletes were…
8:58: DO YOU HAVE A FLAG? (Sorry, I know it’s not a commercial thing, but I like Eddie Izzard, so…)
8:59: “Well said, Mr. Turkey Neck.” Okay, that was great.
“Federline! Fries!” Yeah, he’ll be hearing THAT a lot.
And the best entry from Bud Light yet. Best three commercial set of the evening.
9:11: Cute Toshiba ad. Great stunt work.
9:15: Budweiser: For a great case of crabs.
Iraq? Why are they saying all these great things about Iraq? I don’t…oh. A rock. Never mind.
Yeah, that’s what I need: A built in GPS.
9:27: Okay Bud commercial. The Bud light guys are doing a better job.
9:34: Ah, male urinary problems. That’s exactly what you want to hear about after 20 beer commercials.
“Things you can do with one finger.” Glad they finally got to the one that I immediately thought of.
9:39: Still liking careerbuilder.com. If I ever get a career….
9:51: Honda…eh.
Doesn’t make me want to buy Snapple, but that was cute.
Much funnier losing football team than the comparable losing baseball team commercial urging people to watch the World Series.
• 
By the way, here’s a link to an ESPN.com article that discusses the incident that precipitates Manning calling Mike Vanderjagt an “idiot kicker:”
http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2003/0202/1503003.html
Note that Manning’s remarks were in response to Vanderjagt making disparaging remarks about Manning and Tony Dungy while Vanderjagt was still part of the team. Vanderjagt was being unprofessional in the extreme. Manning’s reaction may have been inappropriate as well, but his anger was understandable.
Also, I’ve seen post-game interviews following Colts’ victories where Manning emphasized that the win “was a team effort.” So, yeah, I feel pretty comfortable saying he’s good about spreading credit around.
By the way, here’s one of the quotes from Peyton Manning that people pounced all over in order to “prove” he doesn’t like to shoulder the blame or share credit:
“It seems like for so long it’s been ‘Colts win’, but then ‘Peyton Manning loses… Either give me all the credit when we win or give the team the blame when we lose. The way it should be is Colts win or Colts lose. That’s the way I always thought it was.”
Maybe he should’ve “manned up” and just taken his lumps from the “out-to-getcha” sports news establishment. But he’s human. And he’s right. Everyone really was putting the blame on his shoulders but never giving him credit for the wins.
Everyone loves a winner? No, not so much. I think a lot of people feel threatened by a winner. Peyton Manning is one of the greatest QBs in the history of the game. So I think people amplify his faults to a degree that they don’t with other QBs.
Bladestar posted:
I hope the terrorists don’t try to bomb CBS for showing Mohammed’s image on TV….
I know this was intended a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s not “Mohammed’s image”, but “The Prophet’s image” that’s prohibited. Many Muslim men have the name “Mohammed” (or some form such as “Mehmet” or “Moammar”) and have been seen on television over the years (the Libyan leader broadcasts speeches frequently but I’m unaware of his being bombed by terrorists–only Americans).
Muslims also object to images of Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa (Abraham, Moses and Jesus) being shown on television and film as they are also Prophets.
And going back to the begining of the thread (and post), the fans chant “MOOSE” at Muhammada, not “MOO”
See, that’s what I get for living in Denver and not Chicago, and never being able to get to a game. It sounds like just ‘moo’ through the TV. 🙂
As for the game, the Bears were in it, but the whole team failed: Benson’s fumble, and then his injury affected the offense more than we could’ve imagined at the time. Allowing a long drive out of the gate in the 2nd half really killed the defense too.
Maybe if the Colts had played the entire game in the Bears red zone, the Bears would’ve won. 😉
Grossman can only improve, and it really pìššëš me off to no end that the only thing many other Bears fans want to do is run each and every QB out of town, regardless.
Grossman isn’t totally at fault-the Bears defense acting like a sieve didn’t help matters at all.
And, this is Grossman’s first full season at QB-injuries have kept him from playing most of the previous 2 seasons.
Still, Griese should’ve been in there in the 4th quarter…
Dave
So, when’s spring training start?
Go Cubs!
About that Snickers commercial…
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/snickers-superbowl-web-site-promotes.html
that snickers stuff is bad news all around
Mehmet is the Turkish version of the arabic name Mohammad. Moammar, I think, is a different name.
Frank, I was most struck by how far off the mark the Snickers ad was as far as:
1) Completely missing out on who their targeted audience was (i.e. testosterone-fueled football fanatics most of whom are watching with their buddies) by going with the gay joke.
2) The hair-pulling follow-up not only implied that homosexuality was something to be disgusted by (I was in a house with a dozen people, most of who echoed a unified “ewwww”.), but left the impression that tough guys are complete idiots bent on masochistic acts to purge themselves of any homosexual ambiguity.
Nobody was left out in this commercial. Short-sighted and very foolish ad execs at the very least….
Anybody else bothered by the commercial where the GM robot loses his job? I can’t believe this commercial got made. In real life, dozens of blue collar workers have been replaced by automated factories. What segment of the population really likes football? Blue collar workers? And we’re showing a commercial that a robot dreams he’s laid off, and eventually attempts suicide? Hmm. . .
I can’t believe this commercial got made. I really can’t. I guess GM isn’t all that obsessed with COMMON SENSE when it comes to marketing itself.
Is this homophobia? Well, yeah. These two guys have some issues over their shared
moment of unintentional gayness. But is the ad homophobic? Only if you consider
that moment between Steve Martin and John Candy, (“Those aren’t pillows!”) in
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES homophobic. The humor here is not directed at
two gay men who, upon kissing, are punished for their act. No, it’s directed
at two straight men who, upon ACCIDENTALLY kissing, are so mortified that they
react beyond all reason. The joke is about straight men being silly.
adam, the joke is the way in which it was received by the masses. I have spoken to more than a few people who were, in their words, “disgusted” by the accidental lip lock. The two men in the commercial weren’t being silly, they were repulsed and self-abusive as a result of their encounter. The response by many was disgust toward the kiss. Was this the intent of the commercial to reinforce negative thoughts towards homosexual behavior? I doubt it. It was pretty dámņ ignorant though.
Not to mention the fact that the “alternate ending” on the Snickers site you can vote for shows one of the men beating the other with a wrench for kissing him, which DEFINITELY induces homophobia and gay bashing.
(also noted is that MARS company is a very right wing, homophobic corporation who donates to many associations that fight against gay rights)
I went into a bit more depth in my coverage here: http://www.pinnycohen.com/2007/02/05/ad-reviews/super-bowl-ad-review-2007/
I’m curious what you think of them.