The Super Bowl attracts millions upon millions of viewers — and dollars. So it’s no small request that the American people, who spend so much time and money on the Super Bowl and Super Bowl-related things, like food, parties, etc., get their money’s worth. Do you feel you did? Never mind the actual game, did you get your money’s worth in quality out of the ads? How about the O’Reilly-Obama interview?
I think not.
The New York Times noticed that “the language is more frank than in previous games,” and made this observation:
“Groupon bought a spot in the game, as well as before and after, while a rival, LivingSocial, bought a spot in the pre-game. That spot, which just ran, echoes a commercial for GoDaddy.com in showing a burly man that at the end of the spot is dressed like a woman.
“Yes, in 2011, advertisers still believe that transsexuals or cross-dressing is something to laugh at.
“Those who disliked the LivingSocial spot, get ready for the Groupon spot, in the third quarter. It may raise more hackles than any Super Bowl spot since the Snickers commercial that presented two men accidentally kissing as something awful.”
And the O’Reilly interview of President Obama? As I tweeted, “The O’Reilly-Obama interview raises Obama’s approval 5 points, lowers O’Reilly’s 10 points.”
You do have to wonder, between the SNL “Estro-Maxx” skit (offensive,) to the Late Late Show anti-trans skit (offensive,) to these Super Bowl anti-trans ads (were they?) and the general anti-gay “flavor” of some Super Bowl ads (Doritos?”) what is going on?
Vote here. What was the worst part of the Super Bowl?
To help jar your memory, as painful as that may be, here are a few choices. Or, you can head over to YouTube, which has placed all 63 ads on one very nice page.