Super Dreams
Advertisers do not sell us products. They sell us stories that we want to live in. Consequently, commercials tell us a lot about what you and I dream about, and what we wish our lives were like. This makes the Super Bowl commercial binge an important window into the worldview that dominates our communities.
It is time to analyze where we are at as a culture, so here are my second annual Super Bowl commercial awards, thoughts, and observations.
Before I get to the ads, I need to spend a moment on the National Anthem sung by Christine Ag-ra. Yes, I know her name has more letters, but since she dropped the middle third of the National Anthem I am dropping a third of her name as payback. What state of self perception must you be in to be asked to sing the National Anthem for the USA in front of over 100 million people and not practice? Most people would be so nervous they would practice morning, noon, and night. Not Christine Ag-ra. She joins a long list of pop-stars who mistake their grammys for transcendent identity. Instead of humbly taking on the task out of gratitude for something bigger than themselves, the honor becomes an opportunity to show the world they are bigger than the song. How about a military person singing the song? I bet they wouldn't forget any lyrics.
To the ads:
The We Think Customers are too Stupid to See Through This Award: Eminem for his "Brisk" ad. The animated Eminem maintains his street tough, anti-establishment aura by doing a commercial about hating commercials. He swears, talks about "hot" chicks, and bosses people around. He's so tough and uncontrolled by the establishment. Um.....Em....it's still a commercial. Take two.
The How to be Relevant by Being Vulgar Without Having Blame Put on Our Product Award: Tie between Pepsi-Max and Doritos. Here's the plan. Have a home produced video contest with the winners getting aired during the Super Bowl. Have the winners chosen by popular vote. Then you are double insulated from responsibility because someone else made the video and the general public voted for it. You get the upside without the fallout. You can have commercials that perpetuate male shallowness as a man is torn between the desire to sleep with his new date or drink her Pepsi. What guy hasn't been there a thousand times? Or you can have a disturbing male to male fetish theme with a man sucking on another man's finger or smelling another's pants to sell your chips. Meant to be funny and progressive, but if you pause, it truly is bizarre and disturbing. But don't blame Doritios, they didn't make it. (wink, wink)
The We do it the Old Fashioned Way, Sex Sells Award: Tie between Telaflora and Skechers. Faith Hill attaches herself to an ad where the heartfelt message of a young man to his valentine is, "You have a nice rack." Skechers uses Jr. High-ish double entendre's as Kim Kardashian talks to her athletic trainer in terms that could mean training or having sex. She's sweaty, lightly clothed with seductive lighting and music highlighting the story. The entertainment industry continues to talk out of both sides of its mouth by denouncing and expelling Christianity because it's intolerant, and yet continues a pervasive assault on true womanhood by objectifying women as merely a means to sexual pleasure. Evil is incoherent, but it doesn't care.
The Deja-Vu All Over Again Award: Another commercial with Eminem. Em, I thought you hated commercials? At least you're still street tough and anti-establishment. Am I supposed to be intimidated into buying a Chrysler? Cash another check, Em.
My Three Favorite Commercials: Volkswagon - Darth Vader - I have a five year old who walks around the house with a light saber and blanket for a cape trying to use the force to choke stuffed animals. Very cute. Creates a story of family around owning a VW. Unfortunately, it takes more than a car.
Career Builder monkeys parking poorly. Very funny, though it plays on the victim mentality that we all work with idiots, and a new job will free us....to be with new idiots. Hey maybe we're the idio......naw.
Audi escaping from "old luxury". Clever idea with lots of subtle humor. The Kenny G bit was excellent. Cool guy escapes while the old guy stumbles back to "old luxury". Makes me wish I had a luxury choice.
The Revisionist History Award: Chrysler. According to the commercial the story of Detroit is hard work, conviction, and know-how which gives them insight to luxury and has tempered them to excellence. Oh, I thought management, greed, union entitlement, and debilitating family-destroying social programs were a bigger part of the story. Lot's of good people live in Detroit, but lots of bad ideas run their world. Watch the VW commercial back to back with this one and note the contrast in stories. Chevy threw a lot of different stories at the Super Bowl, but this was their featured piece. I do like their tag line - Imported from Detroit - but probably for the wrong reasons.
The We Can't Do Anything Original Award: Microsoft XOON - the IPad wannabe. They allude to 1984 which was the theme for Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad which is still considered one of the best ever. Even in their spoof Microsoft comes across as un-original. I think they snag ideas out of Apple's dumpsters.
The Stop Already Awards: Given to ads stuck in tired and often pathetic themes. Bud Light's telling us that irresponsibility is cool and life is a party. Go-Daddy using soft-core porn ads to sell a product that I still don't know what it is (btw. Does Danica Patrick want to be a race car driver or a porn star?). Anyone featuring dogs to sell products. E-trade baby needs a diaper change.
The Confusing Waste of Money Award: Stella Artois. Weird personification of beer into a lounge singer's one true love while real women cry romantic tears over it. Huh?!?
Finally, the Your Story is Way Bigger than Your Product Award: Coca-Cola dragon fight. Epic LOTR-like battle diffused by dragon drinking a Coke. Tag-line = Open Happiness. If only it were that easy. They just sell pop, but Coke knows we want something deeper even from our soft drinks.
Don't let products write your story. The Christ-follower lives a story of restoration through Jesus Christ in all ways. We must buy products, but we must not let them write the story of our lives.
One other thing. If you see Christine Ag-ra, tell her Francis Scott Key wants her Grammys.
February 10th, 2011 - 16:47
I’m good too. I agree the thirty years is a kicker, but I was one of the youngest in the class so I’ve got that going for me.
Michelle, it seems we are mostly on the same page. I agree with personal and parental responsibility and my limited ability to change corporate behavior. I try to change the world five children at a time, and it is my job to teach them.
I don’t blame pop-culture because it is merely an abstraction of our collective wish dream. I don’t think its corporate America vs. the conservative family. The war is always within the human heart and as things around us become increasingly decadent and irreligious it merely reflects the apathy and self-indulgence that plagues us. So my diatribes on culture are not meant to be, “Look at evil culture. Let’s hide.”. Rather, I mean it to be , “Look at culture. What has become of our lives to bring this about?”.
I have a vocation that calls me preach and teach the Gospel. To do this I must do three things well: pray, study Scripture, and understand culture. Romans 12:9 tells us to cling to what is good and hate what is evil. As I observe my life and the lives around me, the church has lost the ability to hate well. We don’t hate evil, we just hate not getting our way. So, I keep my soap box handy.
Good hearing from you. Blessings.
Ryan Grant got a ring too (Go Irish!)
February 10th, 2011 - 13:59
Hi, how are you? I’m good. I don’t think it has been thirty years since we spoke because I am not that old . . .
I appreciate your points; if you want to talk further we can. I responded impulsively, yet respectfully, to your blog because, after I was done reading your blog, I let out a long, “whew.” I apologize; It wasn’t my intent to offend. I think we both can agree that the broader issue is how popular culture is damaging to our families and faith. It is and, in response, I say, I don’t rely (and I am sure you don’t either) on popular culture to raise my children or influence their value system. I guess I am just tired of everybody blaming pop culture on all the ills in the world. Ultimately, it is my responsiblity as a parent to teach my children. I can’t pay corporations not to place inapproriate information in front of my children. I can control, however, what they view and what products I purchase. I also can use objectionable material as teaching tools, which we frequently do. I guess we have philosophical differences on how to fight the good fight. I have given up on jumping on my soap box with the belief that I, alone, can change the world. Maybe I am thinking on too small of a scale. I can’t take on the establishment, but I can make a difference one child at a time, starting with my own. So, at the end of the day, I enjoyed a good football game, chuckled at a few commericials (I love talking babies) and was glad that Woodson got his ring (Go Blue!).
February 9th, 2011 - 16:14
When did you become cynical and jaded about other people being cynical and jaded?
We don’t talk for 30 years and you wing me twice without a, “hi, how’s it going?”.
I’ll start. Hi, how’s it going?
Now, let me explain a little further in response to your rebuke. Maybe it will clarify, but I will also consider your barb.
Christina made a mistake and we all make them. I have made mistakes public speaking and I certainly wouldn’t want to be vilified for a slip up. I don’t think she is a worse person than myself because of it, I won’t call her names, and if I saw her I would treat her with respect. My point is that there is a larger context to this matter. First, why have a pop star sing the NA? I want to sing it in the stands with everyone else, not see if I am “moved” by the stylization of a celebrity. By having celebrities sing it we exchange something corporate for another performance. Second, the cases of celebrities botching, belittling, or over stylizing the NA are legion. We watch to see how it will be mangled or individualized into the performers own thing. Christina is a pop star. She did not finish the song in her practice and then blew it at game time. I would contend she messed up because she was more focused on her stylization of the song than what the song is about.
This leads me to your accusation of me being a cynic. I contend I am not a cynic. A cynic perpetually undermines and criticizes because they think they are superior and they don’t put forth positive counter ideas. I don’t think I am better than Christina or Eminem and I do put forth counter ideas. I do criticize poor ideas that infect our culture, because they choke out life giving ideas. I long for a life giving culture and not the death that pours into our lives through media. I like watching football with my 8 year old son, but I want to watch it without the deification of athletes and decadent singers. I want to watch it without super models twisting and groaning to sell crap while I try to distract my son with chip dip. I want to watch it without pop stars who care more about their brand than the effect of their actions on the world. I want to enjoy good spirited competition that does not end in the winner feeling like a god and the loser feeling emasculated. I want to watch it without the overwhelming assault of narcissism that has become our cultural norm.
If decrying that is cynicism in your book then I am guilty. However, I would argue that I am no more a cynic than St. Paul in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans. He tells us that we suppress the Truth of Jesus Christ and that suppression begins a cascade of decadence. Much of what goes on in and around the Super Bowl these days is evidence of that cascade of decadence. Christina did not start it but she is caught in its wave as we all are to varying degrees.
Christ wants us to swim against that wave to show there is a way to live that is life giving and abundant but it cannot be self focused. It must be focused on Him and that infuses everything else we do with life. To pretend there isn’t a war between the Truth of Christ and the tendency of our hearts and the cultures is to live in a corporate delusion.
February 8th, 2011 - 23:04
Maybe Christina was just nervous and made a mistake. We all do. When did you become so critical and jaded?
February 8th, 2011 - 19:59
You pushed my button! Picture the dwarfs at the end of The Last Battle, they are sitting together in a huddle, the shed has been demolished from around them and all they are all so unaware of is what is outside their little huddle, they aren’t even aware of Aslan, standing there beside them. I see media-infused people of this world as dwarfs, except they aren’t sitting in a huddle but running, running, running in circles through a light show of images they think are real. We are standing outside their lightshow, holding up signs saying Jesus is real. But how do we compete with the pretty baubles and bright lights when our signs look pale and drab in comparison?
Prayer? Be there until Jesus begins to adjust their sight, and see that the signs we are holding are not drab as they had supposed, but actually a much brighter and solid reality they were longing for in the first place!