I suppose this makes sense, so why is it so morbid and shocking? Perhaps because every aspect of the Super Bowl is supposed to symbolize some element of the broader culture? Deadspin stumbled upon some photos of the armed-and-ready-to-shoot man who watches while you watch the big game:
According to Business Insider, the photos were taken by a ranking member of the Indianpolis SWAT team, and obtained by Alamo Four Star, maker of the tripod.
Photo: Bigcats lair (CC)
No biggie for the attendees, since this stadium has the largest HDTV screen in the world. Sally Jenkins writes in the Washington Post:
Everything you need to know about the future of the NFL could be seen in the gloriously decadent stadium that hosted this Super Bowl. As NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pointed out, “Quite frankly, that’s our stage.” It was the cleanest, safest, nicest stadium anyone has ever visited. It was also the most extravagant and economically stratified. It cost double what Jerry Jones said it would, and taxpayers financed about a quarter of it, yet its innermost marble interiors are totally inaccessible to the average fan.
A tipping point was reached with this Super Bowl, for me. It was the screwed-over anger of those 1,250 people without seats that did it. Those travel-weary, cash-whipped fans paid small fortunes to go to the game, only to discover their stubs were no good, because fire marshals declared some sections unsafe.
Proving that a good conspiracy theory is as American as apple pie, Korean carmaker Hyundai is spending a fortune on advertising its compact cars during the Superbowl. Here’s the script and video from their site at CompactConspiracy.com:
Mass Deprogramming
This Sunday, CompactConspiracy.com will conduct a Mass Deprogramming of unprecedented scale. With more than 100 million U.S. viewers simultaneously watching the same game, it is the perfect chance to help people all over the country snap out of their stupor and see the truth about compact cars.
The Deprogramming will take place during the third quarter, following a halftime littered with more car propaganda (advertisements) than ever before. In only 30 seconds, it could erase the 30 years of conditioning Americans have been subjected to, and open their eyes to what a compact car truly can be.
From last week’s Real Time With Bill Maher, also on the Huffington Post:
New Rule: With the Super Bowl only a week away, Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That’s right, for all the F-15 flyovers and flag waving, football is our most successful sport because the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives it to the poor teams … just like President Obama wants to do with his secret army of ACORN volunteers. Green Bay, Wisconsin has a population of 100,000. Yet this sleepy little town on the banks of the Fuck-if-I-know River has just as much of a chance of making it to the Super Bowl as the New York Jets — who next year need to just shut the hell up and play.
Now, me personally, I haven’t watched a Super Bowl since 2004, when Janet Jackson’s nipple popped out during half time, and that split-second glimpse of an unrestrained black titty burned my eyes and offended me as a Christian. But I get it – who doesn’t love the spectacle of juiced-up millionaires giving each other brain damage on a giant flat-screen TV with a picture so realistic it feels like Ben Roethlisberger is in your living room, grabbing your sister?
It’s no surprise that some 100 million Americans will watch the Super Bowl next week — that’s 40 million more than go to church on Christmas — suck on that, Jesus! It’s also 85 million more than watched the last game of the World Series, and in that is an economic lesson for America. Because football is built on an economic model of fairness and opportunity…
Whether or not Richard Belfry, the owner of JesusHatesObama.com, really wanted to spend the millions of dollars it costs to run a single commercial during the Superbowl is dubious, but in any event the network with the broadcast rights, Fox, has refused to air it, handing Belfry a whole lot of free publicity.
Here’s the commercial in case you’re curious, oh and by the way, he claims “Do we really believe that Jesues hates Obama?
Of course not! … Our products may be a joke but so are the policies of this administration”:
I’ll confess that I didn’t completely respect Mark Dice’s appeal to boycott the Superbowl and during the few minutes I tuned in this commercial aired. It’s supposed to be humorous, but are the “Green Police” really so far from being a reality?
Conspiracy theorist Mark Dice is calling for a campaign to boycott the Superbowl and read a book. Sounds like a good idea to me … but not to the interviewers at KTLA-TV:
AFP reports that the Super Bowl on Sunday will include commercials from venomous conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family. The spots star Heisman Trophy-winning college quarterback Tim Tebow discussing the amorality of abortion.
CBS is supposed to have a ban on advocacy commercials during the Super Bowl. The below ad, produced by the United Church of Christ, was previously rejected for its message of tolerance of gays…but in tough economic times, you take all the ad money you can get.
