The Super Bowl: American Culture at its best

The Super Bowl is almost year in and year out the most watched American television broadcast. It is estimated that between130-140 million people tune in to watch some part of the game. The Super Bowl in the modern day is seen as an unofficial holiday where family and friends all over the United States come together to eat and watch the game. Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, after Thanksgiving Day. Also during the super bowl advertisements and commercials are the most expensive of the year. Some people only watch the Super Bowl because of the numerous commercials and advertisements in hopes of picking out the one that they feel is the best. In some cases advertisers pay as much as $3 million for a 30-second spot. The Super Bowl has become so popular that programming networks who do not show the game schedule their programming around the Super Bowl and tailor their coverage towards the Super Bowl. Another aspect of the Super Bowl is the entertainment and half time show that comes along with it. Popular singers and musicians often perform before the game and during halftime. The actual game itself is also seen as entertainment.

The magnification of the Super Bowl says a lot about our society and culture today. All this fuss and glory surrounding a sporting event really goes to show the extent to which Americans will go to be entertained and the extent companies will go to to advertise. We’ve learned through Cullens how important commercials are to TV. Commercials are seen as the reason for TV and it’s hard to disagree when companies are willing to pay $3 million for a 30 second ad. It also speaks to the role entertainers, who in this case include athletes, have in our lives. They have a power over us because they can, in most cases, do things that we only dream of doing. The Super Bowl brings theses two topics we’ve learned together. The Super Bowl is an amazing event full of entertainers and expensive commercials and I can bet that at least half of you will tune in on February 7, 2010. I know I will.