I’m not the first person to say it, and I won’t be the last — Beyoncé won Super Bowl XLVII.
It’s not like most people had any doubts. Beyoncé established her power and presence as a performer years before she had to prove herself for maybe lip-syncing in the winter’s cold in front of millions of people.
It seems Bey proved her dominance once again as tweets and status updates flooded the Internet, lauding every dance move, high note and launch of a Destiny’s Child member from the underworld where Michelle Williams has been since “Cater 2 U.”
But as with most great moments in life, there are always Facebook dissenters to kill the vibe.
There were boos and jeers among cries and pleas for acts more fitting to the masculine and gritty nature of football.
It’s true Super Bowl halftime shows of years past have been less than stellar, as performers like The Black Eyed Peas gave dismal performances that barely had a pulse if not for non-sequitur all-star cameos and obnoxious stage antics.
So those dissenters are right, the fans of football and Bud Light deserve a high-energy, talented and powerful performance.
But that’s what Beyoncé gave us, and her performance asserted a Super Bowl trend many haven’t noticed or don’t want to acknowledge — it’s not about football anymore.
From the commercials to the expensive celebrity events leading to the big game, the Super Bowl is no longer the world championship of football but rather the world championship of consumerism.
I’ll spare you from terms like “mainstream,” “capitalism” and “money hungry,” but the Super Bowl’s aim is profit, and to succeed, the halftime show performer has to be an artist or group who will appeal to the most Americans.
As much as I would love to see Radiohead headline a Super Bowl halftime show, it’s not realistic. While the Super Bowl organizers have a knack for reaching back in time for performances, there’s no doubt future Super Bowl performers will be beloved and, most importantly, still relevant performers.
So the powers that be (or Bey) will most likely pick another Top 40 starlet for next year’s shindig. It’s been a long time since Prince gave perhaps the most underrated halftime performance of all time, and featuring an older act like The Who seems less likely with recent picks like The Black Eyed Peas, Madonna and Beyoncé.
If there’s not much that can be done to change it, then we should appreciate a smart pick like Beyoncé. She sang and danced beautifully (as far as I can judge), and no one should complain about having to watch Beyoncé in tight black leather for 15 minutes.
It will be some time until the performer for the 2014 halftime show is announced, and the bar is set high.
A rap artist should be strongly considered since the genre hasn’t seen much love from the Super Bowl. Other Top 40 darlings like the fresh-from-hibernation Justin Timberlake would be another good pick for an entertaining yet talented performance.
Whoever it is, try your best to enjoy it. For real, if you thought Beyoncé wasn’t incredible, you may have something wrong with your head — or you should just get over it.
Brian Sibille is a 20-year-old mass communication junior
from Lafayette.
