Exalting Mediocrity (a Super Bowl thread)

[dgs49]

I witnessed something fairly interesting last night during the halftime show of the Super Bowl.

I belong to a bowling league that meets every other Sunday night. It is a couples league, and the bowlers range in age from about 45 to 65. We finished early last night, and everyone was done by the time the Madonna show was starting on the television at the lanes.

The television is a flat screen, maybe 42”, mounted high on the back wall of the building.

All of the women bowlers were crowded around the TV, watching the Madonna production, quite transfixed by the program. All of the comments were positive – not effusive, but positive.

The men were all standing further away from the screen, half watching and discussing, mainly, the football game. The reaction to the music production was, figuratively, a collective rolling of our eyes. Most of the verbal comments were either neutral (e.g., “nice production”) or negative. The consensus among the men was, basically, that the producers spent millions of dollars to put on a glorious production, the purpose of which was mainly to distract the viewers (listeners) from noticing the fact that Madonna is truly a mediocre, aging performer. And the music itself was pretty lame, as well. The only positive note, I suppose, was that she is just as good and just as attractive now as she was 25 years ago. But since she was mediocre and homely 25 years ago, that is nothing to rave about.

She has no range as a singer, and whether lip-synching or not, her voice is always electronically enhanced because with simple amplification its mediocrity would be overwhelming. Honestly, you can go into any bar on Karaoke night and after an hour or so, identify at least a couple female vocalists who are at least as good as this walking self-promotional event.

Truly, halftime of the Super Bowl is the most visible platform in all of American pop music (The Grammy’s is more extensive, but the SB captures millions of viewers who won’t watch the Grammys). It boggles the mind that someone (or probably some committee) decided that she was the best they could come up with for this singularly powerful event.

As for the game, the consensus in my neck of the woods was that we are glad New England and the Brady Bunch lost. The fact that it was the Giants who beat them is pretty much irrelevant. It was a good, entertaining game, with the desired result. Since the Steelers weren't playing, that's the best one can hope for.

[Gob]

The 53-year-old's half-time performance at the Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, included hits Vogue, Music, Open Your Heart, Express Yourself and Like a Prayer as well as new song Give Me all Your Luvin', from new album MDNA, due out next month.

She entered the stadium on a chariot, led by dozens of Roman gladiators, wearing a black and gold costume topped with an elaborate crown.

Marching bands, tightrope acrobats, gladiators and choirs - as well as guest stars M.I.A, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green and LMFAO - were among the cast in the spectacular show, watched by more than 100 million TV viewers in the US.

Sounds to me like a case of; "if you cannot dazzle the with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit." Please tell me this "Give Me all Your Luvin'" is not the brilliant ZZ Top single, fucked over by Mad Donna.

[Sean]

Gotta say, that is the first time I've heard the Madonna of 25 years ago described as "homely"...

[loCAtek]

Well, if you're not fooled by the plastic surgery and steroids ...

[dgs49]

Have you ever heard her described, honestly, as "pretty" or anything comparable (by a man)? I haven't.

I believe she posed in Playboy many years ago, and of course their photographers could make anyone look at least sexually desirable, but other than that? She is a very plain woman who, without an army of cosmeticians, etc., would look entirely at home slinging hash in any neighborhood diner. And her singing talent speaks for itself. A lot like Cher, in that way.

But she's better than Rod Stewart, eh?

[Jarlaxle]

You dont get out much, Dave. Madonna was hot...she still looks damn good for 53! I dont like most of her music, but she is not a BAD vocalist. (Note: neither is Cher.)

[loCAtek]

Not bad, but not good.

She tried some real singing in 'Evita', and they had to have her co-worker speak his lyrics so he didn't show her up.


No, mention of 'the finger'?

[Sean]

I was a teenager in the '80s Dave. Madonna was one of (if not the) biggest sex symbols of that era in music.


A homely young lady yesterday.

[Sean]

Not bad, but not good.

She tried some real singing in 'Evita', and they had to have her co-worker speak his lyrics so he didn't show her up.


No, mention of 'the finger'?

Really? Have you just made that up or is that what you actually thought when you watched the movie?

It certainly explains why she won the Golden Globe for her performance...

[Jarlaxle]

Not bad, but not good.

She tried some real singing in 'Evita', and they had to have her co-worker speak his lyrics so he didn't show her up.


No, mention of 'the finger'?

Neither I nor the half-dozen other people I was with saw it.

[Gob]

[loCAtek]

Some interesting trivia found whilst researching;

Meanwhile, Madonna had been campaigning for the part, but when Parker was ready for filming, several people objected to Madonna playing the part. Cher, Barbra Streisand, Glenn Close, Olivia Newton-John, and Michelle Pfeiffer were rumored to have been involved. Wiki

I've seen the movie, and the stage musical, Madonna actually knew she needed better vocal training for this film;

Madonna: I studied with a vocal coach for Evita and I realized there was a whole piece of my voice I wasn't using. Before, I just believed I had a really limited range and was going to make the most of it. Then I started studying with a coach. God bless her. My secret dream is to sing Italian art songs, so at the end of my lesson my teacher would let me sing Italian operetta. Maybe that affected me unconsciously.

I'll grant you, her singing got better after Evita, but she has not had the experience and training, that many better vocalists have had.

[BoSoxGal]

You folks can judge all you like, but this is what I saw:

A 50 year old woman with great confidence, having fun, and being cheered by thousands. A woman in better physical shape than any (I'd bet money) on this board. And one worth more than any of us will ever see.

She doesn't give a toss what the haters have to say.

As for me; I liked her music when I was a teenager, I think she has a very nice if not outstanding voice, I admire how she's handled fame/fortune compared to many others, and I thought it was a nice halftime show. The 'world peace' at the end was a nice touch. And I didn't see 'the finger'.

[Long Run]

I think Madonna was the first mediocre singing talent who became a superstar on the production side (many have followed). As for the show, it was well-choreographed as far as my limited attention could tell, and I thought Madonna did as well as she ever has with the actual singing, which is not good but not bad.

[loCAtek]

Physical shape, thanks to surgery, steroids and photoshop.

[Scooter]

Jealous much?

[loCAtek]

Of Megalomania? Maybe your sort of thing; I go for talent.


...not like the Super Bowl Half Time show was ever about that.

[Scooter]

...and she proves me right.

[loCAtek]

Right, you go for megalomania, thX for admitting that.

[Scooter]

And she proves me right again.