Writer's Block: Superbowl madness or sadness?

[altivo]

[Error: unknown template qotd]In a non-word: phbltltltlt! One of the dumber manifestations of mob mentality in my opinion.

When the game was in mid-afternoon, we used to enjoy going out shopping in the otherwise empty stores, or pick a restaurant that didn't have television monitors in it and enjoy a long, quiet meal.

The idea of "professional" sports of any type has always seemed idiotic to me. The single mindedness with which some people become involved in merely watching them is, well, absurd to say the least.

In the case of football in the US, though, the disease goes deeper still. One is judged as more than just peculiar for not liking it. In many circles, it's considered not only proof that a male is gay, but moreover that he must be communist, traitor, and atheist all rolled into one. Suggesting there is more to the world than professional football is equivalent to defiling a temple. And frankly, I say that temple is built around the biggest golden calf ever created.

Comments

[schnee.livejournal.com]

If you're not American, what do you think about Superbowl Sunday?

I think my thoughts could be summed up as "what's superbowl sunday"? *s*

[flamekist.livejournal.com]

I wish I could say the same thing.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You can, we'll let you. ;p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, and how could I have failed to mention the tons of junk food promoted, sold and consumed on this day. Freight trains full of it.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

What it is would be a giant commercial fraud. It's not about sport of any sort, but rather about regional rivalries fanned to sell crap. Television ad time, newspapers and magazines, flags, pennants, bumper stickers, etc.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* Panem et circenses...

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

O.o

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You're surprised I'd say these things? Or you didn't know how much of a sacred cow football is in the US? (It long ago surpassed baseball in terms of the fevered fanaticism of its followers and the amount of secondary profit it generates.)

There are some regional differences. Though football is unreasonably important all over the US, it approaches the level of a sacred ritual largely in the South and to a lesser extent, the West.

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

I was more concerned with your second paragraph. I must admit though, there is a similar mind set here when I think about it. :/

something to watch when you have the bandwidth

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF_uOgyBK1c

Re: something to watch when you have the bandwidth

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Actually there's a wonderfully funny parody done by Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Back) in which the football commentators describe a classical symphony as it is performed on the radio. "It looks like the violins are tiring, Fred. I think they're going to pass the theme to the brass section!"

Re: something to watch when you have the bandwidth

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I can't see straight (or even gay) today. That should've been "P.D.Q. Bach" of course.

Re: something to watch when you have the bandwidth

[schnee.livejournal.com]

That's quite fitting, given that much of P.D.Q.'s music is a constant battle. ^^

[quetico.livejournal.com]

Oh no, I'm a godless commie traitor.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We already knew that. Welcome to the elite club of the intelligentsia. Or, as the proles would put it: the snobs.

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

Once again, you echo my sentiments.

*gives a hug*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* We don't often disagree, do we?

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

We get called weirdos for dressing up like animals, and being part of a subculture called "furry".
So why is it "normal" to be wearing shorts and body paint in 40°F weather, screaming my head off for "my" team to win or talking about the players like I know them personally in order to validate my own existence.
Yeah I'm different, but at least I'm not the one worshipping at the corporate altar of American football.

I'm istening to Equilibrium "Unbesiegt"

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I guess it's "normal" because all the other slobs have been doing it since they were kids, because they in turn were indoctrinated into it by their fathers and peers. I managed to miss that, probably because my father didn't care for commercial sports much either except a little baseball. And I was busy reading a book when my peers were all playing football in the street.

These days I'm usually shocked when I find that someone I generally feel an affinity for is a football fan. Turns out there are quite a few rabid ones in the furry circle, and most of them are gay males as well (well that seems always to be true of any furry group, but certainly football fandom is a rare affliction among gay men at large.)

[aerofox.livejournal.com]

hear hear!

I guess I'm a gay commie traitor too. I don't give a flying rats ass about the superbowl. I don't even know who is playing or anything about the game. Yeah, the guys at work seem to think its strange that I have absolutely ZERO interest in sports. Nothing, nada, Zilch.

I am unamerican! OK, may I move to Canada now? How about Germany?, UK?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

All of those countries have their own sports fetishes.

If you're a gay commie traitor, at least you're a cuddly one. And you aren't alone, no matter how much the so-called "Fox Network" would like to tell us that you are.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

Well, there is, at least, something to enjoy about the superbowl ... the Budweiser ads with Clydesdales. :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

But I can see those later without having to sit through hours of stupidity and raving commentators. Those megabucks ads are actually what the whole thing is about, of course. It's always money. The hype has been carefully promoted and pushed for decades to build this incredible fever pitch that has all the elements of a cultic religion.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

True, and that's what I do too.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Is it just me or was this year's Budweiser Clydesdale ad kinda "flat"? A little cute but just nowhere near as clever as the old ones.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, not sure what's up with that. What'd you think of the "streaker" one a few years back? That was probably one of the funniest, to me.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I don't think I ever saw that one. My favorite has been the one with the colt trying to pull the wagon alone and the adults pushing it from behind where he couldn't see them.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

[altivo.livejournal.com]

OK. I think I still prefer the lone colt or the snowball fight.

Stuporbowl

[bladehorse.livejournal.com]

Yeah what a waste of time most sports are. I too cant believe the amount of $$ wasted on waching ppl run back and fourth fighting for a ball. Think of the shape our nation would be in if they took that money, and time and added a community garden, or biult a house for someone in need.
I guess this is why in years past I spent stuperbowl day at my friends house machining parts for steam engines, and autos.
Today I spent most of the game driving back home before the massive hordes let loose.
I DID have to endure the 1st half of the game by am radio, which is amazingly even Worse than seeing it on tv!

Re: Stuporbowl

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll allow that many sports are good for the actual players, provided they are playing for the sport and exercise and not for money. The parade of fat "spectators" swilling down beer and junk food and taking vicarious pleasure from it, though, is quite obscene.

[graystonethusky.livejournal.com]

Didn't watch it, didn't care about it either. But to answer the question "Madness or Sadness?", I'd have to go with sadness. With all the crap going on with the economy like people losing their jobs because companies want to make more money, yet they drop millions on a damn commercial that only lasts 15 seconds. I think that money could have been used for better things than a commercial. *Shakes Head*
"Hey John, you got laid off so your company could spend 2 million on a 15 second commercial during the superbowl."
Sorry if I think that is really messed up...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, that kind of advertising is more about prestige than it is about sales even. Though far worse in my opinion is the fat cat executives who take multimillion dollar bonuses as their company collapses. That is just obscene.

[thedeere.livejournal.com]

I actually almost fell for a ruse. A friend of mine called, saying, "Hey man! We got a huge party going on, tons of beer and stuff, food, and a play-station 3 with Return To Castle Wolfenstein! C'mon over!" thinking I wouldn't know what day it was. Of course I didn't, but mentioning it to another friend, I was duly warned. Thank goodness. :) I'll go over and Wolfenstein another day!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

That's bizarre. You really think someone would invite you to a stupid bowl party without mentioning what it was?

[thedeere.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's exactly what was going on, he knew if he said it was a super-bowl party I'd have avoided it like plague. ;) So he tried subterfuge! He throws a good party so it almost worked, too. Normally I'd have headed over, but was saved by a timely warning.

I'd have been really annoyed too, because you can't play Wolfenstein on the same bigscreen as a crowd of shouting people is watching football on. So once the game got underway I'd'a been outta luck! Well, other than the beer.

[alaskawolf.livejournal.com]

i loved the game :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

To each his own. I really don't care much one way or other about the game, it's the hype and waste that offends me.

[jairus-greywolf.livejournal.com]

You're not alone. I couldn't care less about the NFL. All the idle chit-chat at the office between the guys is Packers this and Packers that. Needless to say, I don't talk much at work.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Even though I work mostly with female colleagues, I can't entirely escape it.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Can I just watch to see lycra pants wearing fit men?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

If you have nothing better to do with your time. And if you can forget what obnoxious people they usually are.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Oh hell I only want a bit of eye candy, :) I don't want to talk to them ^.^

[deerplushie.livejournal.com]

I totally agree wif you there; sports is dumb and so is TV. I haven't owned a TV in years for this reason in particular :o