Why would a non football lover like me decide to tune in on a Sunday to watch the Super bowl? Simple. Advertisements. Every year, unique and refreshing ads are shown during the commercial breaks of the super bowl. Last week’s commercials… were utter trash with a few exceptions. All of them follow the same kind of troupe, kind of like that bland late night skit Saturday Night Live, where a bunch of so called “comedians” make uninteresting jokes as a cash grab for NBC. Formulaic, politically correct, and here’s the zinger, unfunny. Every single ad seemed to alway feature a hot shot celebrity that “loved” the product. Really? Ah yes, I’m sure Taylor Swift and Lizzo use the same exact nutritional supplement being advertised. They probably have their own nutritionist feeding them plants and stuff to maintain their money making image. These ads have gotten so dang uncreative and boring. What happened to the daring and shocking Godaddy ads or the entertaining Dorito ads that I used to look forward to? Here are the ones that stood out the most for good and mainly bad reasons:
The Amazon Alexa
The Amazon Alexa. A revolutionary device which has helped everyone on a day to day basis, by managing basic tasks like playing music or controlling the lights. This ad made sure to highlight this revolutionary factor of the Alexa by showing what life was like before the Alexa was invented. We are taken across human history to witness how an “Alexa” had always been present from Victorian England, the Elizabethan times, the Old West, the Middle Ages and all the way up to the Nixon era. The part of the ad that I found to be most humorous has got to be the Nixon joke. The joke being that Nixon’s “Alexa” doesn’t erase his tapes when asked which explains why his presidency was tarnished when hours of recordings started to emerge.
Michelob Light Beer Ad
This one has got to be the most uninteresting ads that I have ever seen. I don’t know what it is about Jimmy Fallon that puts me off. It just seems so fake and disingenuous. From his obvious fraudulent laughs to his terrible jokes, this ad fell very short. This isn’t like your talk show Mr. Fallon, this time you have to actually be entertaining. Jeez, this one was a terrible trainwreck. Making corny jokes and stupid faces is not funny Jimmy. Grow up.
Pringles Rick And Morty Ad
Obviously, as an intellect, I thoroughly enjoy Rick And Morty. From their unique characters to their quirky and mind boggling jokes, I was never left disappointed. This high intellect humor that I love so much was not present in the ad. Morty presents Rick and Summer with a wide variety of Pringles. Rick then discovers that his grandson is actually a Pringles robot and that they were stuck in a Pringles commercial. What happened to the aspects of Rick and Morty when it took time to figure out a joke? I expected much more from you Rick and Morty.
Jason Momoa Commercial
This seemed to be the only ad that had a grain of creativity and humor. In this ad, Jason Momoa is seen to be comfortable and living in his “own skin.” He then proceeds to take off a multitude of accessories like his fake muscles and hair. What made this ad comedic was that it played on the viewers’ perception of Momoa. Generally we think of him as this strong buff man from all his macho roles, not a man with a small stature and receding hairline. The contrast between these two appearances allows Momoa to play a more central role in making this ad entertaining. Overall, it was well put and comedic.
You know what? Since I’m feeling so benevolent today, I will also discuss the Halftime show. Basically, two scantily clad Latina women sang songs in Spanish and moved their hips to the beat of the music. Oh yeah some kids also sang, too. The whole performance was basically just a “Hey remember them? Yeah, they’re still here.” But hey, I will laud it for not being a trainwreck that Moron 5 was during last year’s Super Bowl. But wait, it’s not a Superbowl Halftime Show without controversy! For this year, many viewed it as being excessively raunchy, especially for the families watching. Personally, I didn’t mind but I’m watching out for all those young ones. The halftime show is meant to be entertaining and to gather attention. Look back to Michael Jackson’s Super Bowl performance. It was flashy, entertaining and full of energy. This made for a wonderful break from the intense game going on. If twerking and wearing revealing clothing is their means in doing so, then props to them. Overall, a mediocre year for the halftime show and ads. Looking forward to next year.
