Super Bowl? Eh....Whatever. - Page 3

3894 · 02-03-2008, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Am I invited?

Always.

wolfy999 · 02-02-2008, 09:54 PM

Puppy Bowl on 1 TV here and Super Bowl on another.

I'm just here to (cook) eat and watch the commercials.

Cadaverous Pallor · 02-02-2008, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonliner

People getting together, breaking bread (or chips) and sharing in a common bond. Yeah. What's this world coming to.

What he said. I don't like football all that much, but I've been going to my sister-in-law's party every year for about 10 years now and it's a lovely annual social occasion. We get to catch up with all of their cool circle, have a drink and some catered food, and generally have a good time. It's nice.

Like SL said, when all you nancy boys are drooling over the Oscars, just remember that it's now someone else's turn to be close-minded and roll their eyes at your personal moment to gather around the TV.

Speaking of which - who's hosting the Oscar party?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

Puppy Bowl?

Indeed. Much better than the halftime show anywhere else.

JWBear · 02-03-2008, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonliner

People getting together, breaking bread (or chips) and sharing in a common bond. Yeah. What's this world coming to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strangler Lewis

...They certainly matter at least as much as the Oscars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

What he said. I don't like football all that much, but I've been going to my sister-in-law's party every year for about 10 years now and it's a lovely annual social occasion. We get to catch up with all of their cool circle, have a drink and some catered food, and generally have a good time. It's nice.

Like SL said, when all you nancy boys are drooling over the Oscars, just remember that it's now someone else's turn to be close-minded and roll their eyes at your personal moment to gather around the TV.

Speaking of which - who's hosting the Oscar party?

Indeed. Much better than the halftime show anywhere else.

You guys are missing my point. It's not about the getting together and breaking bread; I didn't say there was anything wrong with that. It's about the fact that the Super bowl has become an obsession in American society somewhere on the par with Christmas and the second coming. It's about the strange looks you get when you tell people you don't watch it; the kind of looks you would get if you stated that you didn't "do" Thanksgiving or the 4th of July.

And I'm sorry, but the Oscars do not compare. While there is the same (or greater) level of obsession on the part of some people, it is really a very small percentage of society. None of my friends, gay or straight, are as obsessed by the Oscars as most of the people in my life are over Super Bowl Sunday. Are the grocery stores as packed the day before the Oscars? No. Do complete strangers ask you if you're ready for Oscar night, and wish you "Happy Oscars!"? No.

(And just for the record, the cashier at the grocery store really did ask me if I was ready for Super Bowl Sunday, and the bagger really did wish me a Happy Super Bowl. You can't make this sh*t up!)

Alex · 02-03-2008, 01:02 AM

I've never had anybody inquire about my Super Bowl watching status or view it as odd that (most years) I'm not doing anything in particular. I was probably 25 years old the first time I actually watched one. But if there is any segment of the population that would come to see the Super Bowl and a truly universal event I imagine it would be grocery store employees; Lani and I specifically called of a trip to Costco today once we remembered tomorrow was the game.

But one thing I suspect has changed in recent years is the prevalence of very large TVs that are much more suitable for making the centerpiece of a big party than the old giant Sony 32". Yes, there was always the stray bird that had a 48" rear-projection TV setup.

I've been saying for a while now that whereas porn was the killer app for VCRs, sports is the killer app for widescreen HD. When I go to a Super Bowl party it is only 40% about the game and 60% about the party but even if we're only paying attention with one eye, it is a nice improvement that the one eye is seeing something so dramatically better than SD TV presentations were.

LSPoorEeyorick · 02-03-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

And I'm sorry, but the Oscars do not compare.

Maybe not to some people. But in my household, Oscar night is a high holiday, totally on par with other celebratory days. So I certainly understand why those who love football would make an effort to do special food shopping and have parties and celebrate. We absolutely do for our big day (and we'll do it again on February 24, baby.) We just don't do it on Super Bowl Sunday.

So there's a huge percentage of people who care about the Super Bowl. So what? Everybody has their own thing that excites them. So the Super Bowl does it for a bunch of people. So the Oscars do it for another. So Super Tuesday does it for somebody else. I'm not sure I see what the big deal is.

(And for the record, I DO wish people happy Oscars.)

Gn2Dlnd · 02-03-2008, 01:08 AM

As long a people want to eat Krispy cheese in front of their teevees, I'll "Happy Super Bowl" them all day long!

/not watching

Jazzman · 02-03-2008, 01:39 AM

Personally I think it's partly such a big deal because it's a de facto holiday created by the public themselves and not some archaic "recognized" holiday whose meanings and reason for importance are so vague, murky or false that nobody really even knows why it's celebrated anyway. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc are all great but really, who of us was around or had anything to do with their creation and so to who of us are they really real? Super Bowl, on the other hand, is very real. Whether it means watching the big game, the big gathering, the food, the goofy commercials or whatever, Super Bowl's meaning and importance are real and tangible and therefore, in my humble opinion, more exciting in some ways. Banks aren't closed, Macy's isn't having a sale, nobody is marching around harping about any "reason for the season." It's just a good old annual excuse to eat, drink and be merry with the added bonus of there actually being an event to have it all around. I think that's why it's spread so much and become so popular. It's common ground and it's fun, which makes it accessible to anyone and so everyone gravitates to it.

Now, if the Giants can knock off the Patriots then I'd say it's worthy of National Holiday status, but we'll see.

JWBear · 02-03-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzman

...Banks aren't closed, Macy's isn't having a sale, nobody is marching around harping about any "reason for the season." ....

Give it time....

JWBear · 02-03-2008, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Unsurprisingly, when most people are doing something on a specific day, and you are not, you seem different. That only makes sense. I am not into football but I did small-talk ask my coworkers if they were watching the game this weekend. When they said "no" or "yes" it's not like I judged them. I was making small talk.

It's more than that. Several times, when I've told people I don't watch the Super Bowl, I get the same kind of confused, incredulous look I get from conservative Christians when I tell them that I don't believe in the Bible. They just don't seem to grasp that someone wouldn't be as obsessed with it as they are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Would that be a bad thing? I don't see why social acceptance of the SuperBowl is such a bad thing.

Please show me where I said that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

...Believe me, if you're miffed that the SuperBowl is a socially acceptable event, try being a Jew your whole life. It's not just the baggers you have to ward off.

I'm not miffed; I could really couldn't care less (well... maybe a little less).

Nowhere in my original or subsequent posts did I say that the Super Bowl Holiday was a bad thing, or that people are wrong for celebrating it. Others put those words into my mouth... er... keyboard. I was simply pointing out my observations that we, as a society have granted holiday status to the Super Bowl. Some of the responses I've received in this thread have only proven my point. I hit a nerve, obviously.

Happy Super Bowl, everyone!

02-02-2008, 09:54 PM	#2
wolfy999 Eyes like Sapphires! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2.4 miles from Disneyland Posts: 1,523	Puppy Bowl on 1 TV here and Super Bowl on another. I'm just here to (cook) eat and watch the commercials. __________________ Diane "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin 1937-2008 DISNEY IS FINALLY PAYING ME BACK......STILL OWES ME ABOUT (oh, wait....way too much)!
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02-03-2008, 01:02 AM	#5
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	I've never had anybody inquire about my Super Bowl watching status or view it as odd that (most years) I'm not doing anything in particular. I was probably 25 years old the first time I actually watched one. But if there is any segment of the population that would come to see the Super Bowl and a truly universal event I imagine it would be grocery store employees; Lani and I specifically called of a trip to Costco today once we remembered tomorrow was the game. But one thing I suspect has changed in recent years is the prevalence of very large TVs that are much more suitable for making the centerpiece of a big party than the old giant Sony 32". Yes, there was always the stray bird that had a 48" rear-projection TV setup. I've been saying for a while now that whereas porn was the killer app for VCRs, sports is the killer app for widescreen HD. When I go to a Super Bowl party it is only 40% about the game and 60% about the party but even if we're only paying attention with one eye, it is a nice improvement that the one eye is seeing something so dramatically better than SD TV presentations were.
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02-03-2008, 01:08 AM	#7
Gn2Dlnd Parmmadore Jim Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Casita del Queso Posts: 3,810	As long a people want to eat Krispy cheese in front of their teevees, I'll "Happy Super Bowl" them all day long! /not watching __________________ Does anyone still wear a hat?
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02-03-2008, 01:39 AM	#8
Jazzman Sax God Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Portland's Tijuana Posts: 510	Personally I think it's partly such a big deal because it's a de facto holiday created by the public themselves and not some archaic "recognized" holiday whose meanings and reason for importance are so vague, murky or false that nobody really even knows why it's celebrated anyway. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc are all great but really, who of us was around or had anything to do with their creation and so to who of us are they really real? Super Bowl, on the other hand, is very real. Whether it means watching the big game, the big gathering, the food, the goofy commercials or whatever, Super Bowl's meaning and importance are real and tangible and therefore, in my humble opinion, more exciting in some ways. Banks aren't closed, Macy's isn't having a sale, nobody is marching around harping about any "reason for the season." It's just a good old annual excuse to eat, drink and be merry with the added bonus of there actually being an event to have it all around. I think that's why it's spread so much and become so popular. It's common ground and it's fun, which makes it accessible to anyone and so everyone gravitates to it. Now, if the Giants can knock off the Patriots then I'd say it's worthy of National Holiday status, but we'll see.
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