“Near nakedness,” you say? “Indecent!” “Not family entertainment!” …I read in the indignant tweets. Shocking! At a Super Bowl! No wardrobe malfunction, just the wardrobe or lack thereof?
I’m a bit flummoxed by all the furrowed brows and pious sniffs over this. I will state that your humble hacker and plodder blogger did not watch one moment, not one nanosecond, of the Super Bowl halftime show. I wouldn’t know Shakira from sriracha. I’m told they are both, uh, hot.
I watched exactly two plays of the game itself. Big deal. Congrats Chiefs. I’m happy as long as the Pats aren’t winning.
But last Sunday afternoon, yours truly was at another entertainment event that featured two suicides, a couple of murders (one a gruesome beheading), and a lascivious dance. There were dancers whose lithe, athletic bodies were (ahem!) nearly nekkid. (Side note: Herschel Walker took some ballet lessons once. I believe he said it was the hardest thing he ever did.)
The Atlanta Opera production of Salome with it’s famous “dance of the seven veils” was probably the most sedate version of the thing ever performed. Salome was a great singer, not so much a great dancer so six ballerinas helped in the dance before the drunken, slovenly Tetrarch. There were no poles in the opera but there was a platter. In fact, hardly anything came off anything in the opera except for Johanaan’s (that’s John the Baptist) head. It was completely removed, as in Scripture.
And did I fail to mention that this was semi-biblical? The underlying story is altogether biblical if not the expanded tale. You want life that is rich, real, and relevant? Go to God’s Holy Word.
The week before the opera I took my grandaughter to see the University of Georgia Gym Dawgs. No matter what sport, no one can spell “dog” in this state. The Gym Dawgs are our ladies gymnastic team. Quite the spectacle. And the tiny athletes were in tight, sequined suits doing all kinds of flips, splits, spins, jumps, swings, and stuff. It was quite entertaining. The team attire was what you would expect. No one complained.
But a big media and celebrity event wrapped around a football game where dancers dance with little in the way of garments is a source of cultural decadence. I’ll grant those of you who watched the thing the point that there were some moves that were, er, designed to engage the male hypothalamus. Not so the opera.
Oh, and I ran across a picture of Michaelangelo’s statue of David the other day. The muscular biblical King is, well, as Kramer would say, out there for all to see.
Sure, I can point out some differences in the Super Bowl halftime entertainment and Michaelangelo, Strauss, Puccini, Verdi, et al, but at times there’s not a lot of difference. I don’t think even Richard Wagner had his characters twerk, although sex infused some of his works (legitimate opera critics may correct me, but I don’t think there are any who are Southern Baptists)…but have you watched some of the gymnasts moves lately? Uh huh.
The Bible, God’s Word, is a book of reality. All of the tragedies and drama of life are within its pages. No one can understand our language (“head on a platter”), metaphors (“crucified”), our art and literature if they are ignorant of the Bible.
Yes, of course, the redemptive theme of the Bible is the key and The almighty can survive the Superbowl halftime show.
Dude, if you don’t like it rouse your decadent self to turn off your 84 inch smart TV.
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Just trying to help here by introducing SBC Voices to high art and sophistication. Several milestones in this article.
Couldn’t work it in but it was interesting to me that the Salome audience found humor in anything in the production. A chuckle moved through the crowd when Salome was singing to Johanaan about his body and hair (he was still with head in this part) and I think I heard the lyrics, “I want to kiss your mouth, Johanaan.” Now, that’s close to Ernest T. Bass’, “Kiss my mouth Jelce.” Salome did get in an extended kiss at the end.
Best part of the opera was the nice lady on the left who has put up with a lot from me for fourscore years.
Who is the man in the photo?
Famous blogger…opera aficionado.
He’s my brother in law. Take it down
Get some new glasses. I took the picture myself.
…or accept my congratulations for having such a distinguished looking B-in-L.
I did not watch any of the Super Bowl. Not that I am above it, but we had our Communion service Sunday night, which was much more important. (I did not turn it on when I arrived home, either.) Had I watched the Super Bowl, I would not have watched the halftime festivities. Does not interest me. Don’t think I have ever watched a halftime show. However, I agree with a friend (who was not worried about seeing “nekkid” women) who posted on Facebook that a Super Bowl halftime show should be something the entire family who is watching the football could watch. From what I heard, this was not.
“Congrats Chiefs. I’m happy as long as the Pats aren’t winning.” Yes! Let us keep the main things the main thing!
Dear Brother: Move to Alabama, or other Central Time states. I was involved in Awanna, & an adult Bible discussion class(Philimon). I arrived home arrived home in the third quarter. No problem! Y’all come!
For sure, William has gone high brow on us, posting a review of an opera presented in Atlanta. I’m planning to attend a concert by the Texas Country Boys. I’ll write a review of their concert. I’m pretty sure there won’t be any veils or ballerinas.
This is such a complicated issue that we as a society do not address in a constructive way. There is the libertarian/free market place argument that it is up to the people to decide what they are willing to pay or put up with to see for free. I watched the game, watched some of the halftime so I could see what it was about and used it for a break. I am an 72 old man who is not going to change my world view or morality based on a half time show. I think a young person 15 on up is going to have a different perspective and be much more influenced. The pressure on young women in our culture is enormous and this half time show did not help.
Now it is not up to the NFL or Super Bowl to raise our children with good foundations so I get that point for sure. However that is one of the issues. Who was this high sexualized tribute to a culture and society that is not in the mainstream of this country directed to?. Is this to be compared to David and the great works of art though the ages? This kind of false equivalency is why there was such an uproar about using damn in Gone With The Wind, the genie never goes back into the bottle. The majority of Super Bowl viewers probably are not at ease with this strip show halftime but where are they to go to register their displeasure? The medium is the message. It is the old argument that the Bible is full of violence , rape, pillage, death and sexual immorality so J Lo and Shakira must be okay to perform this classic piece. What male would not enjoy this artistic performance? Do you have to watch, no but we do have to live in this society and cannot avoid issues such as this. Sure we can turn off our TV set and pretend it does not matter as it does not affect us directly. Is that the course of action we want. The Christians in Africa and Asia have a better sense of how crucial the moral foundation in a society is.
Jo Lo and Shakira are beautiful , talented dancers who are what they are, I am sure they are performing with the same mindset and intent that Mike A had when he sculpted David or painted the ceiling.
What we have lost in our faith based communities and in this world is common sense. Like porno I cannot define porno but I know common sense when I see it. We have lost common sense. Let me also thrown in that Christians were alarmed about Elvis and his hips, again we have lost common sense. Elvis toned it down, grew up and sang Gospels due to the pressure of the outraged Puritans , like my Grandma and Mother.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13 – Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings.…
Kissing is traditional and adopted in Europeans and Western countries included in some religions such as Muslim and Roman Catholic. But, peoples are thinking and condemning him if, an Asian-American man committed adultery because of kissing another woman. Not sure, if his life and head been taking or been put him in jail or paid the big price for kissing. And, Pope Francis was very disappointed because a woman misused a holy kiss. As for me, I was innocent and pure heart kissing or shaking hands. Forgiveness. Thank you.
As a female I have complicated thoughts, too. I was surprised to see two different reactions from my big-city Christian women community: either mild disapproval/distaste, or hearty approval of empowered ‘brown women’s bodies’ and culture (not my words, I’m quoting), coupled with chiding any disapproval as stemming from fear and bigotry.
Whereas I was thinking how it was spectacle, athletic, and not entertaining to me … almost formulaic and expected. I wondered how both performers really felt about it. Sometime maybe Super Bowl execs will plan an entirely different halftime show, maybe featuring unsung heroes, undiscovered talents, an amazing small-church or prison gospel choir (Kanye’s new CD, anyone?), kids overcoming odds —- and watch an inspired crowd leap out of their seats.
Karen, Another part of the complicated issue. Where are the unattributed quotes you cite come from” about brown women’s bodies “and the objection to the half time “stemming from fear and bigotry.” I do not think the majority of Americans viewed J. Lo and Shakira as brown skinned women, straw man argument. Many “minority” entertainers have headlined the Super Bowl program and race is just not an issue.
So appreciate and respect your comments but the narrative is about the content of the performance not the performers. Another way to widened the divide into our social fabric by the social and media press. If Snow White presented this performance they would be questioning concerns. Your last paragraph is right on. Thanks for responding in a thoughtful way.
Quotes are from an online article called ‘Uncomfortable’ White Women and What’s Hiding in Plain Sight, by Carol Cain. The author does not purport to be Christian; however, Christian friends were sharing this article on Facebook as insightful.
https://www.romper.com/p/uncomfortable-white-women-whats-hiding-in-plain-sight-21776655
Karen, here is a link to the entire article by Cain. As with many things context, agenda and opinion all add to the validity of the comments of the person. Hers is an opinion piece which is fine and worth consideration, starting with a few facebook comments from some unknown white women. All people should consider the source and agenda . This would be a useful CRT tool to tie in with another subject.
Thank you for your kind reply. Did you read entire article before? take care Steve
Yes I did, several times. I gave you the reference to this article I had read and quoted, because you requested it. I didn’t want to further promote it by linking it here but so be it. I’m simply surprised that some Christian women friends chose this article to post. That’s all I’ll say.
Yeah – describing the halftime show as a bawdy burlesque-style striptease would be an insult to actual bawdy burlesque-style stripteases.
I didn’t get past the SBC yahoos talking about how they didn’t watch the game… talk about hubris.
I didn’t watch the game. I do live in the country…have a Yahoo account…have consumed that old time Yahoo bottled chocolate drink…know hubris when I see it.
I meant SEC not SBC (typo). You guys post SEC stuff all the time. In Kansas, we were pretty excited about the Chiefs. Sorry we got a chance at football glory up here.
“I wouldn’t know Shakira from sriracha. I’m told they are both, uh, hot.”
Careful Plodder…. 😉
We dumped the dish and don’t get cable, so all I get is Canadian TV on the antenna. So needless to say I didn’t watch, but as a general rule I’d rather watch the halftime show than watch football. I have a reputation as one of the “elite” to uphold. 😉
I had a bit of a chuckle as I thought more about your article. I can remember when the so-called popular culture gave us Elvis wiggling around on the stage at the Ed Sullivan Show. At first, CBS was reluctant to show him below the waist, but we were soon “treated” to the “really big show”. My parents would have dropped dead if he had touched his nether regions, even accidentally. It didn’t take long before he was main-streamed and even lionized as The King.
Now we have JoLo taking it to a new low. Makes you wonder what kind of decadence the amoral culture will deem “performance art” in another generation or two.
Hopefully, I will be in my forever home by then.
Of course that’s J-Lo, not JoLo.
I heard that the halftime show was “lewd.”
lewd [ lood ]
adjective, lewd·er, lewd·est.
inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious.
obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.