Though most people were tuned in to see the Super Bowl XVLIII matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos, there were those who couldn’t wait to see what Bruno Mars would do for the halftime performance. The drum solo by Bruno was nice, but whenever a performer starts out with a children's choir and the American flag in the background you know they're going for brownie points with the audience. The more talented a performer is, the less he or she should need attention grabbing props. Bruno Mars wasn’t horrible, he busted out a couple James Brown moves and even took it to Michael Jackson with the pirouette spin. His band was pretty decent too. But, other than that, I wasn’t moved in the least. He was a’ight. That’s all I can say. No edge whatsoever.
The Super Bowl halftime show is often touted as the concert of the year, but it was hardly that. The appearance by the shirtless Red Hot Chili Peppers turned up the amps on the performance overall, but when Bruno closed it out with a ballad I let out a yawn and headed to the bathroom to give back all that beer I borrowed during the first half. The fireworks were nice though. Compared to the Michael Jackson performance at Super Bowl XXVII, or even the performance by Beyoncé at last year’s Super Bowl XXLVII, the Bruno Mars performance was lacking in flare and originality. Maybe another Beyoncé blackout would have helped some. Yes, his throwback appeal was interesting. But the nostalgia wore off a minute into the performance. It was safe, and he is talented, but it wasn’t enough to keep the attention of the largely male demographic that tuned in to watch the game. The Nielsen ratings aren’t available yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if FOX lost some percentage points within five minutes of that performance. When will the NFL stop trying to play it safe at halftime? They should hire performers to rock the house not to maintain the status quo.
