The 2001 Superbowl Halftime Show vs. The 2010 Emmy Awards Opening Performance: A Comparitive Study

Point:
As many of you know, the Emmy Awards took place Sunday night. The awards show itself was largely forgettable, but a highlight, if not the highlight, of the show was the opening sequence. While I thoroughly enjoyed the skit/performance, I couldn’t help but be reminded of another moment that took place 9 long years ago… And so I ask, was the Emmy opening not, for all intents and purposes, the 2010 version of the 2001 MTV Superbowl halftime show? Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it last night, and I’m not trying to take anything away from it, because I was truly, absolutely giddy throughout the whole thing.

But my 16 year old self really enjoyed the 2001 superbowl halftime show, too. And so, I present to you a comparative study.

Counterpoint: (Submitted by my husband, Ben M.)

While I know better than to argue with my wife, I can’t help but vehemently disagree with her on this point. The argument above contains an inherent question: why is the Emmy opening loved and the Super Bowl halftime show not? The answer is simple: context. While there are certain similarities between the two segments, as shown, each performance must be judged within its own context. One was a sketch that culminated in song, the other was a song preceded by a sketch. The latter sketch was largely forgettable (I had completely forgotten about it), so what we’re really doing is analyzing the strengths of the overall Emmys sketch to the overall musical performance at the Super Bowl. And again, it’s about context. For the Super Bowl halftime show, you had musicians doing what they do – singing and dancing. Among the musicians selected were ‘N Sync, which as musicians, were very polarizing figures. The tween pop scene at the end of the century was undoubtedly popular, but there was a large segment of music fans who reviled the music and everything boy bands represented. The appropriate modern example would be reality-TV celebrities, who enjoy copious amounts of fame and popularity, but are widely considered talentless and fraudulent by many entertainment consumers.

The Emmys opening, on the other hand, almost went out of their way to feature the most likable people on TV. You had Tina Fey, who is a media and fan darling. There was Jon Hamm, who is adored for his talent and his charm. Throw in Jorge Garcia, who no matter how you feel about the final season of “Lost,” you just have to love. And of course, throw in the white-hot leads of “Glee,” television’s biggest phenomenon. “Glee” may have its detractors, but even if you dislike or are indifferent to the show, their presence certainly didn’t ruin the joy of seeing Jon Hamm get dance lessons from Betty White. The further joy we experienced as viewers was from seeing these talented people, whom we like watching on their respective shows, do the unexpected – sing and dance. Taking people out of their context is a huge element of what created that internal positivity we were feeling. Jon Hamm’s singing! Jorge Garcia’s dancing! The fact that Tina Fey couldn’t hold a note didn’t detract from the segment’s quality – it added to it. It’s notable that the “Glee” cast were almost afterthoughts in our memories – not because they weren’t the biggest names on stage, but because we’re used to seeing them sing and dance so it didn’t add the extra element of daring.

Back to the Super Bowl. It was a musical halftime show, the kind we had been used to for years already. Except this time, there was ‘N Sync, a polarizing group, taking the stage with Aerosmith, certified legends. They were doing what they were supposed to do, except that put them at risk of tainting the performance. There were many music fans who felt “Walk This Way” was ruined; that’s supposed to be sung with Run DMC, not Britney Spears. The artistic integrity of the song had been compromised. But “Born to Run” with a group of TV stars? There are no rules to be broken there. We didn’t know what to expect next – wow, he’s actually gonna wear the Bruce outfit! – and that is why it succeeded.

Who are you siding with, the husband or the wife? Think really carefully before you answer that…