JLo & Shakira stun in Superbowl

The brawly, hard-hitting sport of American Football is not played in the Philippines. Come to think of it and maybe I am wrong but it does seem like football, where two teams battle for possession of an oval-shaped ball that does not bounce at all, is only played in Canada and the U.S. of A. 

Fieldsport is usually futbol or soccer everywhere else. Those places still agog over things American but where the menfolk remain concerned about their looks, playing football can be very risky and painful, think disfigurements, go for basketball or baseball. That is so in the Philippines.

Football is really a big deal in North America and the annual championship game known as Superbowl is a major event. I do not know if work is suspended on Superbowl Day but there is a lot of activity around, mainly among families and friends who want to watch the game together.

This year, the American Football Conference held the Superbowl at the Hard Rock Stadium in the Miami Gardens in Miami, Florida last Feb. 2. News has it that 103 million people watched the game where the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 31 to 20.

The game though is not the only reason why a lot of people watch the Superbowl. There is also the Pepsi Superbowl Halftime show that is now considered a Superbowl tradition. This is that 30-minute break in the middle of the game which over the years has become a venue for a short but spectacular concert by the biggest names in popular music.

It is a big honor for an artist to be picked for the half-time show and those chosen try to come up with something truly special. Among the most memorable Superbowl acts over the years were Michael Jackson, Madonna, U2, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Prince, Lady Gaga and Coldplay. This was where Justin Timberlake accidentally stripped Janet Jackson off her bra.

For this year, the performers chosen were Jennifer Lopez and Shakira and what a show those Latina beauties gave the crowd. Aside from the dazzling smiles, swinging hair, multitudes of sequins and hips that swiveled like crazy, the girls put on a fiery, glittery, sexy and very energetic spectacle. 

The sets, choreography and costumes were stunning and so were the hit songs, She-wolf, I Like It, Ojos Asi, Chantaje, Hips Don’t Lie, Jenny On the Block, Get Right, Waiting for Tonight, Booty, On the Floor and to end the show, JLo brought out her beautiful daughter Emme Muniz to join a kids chorus in Let’s Get Loud. 

 Thanks to the generous Superbowl, which allows people from everywhere to watch the game online for free, that performance that everybody has been raving about is on YouTube.  And it is truly a sight to behold. The sound? Well, you know JLo but I will still watch her anytime. Shakira is 47. JLo is 50.  So all you girls using your age not to get moving, take a cue from these two and get that booty off the floor and dancing.

Another reason why even non-football fans watch the Superbowl are the commercials. The big advertisers always come up with high-quality ads to air during the game, where it now costs an unthinkable US$5.6M for 30 seconds. These often come across as well-made little films with well-written scripts, funny or moving and featuring celebrities. 

This year had quite a harvest and among them is the dance showdown Doritos commercial. It stars A Star is Born star Sam Elliott and his dancing mustache taking on an interloper into the Cool Ranch. And do you know who that is, Lil Nas X, the kid from Old Town Road showing off some dance moves. And dig that cowboy with his guitar doing a cameo in the shoot. The ad is online, too, so you can have fun watching Lil Nas X. 

I watch and I think, why can’t the Academy Awards be like the Superbowl with all footage made available for all to see. I have not seen any Oscar plug on TV so I guess it will be another Oscarless year for Pinoy movie fans this year.

Maybe, I will just watch all those Superbowl commercials instead.