Experience Has Made Me Rich: Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show

I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting my thoughts on Madonna’s performance during the Super Bowl, just like you paid attention to my prediction that the Patriots would implode under their own press and how you should bet the farm on the Giants.

The reality is how the only reason I watched this year’s Super Bowl is for the rematch aspect that sports television kept repeating ad infinitum. Thankfully, the players did manage to deliver an epic game, making it easier for me to palate a game between two teams that I care nothing about.

I didn’t mind the idea of Madonna as the halftime entertainment, and I must confess that I didn’t quite understand why so many others threw a fit about her. I come from a generation where the halftime shows were generally lame-the Up With People kind-so the notion that a real live, fairly modern artist would be performing, then I’m already impressed.

Add to the fact that Madonna was ubiquitous growing up in the 80’s, only adds to the fact that I want to watch her, if anything to see how she’s holding up after 30 years.

It was pretty clear from the get-go that this was a canned affair. There may have been a few live moments during the slow intro to “Like A Prayer” but everything seemed to be on tape and Madonna looked to be made-up so heavily that it only ended up reminding you of how old she really was.

Kicking off with “Vogue,” perhaps the gayest song to ever grace a sporting dome, Madonna began a twelve-minute quest to remind the largest television audience possible that she was still hammering out tunes and-oh, by the way-she has a new record and tour coming out.

The new song, which evidently has people repeating her brand name over and over, wasn’t that bad. The question is: do people care about Madonna anymore?

I’m guessing that they do, but she’s losing them at a quicker step than she’s gaining them. Because as good as her Super Bowl appearance was-and I do think it was good-it’s the nonsense she’s pulling outside of her performance that has me worried.

Firstly, I don’t think her tour show would add to the money-shot performance of the Super Bowl. My money is on the fact that the high points of her performance were already broadcasted, and in a live set, these highlights would just be scattered across a 90-minute show.

Speaking of money, what’s with this shit about high-ticket prices?

Madonna recently remarked that $300 really isn’t that much for tickets and that she’s “worth it.” She drew up some comparisons how people spent this amount on money for frivolous things all the time, using the price of handbags as an example.

As someone who has turned his wife into a handbag connoisseur, I can attest to the actual need of that item. At the same time, my wife has something to show for it afterwards. With Madonna, the only thing I have left is the memory of her lip-synching her hits so that she can afford her extravagant lifestyle.

There are people struggling today, and the cavalier attitude that Madonna presents is inexcusable. “Material Girl” used to be nothing more than social commentary but it now seems to be her retirement package.

Madonna has gained enough from the financial windfall her work has provided her. It’s not her fan’s responsibility to fund her over-extended net worth.

While her Super Bowl performance reminded us all that Madonna still put on an enjoyable show, it was overshadowed by the drama of the event itself and her insensitive comments that showed us how far she’s really gone from her days as a hungry performer.

And no matter how svelte she looked on stage, it’s clear that Madonna’s ego is fatter than ever.