This year's game was possibly the most boring Super Bowl to watch with a final score of 13-3 Patriots. I don't really keep up with what is going with NFL football but I happened to be watching it at a bar and all I kept hearing was "this is so boring" or "this game sucks." The game took place at the Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta. It was a pretty predictable game with the Patriots winning, but at least the halftime show had a few noteworthy moments that got people pretty excited…and upset.
Adam Levine's nipples spark controversy.
There was some backlash with Maroon 5's performance because during the show Adam Levine decided to take off his shirt. Now, I'm all for Adam Levine being shirtless but doing so in the middle of a performance where others have been seriously punished for doing so, isn't the smartest thing in my opinion. If you don't know, I am referring to Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's performance in 2004, also known as "Nipplegate." Some fans were happy to see Levine strip his shirt off but many others were confused why this was fine when Janet Jackson received much backlash to the point where many feel her career plummeted. If you're not familiar with "Nipplegate" it was during Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's performance where he went to remove her corset but ended up undoing her bra, which exposed her breast. Janet Jackson's breast was shown for only 9/16ths of a second and almost half a million people complained. She was asked to never perform at the Super Bowl again. Both stars issued apologies but Timberlake continued on with his amazing career whereas Jackson had her lowest album sales for years. So, Adam Levine ripping his shirt off during his performance sparked the discussion of "Nipplegate" yet again and the question as to why it's okay for him to do so and get away with it.
SpongeBob's sweet victory cameo.
Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, passed away recently. So, to tribute to him there was a petition to call for Sweet Victory from an episode from SpongeBob to be performed at the 2019 Super Bowl. Over one million people signed this petition online and it showed. The actual song wasn't played, but it did make an appearance. The quick clip led to the intro of Travis Scott's song, Sicko Mode. Many fans were upset that the actual song wasn't played but was still pretty happy that at least it was shown at all. Hopefully, at the next Super Bowl, we'll get to hear the full song for part of the performance.
Travis Scott and Maroon 5 didn't get paid (but for good reason).
Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Interscope Records, and the NFL have donated a large amount of money to charities. The NFL made a $500,000 donation to Dream Corps, which is a social justice advocacy group, on behalf of Scott. They also partnered with Maroon 5 and Interscope Records to give that same amount to Big Brothers Big Sisters. This comes from much negativity surrounding the performances. Travis Scott made a statement before donating, "I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in," Scott said. "I know to be an artist that it's in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation. I am proud to support Dream Corps and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change." Both artists did a great thing for a great cause with their donations.
The Super Bowl LIII might have not been the most exciting game to watch, but the halftime show definitely had a lot of interest surrounding it and now I'm sure you see why.
