In the early Olympics, Germany would play their national anthem twice, as a statement, to show the world how powerful of a country they are. The new national anthem only being played during the Olympics has evolved into being played at every professional game in the United States. It is played during college and high school games, even down to little league games. Also, it is played in most schoolyards and classrooms across America before every day of school. With Super Bowl being the greatest media platform as one of the most watched events in the world, the United States takes advantage of this opportunity. The national anthem is played of course, but on much a more extravagant level than normal.
We have an American flag the size of a football field being spread out. Sometimes the singer of the National Anthem is of some sort of American military. Even with our country in recession, our government spends millions of dollars to have several unified military jets fly over the specific stadium during a certain note of the National Anthem. The half time show, which used to be a mediocre band or entertainer performing a short set, has turned into one of the country’s most adored entertainers doing a 20-30 minute set. This year, it was Bruce Springsteen who happens to be “America’s badass” of classic rock and roll.
I used to think of all of this as just part of the show of the Super Bowl, but now, after being part of this class, I see that it is all part of a bigger picture. Since the Super Bowl is the most watched event on television the United States takes this and turns it into a display of our country. With the whole world watching, they get to see our military honored as heroes and watch our jets show off. We, as fans, show up sporting our team apparel and American Flags. In the upcoming moments of the game when football is nowhere in the picture, we crazily wave our flags patriotically cheering on “American heroes” of the military for the whole world to see. We get excited about the free things given out as we walk into the game, despite what we are given, of course we are going to wave it or use it at least for that game. When we are given flags, we are practically forced to show the world our patriotism. People in other countries do not realize these flags are given out free prior to the game.
Once the game eventually starts, the commercials get their chance to shine. The country’s wealthiest companies and corporations shell out millions upon millions of dollars for up to thirty seconds to boast their product. If you notice, the commercials mostly consist of America’s most popular beer or other American products. In result of this “the assumption that individual freedoms are guaranteed by freedom of the market and of trade are a cardinal feature of neoliberal thinking, and it has long dominated the US stance toward the rest of the world” (Harvey 2005, p.7). The free market of America allows these companies to do this and we are forced to take it in because it is what we are used to and exposed to. We get so wrapped up in the flags, and military and the spotlight that we are forced to view America as the greatest country in the world.

After watching the Super Bowl from a more critical standpoint I found that the portrayal of capitalism and patriotism were incredibly bold and almost “in your face.” From the performance of the national anthem, to the overtly large flags, to the fly by of Air Force fighter jets, American patriotism is plastered all over the television screen. The Super Bowl places the United States on the so-called “main stage” and for that reason promotes everything that is right with our country. In a way, the Super Bowl does not differ much from the Olympics in the sense that the whole world is watching and critiquing every last move. Our free market, capitalist economy is seen at its height during the Super Bowl. Multi-millions of dollars are spent by organizations just for a quick 30-seconds of commercial airtime during the big game. These prices are set by the strength of the current economy. Whatever the market will bare will be an acceptable bidding price for the airtime during the Super Bowl. This same topic is touched on by David Harvey in A Brief History of Neo-liberalism: “The assumption that individual freedoms are guaranteed by freedom of the market and of trade is a cardinal feature of neo-liberal thinking, and it has long dominated the U.S. stance towards the rest of the world. Just as commercial television time is expensive; so is attending the spectacle that is the Super Bowl. Tickets are priced so that the normal American family could not afford to go to the game, that doesn’t even include those who are below the normal level of income. The secondary market for Super Bowl tickets is ridiculous and is only affordable to those who are extremely wealthy. This leaves the majority of us with the choice of watching the game on television. However, since the Super Bowl has almost become a national holiday, many would argue that enjoying the game in the comfort of their own home and surrounded by their friends and family would lead to a much greater entertainment value. Lastly, it is almost an unwritten law to not criticize those who are in charge and run the Super Bowl. Just like the saying goes; “don’t bite the hands that feed you”. It would be a very misfortunate mistake and would cause tremendous backlash against anyone who was bold enough to do so.

After 43 years of Super Bowl history the annual event has become bigger and bigger in the eyes of Americas’ wealthiest. From three million dollars for a 30 second commercial to the millions of American’s watching, the Super Bowl has gone from a football game to one of the biggest parties and moneymakers of the year. The average American generally watches the Super Bowl from the comfort of his or her own home, local bar, or close friends’ house that has the biggest TV on the block. On game day we gather together dressed in our teams’ jerseys, colors, faces painted, ready to party and yell at the TV as if we were really there. We enjoy numerous snacks, and of course beer, that have all been advertised for the past two weeks to make sure we are prepared for the big game. As for the more fortunate Americans, or the approximate 70 thousand people who attend the Super Bowl, the game has turned into a four-day party. With numbers of celebrities and companies advertising all over, the NFL has added events prior to the game to help celebrate their annual championship. Whether you are sitting in the nose bleeds or in a luxury box with your company, these people are spending thousands of dollars throughout the weekend at one of the largest parties of the year. Between the flights, hotels, going out, food, and the actually ticket for the game, as well as the merchandise bought at the game, prior to the game, and after the game, it is interesting to see how the different classes in America spend their money for the big game.
It is not all about the fans watching the actual football game; it is also the 50 million people watching mostly for the commercials. This is where the media as well as major corporations make their money. During the Super Bowl we see countless commercials, but then come the ads around the stadium that we can see during the game, including the Budweiser logos on the sideline, or the ads around the scoreboard. Now add in the products people at the game are wearing, eating and drinking. Plus the Stadium is named Raymond James stadium, which is the official investment services and financial planning provider of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Practically everywhere you turn products are being marketed, and when billions are watching, companies want their name seen! In Harvey’s article he states “the freedom of the market that Bush proclaims as the high point of human aspiration turns out to be nothing more than the convenient means to spread corporate monopoly power and Coca Cola everywhere without constraint.”

Kristen S

The Super Bowl is not very diverse when it comes to social classes. During the regular season the fans are average hard working Americans. Many of them spend most of their disposable income on season tickets for their home team, team merchandise, and other things that go into game day. These cost can be large. Many people devote entire Sundays to the game and most of the week in preperation for Sunday. The expenses can rapidly grow to large numbers. Many people tailgate hours before the game grilling and drinking which can be costly in itself. Parking is expensive. Food and beverage prices are ridiculous. Families choose to give their money to the NFL. That amount of money each season could be used to improve their social status but they choose not to. When it comes to the Super Bowl the same people that loyally follow their team are excluded from the event. The Super Bowl is not just one day but an entire week. Only the very wealthy can afford to go to the super bowl. The week is filled with exclusive parties for the rich and celebraties. Hotels raise their rates because of the high demand for a room close to the stadium. As for the game itself the ticket prices are high. Lots of the tickets are bought up by large corporations. They distribute those tickets to their executives and high profile clients. While this is going on the people that spent their hard earned money on the NFL during the regular season are forced to stay home and watch the game on TV.

When most Americans think of the Super Bowl, they think of glamorous halftime shows and insanely funny commercials. They can remember their favorite commercials from three Super Bowls ago, but if you asked them who played in it three years ago, they would have no idea. The Super Bowl has become a complete media circus. While there are still a few people (players, coaches, and REAL fans) who watch the game out of pure love for football, the vast majority cares for nothing more than the media and entertainment that comes with it. The halftime show used to be nothing more than a local marching band playing a song or two, but is now a thirty minute fiasco of famous musicians and celebrities prancing around. Those thirty minutes are equal to two quarters of an NFL game. The reason for this? The people who get the most out of the Super Bowl are not the players or fans; it’s the media giants (the very wealthy elites.) Harvey states that “the rising power and significance of the financiers and the CEO’s of large corporations, as well as the immense burst of activity in wholly new sectors (such as computing and the internet, media, and retailing) changed the locus of upper-class economic power significantly.” He basically is saying that due to the new obsession of Americans with entertainment and media, a shift in class power was created. The ones who benefited were the ones who invested in the media industry. They realized where the money could be gained, and they have not stopped gaining. Their goal is not to create an enjoyable, entertaining experience for the American public. It is to keep their pockets fat and the criticism away from them. The wealthier they get, the more power they have, and the easier it is to keep open criticism subdued. They do not want the public to know that they have so much wealth and power, and use the very object of their wealth to keep it a secret. They pay athletes enormous sums of money to endorse their products to keep the criticism off of them, and use the Super Bowl in the same way.

when growing up, it was not my parents, or friends, or peers that made me beileve the USA is the greatest country. It wasnt those people that made me beileve America is the best country to live in. It was everything else that surrounded me. Things such as tv, books, entertainment, and our government. How can America be run, so called, "by the people" when the government really makes all the final desicions. The US government only cares about making money and having the power, they dont really care about the people living in their counrty. Enless of course they have millions of dollars. In that case those people are taken good care of by the government. One thing Harvey states in his writing is "...so many corporations have profiteered from withholding the benefits of their technologies (such as AIDS drugs) from the public sphere"(harvey 38). This right here proves were all about the big corporations with already millions of dollars and getting them richer then they already are. If america was the greatest country, then wouldnt all the people in it be the happiest in the world because they live in the greatest country in thw world. I do love the superbowl, but for the reason of most real football fans...because of the actuall game not its festivities. All those festivities and commercials are all fun to watch, but all its really doing is putting more money in the big corporations hands and spending a tone of money on a 30 second commerical, rather then even giving the players that made it to the super bowl extra money.
The super bowl loves to show it is played in America. Before the game we have soldiers and american flags everyone. We had a soldier do the coin toss and fighter plans fly over the staduim. America really loves it self and we do a great job of showing it during big events. Any big event always try to show its patriatism and the super bowl could very possibly be on of the biggets event in America, so of course there is gonna be a lot of patriatism.

When viewing the Super Bowl in a critical light, it is apparent to discuss the idea of neoliberalism and how it pertains to the spectacle that is “Super Bowl Sunday.” While most football loving Americans view this day as the world championship of American Football; a bout between two of the most elite teams in the National Football League, it is important to examine the subtleties that comprise what very well could be the most celebrated day in American sport history. It is no secret that the pageantry, which embodies this spectacle year in and year out, would cease to exist, if not for the millions of dollars in revenues that the day generates. This is one of the most crucial aspects to examine when thinking critically about the Super Bowl. If not for the millions of dollars in advertising revenue to be had, or even the millions of dollars of NFL merchandise to be sold, this day would simply be a Sunday in February just like any other. Sure some would argue that the sport of football is unmatched in nature by any other on the planet, and that is what makes this sport championship unlike any other. In reality, what makes this day so special is the exploitation of Americans, by the bigwigs of corporate America, who fiend for football. Super Bowl Sunday is a mere twig on the tree of Neoliberalism in America. As David Harvey discusses, “We can define neoliberalization as a political project to re-establish the conditions for capital accumulation and to store the power of economic elites.” These same economic elites have zoned in on the psychological appeal that the sport of football has on Americans. Corporate America has learned to place a chokehold on the necks of ordinary football loving Americans, and this hold only seems to get tighter and tighter every year. Whether it is the price of a ticket, or the price of wearing your favorite NFL player’s team jersey, you can guarantee that most Americans, despite their personal expendable income, are going to shell out whatever absurd price need be, in order to solidify their involvement in the spectacle that is “Super Bowl Sunday.”
-James Ryan Hanley

In American culture the National Football Leagues "Super Bowl Sunday" has in many ways become the countries most decorated Holiday, it can even be put up on the same petastool as Christmas and Easter. It is by far the most publicized and scrutinized spectacle of the year and for many major companies it is a way to market their products to millions of spectators. In a way super bowl sunday directly symbolizes the "Capitalist society of America." Capitalism as defined in David Harvey's "Freedom's Just Another Word" means “an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.” This quote directly portrays how superbowl sunday is a Capitaists "Heaven" and that it generates enormous profits for many major corporations. All I have to say is just look at the commercials. It seems to me that the superbowl has become about 60% commercials and 40% football game and is really just a huge marketing gig these large corporations. A recent poll which ranged across the united states suggests the about 98 million people watch the superbowl (that is about 1/3 of the US population). It seems that the superbowl is now more about entertainment then about the sport itself. It has been brought to my attention, at the superbowl party I was at, that most people dont even watch the superbowl for the game, they just want to see what new funny commericals have come out. This is exactly what the major corporations like Bud Light and Miller aim for, it seems that the superbowl has become the biggest marketing scheme going and that the superbowl has just become a showcase for their new commercials and products even when a 30 second time slot costs about 2 million dollars. You might ask yourself "how could the media let the superbowl turn into a showcase of commercials and halftime shows when its supposed to be about football? Well, how do you think the media gets paid? They get paid by advertisements which the large corporations like Bud light and Miller light pay for so why wouldn't they welcome more and more commercials costing more and more dollars. Also what David Harvey argues is that people in the media, the CEO's of television companies, the CEO's of large corporations like Bud LIght, and the Owners of the NFL teams make up about the 1% of the population that make about 400 times more then the average person. This means that the people who have the power to change the superbowl don't because they are trying to maximizes profits for themselves. A recent suggestion I heard from a commentator on ESPN is that they should move the superbowl to Saturday that way kids who have school, and parents who have work on Mondays could actually watch it. To me, that makes way more sense but this 1% of the population would never allow that to happen because by moving up the superbowl one day, it woud take away from revenues of TV ratings, commercials, and especially for public services (hotels, restaraunts,bars) of the host city. It seems to me that this wealthy 1% is controlling what we view and how we should think, but today in America's capitalist society thats just what we have to deal with.

By Tanner Strow

The Super Bowl is one of the most perfect examples of the current levels of capitalism in the United States of America. U.S. society is dominated by privatized companies who own a multitude of corporations. The owners of these companies and corporations own many aspects of society, everything from small businesses to each and every part of the media. The network that is created is completely linked and intertwined to create the world we live in today. The Super Bowl is one of the purest forms where one can view the connections of the intricate network first hand. The National Football League, better known as the NFL, is one of America’s favorite pastimes. It is one of the few things that actually unites the United States, across all class, gender, and race. People of all ages watch, listen to, discuss, and even argue about not only the games, but every feature of the NFL.

The athletes themselves are paid enormous salaries to play football in order to keep America entertained. The athletes come from a multitude of backgrounds, both rich and poor. For some of the athletes, football is simply a game, a hobby they have turned into a career. For others, it is a way to change their life, a way to cross out of their lower class status. These NFL players are not just a part of the team they play for, but are often the faces of many of the products Americans use on a daily basis. The players are given more great sums of money in order to endorse these products. The corporations and owners of the corporations use their network and pull together different companies they own in order to make a greater profit.

To those who do watch the games, it may almost be a release from reality. Many forget that it s “just a game” because they get so involved and invested in the sport. Even so, it is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by all of the classes: poor, middle and upper combined. While the poor might not be able to afford the extremely expensive tickets in order to actually attend a game the way some of the middle and upper class do, they too can watch games because the media televises many of them. And since everyone as access to the games, especially the Super Bowl, this gives all forms of privatized media companies the opportunities to capitalize on the needs, wants and desires of the people living America.

America, for the most part, buys into every aspect of the game. And to be honest, the Super Bowl isn’t just a game. Starting weeks ahead of the game itself, even prior to the official determination of the two participating teams, the media begins the countdown. More and more commercials are produced. Clothing manufacturers create an abundance of apparel. Magazines and newspapers have more write ups and articles written. News channels and radio stations are taken over by talk of the looming Super Bowl. The nation is slowly taken over by a game that has, over time, become more than a simple sporting event.

What the Super Bowl does, more specifically, is draw in the majority of the United States population to watching four hours of television on a Sunday evening. The game includes commentators, pre-game shows, a half time performance complete with infamous artists and performers, and even commercials costing $30,000 a second to air. So even those who might not enjoy watching the sport itself are drawn into participating in this national event. Once more, the corporations use their own companies and employees for these performances, and are able to turn over an even greater profit. The freedom of the viewers is then taken away, as they are, in a way, being given what is deemed appropriate to watch by the heads of these corporations. In David Harvey’s chapter “Freedom’s Just Another Word” within his novel A Brief History of Neoliberalism, he summarizes Karl Polanyi’s view point on the meaning of freedom. Harvey states, “There are. . . two kinds of freedom, one good and the other bad. Among the latter. . . the freedom to make inordinate gains without commensurable service to the community. . . [and] the freedom to profit from public calamities secretly engineered for private advantage” (36). This is exactly what corporate America has done through the Super Bowl: they are deceivingly gaining huge profit off of the viewers, who are seemingly oblivious.

And because the American population is so invested in this sporting event that brings us together, we, as individuals tend to overlook the fact that both corporations, and in turn, the consumers are spending billions of dollars. Billions of dollars on a single four-hour Sunday event whose sole purpose should be pure and simple entertainment. Furthermore, seemingly no one stops to point out that these enormous sums are being spent as our suffering economy is falling apart all around us. Instead, we focus our attention on the “greatest sport” played in the “Greatest Country in the World.” As a result of the amount of power and influence the U.S.A. does have as a nation, we will continue to go on thinking this way, rather than questioning why we have so much power- or just who holds the power.

2. Encouraged to uncritically view the United States as the ‘greatest country in the world’

Growing up I have always been told and have believed that the United States is the greatest country in the world. I have never been told that I cant or was not allowed to do anything. I have always had the freedom to wear, watch, say and print anything I wanted. Learning about other countries and how women are treated in their societies even more justified my stance on America being the greatest power in the world. The Super Bowl encourages this thought even further through the propaganda of America, before during and after the game is played. In weeks leading up to the Super Bowl there were so many stories on Pat Tillman, and his heroism and patriotic behavior of giving up a spot in the NFL to fight for citizens who are willing to make that sacrifice for their country. Before the game started the overwhelming flood of American flags, salutes to the troops and publicized acts of patriotism show cased America being the greatest. But this is not forced. I believed that since this game is so big and the world is watching we want to show are American pride. Even though we have some critical points that we attack we, as Americans on this day want to show that we are proud to be American not matter how much it costs. Companies are willing to pay millions of dollars to show case their great American business because “ the assumption that individual freedoms are guaranteed by freedom of the market and of trade is a cardinal feature of neoliberal thinking and it has long dominated the US stance towards the rest if the world,”(Harvey p.7). We see conform to the ideas that it is acceptable for them to do that because this is America and that’s what makes us who we are. America being the ‘greatest country in the world” can afford and tolerate this to happen. During this game America is seen as the ‘ greatest country in the world’ just by how the game itself brings us all together. People from all walks of life are seen watching and participating in the game. We are encouraged to uncritically view America as the ‘greatest power in the world’ because of this very reason. During this game people all come together because we can and have the freedom to do so. We sing our nations anthem, fly our flags high and salute our troops and hero’s because we can because we are the greatest power in the world.

While watching the Super Bowl the American population is uncritically viewing the United States as the 'greatest country in the world' by watching all the patriotic events that went on before and during the Super Bowl. From the commanding General doing the coin toss and having U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the stadium. To having God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner sang before the kick-off. After 9-11 the NFL became even more patriotic with American flags on the players jerseys. In the past football players would relate themselves to soldiers. Now, with America’s two armed conflicts taking place the NFL was ordered to not use war metaphors during this Super Bowl. The players will not run out of the tunnel like gladiators and there will not be any phrases that consist of “killing” the other team. In the passage “Freedom’s Just another Word” one of the diagnosis refers to one of former President Bush’s quotes. “It provides a powerful vantage point from which to understand what President Bush intends when he asserts that ‘as the greatest power on earth we (the US) have an obligation to help the spread of freedom.’” The President of the United States refers to our country as the greatest and having so many patriotic symbols during the Super Bowl we are forced to view the United States as the greatest country in the world. Watching the Super Bowl makes the population view America as the greatest country in the world by linking the military with the game.

Question #1


Capitalism is defined as an economic system where wealth is privately owned and controlled by individuals and corporations generally free of government interference. The National Football League’s super bowl is the biggest media spectacle of the year and millions of people will watch it every year. With so many people watching this game American corporations will do anything to try to get their name attached to some part of the game. The commercials during the super bowl are so coveted and sought after that they cost 3 million dollars each for a 30 second ad. These ads are shown to try to gain new consumers, win back old ones, and develop product loyalty. According to the Harvey article (Freedom’s just another word) since the shift to neo-liberalism in the 1970’s “we have not only restored power to a narrowly defined capitalist class. They have also produced immense concentrations of corporate power in energy, the media, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and even retailing.” The media has tremendous power over individuals and their ability to consumer corporate products. When Miller beer runs their high life commercials and tries to advertise their beer as the working mans beer, do people really believe that the Miller company really cares about the working man other than their beer purchase. The super bowl is so intertwined with corporations that even the halftime show is sponsored by a huge conglomerate. The neoliberal theory is based on the fundamental commitment to ideals of personal freedom (private property, individual liberties, and entrepreneurial freedoms). They also have an adherence to free market principles, which are very different from the current monopolies of corporate power. Capitalism is celebrated today without hesitation by so many because it’s basically all they know and all they grew up with. Our current economic system wants people to continue consuming corporate products and worshipping big business and not think about the real ramifications of a monopolistic corporate world.

By Evan Johnson

Capitalism in its shortest definition is explained as an economic system of private ownership, many synonyms associated with capitalism are as follows,
commercialism, competition, free enterprise, free market, and industrialism. These descriptive words could also be found in discussing the economic view of the Super Bowl. As I was watching this years Super Bowl with the words ‘Neo-liberalism, Capitalism, patriotism, advertising, and lastly investment accumulating in my head as the festivities emerged, I clearly see and feel the need to uncritically celebrate capitalism during the super bowl. In fact, besides the actually game itself, the Super Bowl represents just that, capitalisms emergency into a world of sport, a world in which every American can participate without interference of the state and one’s income. The Super Bowl encompasses the basic values of the Capitalist movement. If one takes a step back and describes the Super Bowl in its most simple form of achievement, one will quickly find the similarities between it and the elements associated with the Capitalist view. Super Bowl is a portrayal of individual’s creativity and their independent use of their strengths and resources to succeed within an organization full of competition. They have one main focus, which is survival of the fittest and profiting as frequently as possible in the process. What do you think the SOBE Drink commercial represented? It represents powerful and successful NFL players, who are using their resources to build more revenue for themselves outside their true field. Now look at a very large corporation, such as Bank of America, who sponsored a five day ‘NFL Experience’ a week before the Super Bowl. It was reported they spent approximately 10 million dollars for the week’s festivities. In such a financially sensitive time in the United States, to see a big corporation spending millions of dollars on a football game is an example of the celebration of capitalism all in itself. Corporations are spending money on Sports when money is scarce and the Super Bowl correspondingly, is spending money to celebrate the patriotism the Super Bowl represents or what it would like to represent. These large corporations that are the framework of our economy depict what it is to be a capitalist, they are choosing to invest in the NFL on this particular day, because of the mass attendance physically and televised, but most importantly they invest in this day because of what it represents to be apart of the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl and sports in general in the United States are American. By American I mean some entity or activity that brings people of all ages, races, sex, and class together in a positive atmosphere. Sports in essence have become the heartland of our society. Further more, corporations identify and are identified with that ‘American’ aspect when they invest and advertise during the Super Bowl. These corporations choice to do so during a sporting event not only stems from a revenue stand point, but simply the desire to be American which transcends capitalists views, which are investing creativity in resources to obtain growth, revenue, and power. Capitalism bring mixed economies together in a free market, the Super Bowl does just the same, by bringing all types of people together to celebrate all that this country has to offer. David Harvey states, “For any way of thought to become dominant, a conceptual apparatus has to be advanced that appeals to our intuitions and instincts, to our values and desires, as well as to the possibilities inherent in the social world we inhabit” (Harvey, 5). For the Super Bowl to represent celebration in many aspects, but specifically Capitalism, the evidence is in the corporations, media, and our society as a whole that participate in the Super Bowl because our intuitions, instincts, what we value and desire can be met and fulfilled through sport, especially something that our society has made so important such as the Super Bowl. I do believe that people have accepted the capitalist view into all aspects of our society, people desire that level of competition and the chance for something heroic to happen, and the Super Bowl can give that to people, whether the country is in hard times or not. Whether sports were purposely embedded in American culture to elevate the Capitalist view or were subconsciously done, the impacts of the relationship between sport and Capitalism are something to celebrate, because both have allowed this country to grow in so many ways.

I personally do not like football, in fact I barely understand it. However, the one game that I cannot miss is the Super Bowl; not because of the game itself but because of its cultural significance. The Super Bowl is by far the most important sport event that attracts millions of viewers every year in the United States. Therefore, the amount of revenue obtained (by a just few) is outrageous and it reflects the capitalistic society we live in. David Harvey states that “We can define neoliberalization as a political project to re-establish the conditions for capital accumulation and to store the power of economic elites”. These economic elites include well known corporations such as Coca-Cola, Audi or Pedigree that can afford to pay $3 million for a 30-second spot. So what about the other several smaller businesses that will not be able to compete for a spot?
All the advertising campaigns that precede the Super Bowl are just selling us the idea of consumption, no matter what or how, even during this period of economic recession, the working class is highly motivated to buy. So much that , the Super Bowl represents the No. 1 at-home party event of the year, according to Hallmark Cards, and it is the second highest food consumption day of the year. Millions of dollars are spent on food for the game but once again, all the extra revenue is not perceived by the working class as it is by the owners of the corporations. Besides the selected group of people that control the media and corporations , we have to consider the teams' budgets. The owners, managers, coaches and even the athletes earn an exorbitant amount of money as well, which allows them to enjoy the privileges of the upper-class and at the same time the gap between the rich and the poor keeps getting larger. This mega-event has without a doubt a considerable economic, social and political impact in the entire country.

1. Encouraged to uncritically celebrate capitalism in its current form.

David Harvey states that, “One substantial core of rising class power under neoliberalism lies, therefore, with the CEO’s, the key operators on corporate boards, and the leaders in the financial, legal, and technical apparatuses that surround this inner sanctum of capitalist activity.” The NFL leads us as fans to believe that the game is played for us. This is represented throughout the season by organizations such as the NFL’s community impact program. Their motto of join the team speaks for itself in that they want us fans to incorporate the NFL as one of us. This couldn’t be further from the truth. More so than any other NFL game viewed throughout the season and even up to the divisional rounds of the playoffs. The Super Bowl has historically been dominated by corporations . This is demonstrated best by the amount of tickets given out to corporations which have invested their money into the NFL or just the Super Bowl itself. As for any business the top priority is making money. This holds true for the NFL as well because it is in itself a business. Many argue that football has taken over baseball as America’s past time. I believe this is due to the amount of fan involvement along with the amount of parody in the NFL. Since the fans have made the NFL as popular in America as it is today, it seems only right for them to recognize us fans in one of the most celebrated “holidays” In America which would be the Super Bowl. I am sure many fans would agree. But due to our capitalist society, the NFL recognizes those corporations which make them the most money. As we all know commercials for the Super Bowl are held at a higher standard than other commercials due to the amount of money invested in it’s approximately 45 second time span which can surpass 1 million dollars. The truth is that the NFL wouldn’t be as powerful as it is without these contributions from corporations. Teams get help from these corporations throughout the season, whether it be by having their names in huge letters attached to the stadium or by the huge Budweiser signs you see next to the scoreboard at every arena. In writing this response, it has made me undecided whether the corporations involvement in the sport us fans love the most is a good or bad thing. Corporations take away our chance of getting seats to the most beloved sporting event of the year but the real question I ask myself is. Would the NFL be as highly thought of or sought after without them? -Mike Levy

From as young as I can remember, I have been embedded with the idea that the United States is the greatest country in the world. This was supposed to be evident through entities such as our government, national sports teams, economy (although it’s evident that this isn’t the case through this example), among other examples of our apparent supremacy to the rest of the world. The Super Bowl has always been a spectacle that exemplifies the United States’ superiority to the rest of the world, through the lavish spending that takes place, the powerful people that attend the event, and the overall atmosphere that accompanies the entire week leading up to the actual game. The Super Bowl always tried to bring out the best of the United States while trying to suppress the negative connotations that are associated with the country. Everyone watching is encouraged to forget about the problems that are going on in the world and simply celebrate the positive aspects of the United States, an example from this year would be announcing over the loud speaker Kurt Warner’s contributions to charity and bringing out the pilot of the recent plane crash in the Hudson to show that everyone can overcome obstacles to achieve greatness and help others in trouble. Bringing prominent figures to the public into the spotlight during the Super Bowl is trying to show that the United States has the best citizens in the world and all other countries can’t compare. The Super Bowl is trying to portray that the United States way of life is the best life possible. Harvey exemplifies this in his article, “…freedoms of speech and personal choice…these ideals appeal to anyone who values the ability to make decisions for themselves.” The Super Bowl is maybe the most apparent example of trying to show the rest of the world that the United States is the “greatest country in the world.”

DJ Walker

The Super Bowl, a game that I remember watching for years when I watched the game on the first of Feb. The teams who played where the Pittsburgh lame Stealers and The real underdogs Arizona Cordials. Even if you don't watch football you know about the Superbowl or will watch for even just the commercials. They weeks before the game and during the game is where the Owners, Company, and Government show there stuff off and people watch it because they think its tradition and because it everywhere. When you turn on the TV you will see the something about the game or something they are selling.
"The idea of freedom 'thus degenerates into a mere advocacy of free enterprise', which means 'the fullness of freedom for those whose income,leisure and security need.."(37) As I said before everyone can watch the Superbowl but there trying to get the needs of the rich and wealthy to watch it. So the thing they are selling are ment for the wealthy. So when I watched the game and saw all the advertising and all advertising it made me look at what I am watching a game the SELLS almost everything.
The Selling part made me view of the game go down a little but I still watched it and saw Holm make that unbelievable ketch he made that will be talk about for years and probably plastered on posters and ads in the near future.
A game of advertising and selling but a game that people will be talking about for weeks after and will be remembered for football not for the selling.

Scott Disson

Super Bowl XLIII marked yet another American statement of capitalism in its current form. From (disappointing) commercials to high-profile players and their many endorsements, most of our nation was feeding into the privatization of some faceless, rich man’s enterprise without even realizing it. Capitalism can be defined as “an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations.” After really grasping the meaning, it becomes painfully obvious that on Super Bowl Sunday, we all fall victim to capitalism at its finest. At 6:25, February 1, 2009, NBC aired the most nationally viewed game of the year. To put it all in perspective, the Super Bowl had twice as many viewers as the Academy Awards. Super Bowl Sunday falls short only to Thanksgiving on the basis of food consumption, but surpasses New Year’s Eve for the number of parties held and attended. Now I ask, wouldn’t you target the Super Bowl if you had the resources? It was said that the projected amount of money that would be spent in Tampa Bay during that weekend was $300-400 million dollars. However, where is that money really going? Will it truly benefit the Tampa Bay area economically, or will most of it end up in the pockets of uber-wealthy CEO’s? With these few facts alone, isn’t it obvious that we’re uncritically celebrating capitalism? When you watch those commercials during the game, do you wonder why anyone would pay $2.6 million for a 30 second time slot in between quarters? It’s just like Harvey laid it out in “Freedom’s Just Another Word,” in that “neoliberalization was from the very beginning a project to achieve the restoration of class power.” In other words, the rich are getting richer while the poor become poorer. “The country and its ruling elites, along with foreign investors, did extremely well in the early stages.” (16) All in all, the Super Bowl really put things in perspective for me. It will be hard to watch the next big game without thinking of who will be reaping the financial benefits and what face is really behind those sponsors.

Weather it is the jets flying over the stadium, the outlandish stages and props used, the fireworks and confetti, and not to mention the monies being paid to the performers; all a symbolism of how great this country is of ours and how great life is as an American. Because of this, this one sporting event might be the most effective way of suppressing the US populous/majority as well as control and maintain the class differences. The funny thing about the Super Bowl is the various ways that individuals from different classes view this event. The average middle to low working class person views this event as entertainment, a day to just chill out, eat some great food, drink some beer, and watch a football game with some friends. You might also throw in getting some football gear to make it seem that you’re a huge football fan because Americans love football. But what do all these things have in common. They all require the individual to SPEND MONEY! Buying food, drinks, going out, are just the bear minimums when it comes to spending money for watching the Super Bowl and this middle class individual is spending money that he doesn’t have or can’t afford to spend. But as long as this person is having a good time and enjoying him/her what’s the big deal right? Now on the opposite end of the spectrum, lets examine how CEO’s and presidents of major organizations view the Super Bowl. All we have to do is look at the commercials, endorsements, sponsorships, signage, pre and post game festivities, etc… The Super Bowl is a business event for these wealthy individuals. Even in the economic turmoil that we are in, these organizations still want to take your money. Why else would there be all this hype and excited over just a foot ball game? Harvey best explains this by stating “They have all produced immense concentrations of corporate power in energy, MEDIA, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and even RETAILING.” Think about it, the entire Super Bowl is concentrated on just this, further expanding corporate America (aka making more money); while keeping middle class working pre-occupied with a football game. To the scope of things, the actual football game has no real significance. Henry further describes his point saying that “With disproportionate influence over the media and political process this class (the corporate monopoly) … has both the incentive and the power to persuade us that we are all better off under a neoliberal regime of freedom.” With this in mind, middle class Americans have the illusion that “this is the life.” Watching football, drinking beer, eating burgers, and hanging out with friends for a full day is what we have to look forward to. These corporate monopolies continue to control us through the Super Bowl and further drive this notion into our minds that, this capitalistic society is great! Isn’t it? And for men all you have to do is drink beer, buy some Axe body spray, and wear Ed Hardy and you can get Jessica Simpson!

From as long as I can remember I have had the thought in my head that the United States was and is the greatest country in the world. It is a thought that I believe everyone growing up in the United States has, and one can assume it’s because of the society we live in. From the sports we play and watch, to the government that runs us, we are told that we are the greatest, no questions asked. The Super Bowl is a perfect example of a sporting event that helps encourage the fact that the United States is the ‘greatest country in the world’. Even thought not everyone agrees that the United States is the greatest country, almost everyone watches the super bowl and I believe for those few hours everyone becomes united. This is because the government and businesses encourage us even more so, to forget about the countries wrong doings and actually believe that the United States is the greatest. David Harvey quotes President Bush in saying “as the greatest power on earth we have an obligation to help the spread of freedom” There are multiple ways we are encouraged to view the United States uncritically during the super bowl. One way is the placement of flags on the uniforms and all through out the stadium and during advertisements. Ever since the 9-11 attacks, the image of a flag represents unity and the power we have. Another way is the tributes and interviews they had previous to the game. They interviewed President Barrack Obama and he voiced his opinion on the Super Bowl and ultimately his support of the game. They also brought onto the field the Hudson River pilot and other people who have made history in the United States. By doing this it was made aware that the United States has some of the best citizens and best people in the world. The last way that will be mentioned but not the last way in a long shot, is the flying of the planes over the stadium. This shows our military power and our economic power (although lacking) and draws out of the viewer a desire to want to support our troops and country. All these ways allow the government and huge companies to have the viewers of the super bowl look at the United States as the “greatest country in the world”.

Let us start with NBC. As one of the media giants, a competitor to FOX and ABC, NBC’s rights to the super bowl allow for total control of the viewing of the American Population. The super bowl is one of the last places that you can reach the total US population. What I mean by that is that men, women, and children of all demographics have their attention focused directly on the television for three to four hours. Holding the rights to the super bowl allows for filtering through what is filmed and there for shown to the masses. I mean this very literally in every aspect of viewing, the advertisements, the game, the fans, the signs behind the fans, all are carefully planned by the host network. These images symbolically represent and hold the values of the network and are shown in their interest to grow and profit as an organization. For example a 10 second panning of the crowd shows a baby on a dads shoulders cheering for the home team playing, before flashing to a prototypically attractive cheerleader seconds before the snap.
Now although seemingly random and unintended, it is fair to argue why the two images were chosen. First off, the baby and dad symbolize and can be intertwined with words in which NBC wants to be associated with. Family, Role Models, Leadership, Experience, Cute. All of these words draw an emotional response from watchers that subconsciously relates back to the network in which they are being presented on. Next, the cheerleader is shown. Her body, makeup, and uniform, all accentuate a certain look that is what the media uses to drill into the watchers head as beautiful/hot.
As concluded in our reading (pg. 16) “Neolibralization was from the very beginning a project to achieve the restoration of class power….the share of the top 1 percent of income earners in the US soared to reach 15 percent by the end of the century”
These are capitalistic marketing strategies which extrapolate from just an image into beauty product promotion along with insurance company sales which feast on basic human insecurities such as family safety and personal appearance. These show how even the simplest of things ties into the interests of the ultra rich who have and will continue to profit from these super events.
-Mychal Edelman

I too have been one of those people who have watched the Super Bowl every year for as long as I can remember. It was almost like you would be looked at differently in my household if you were doing something else when that "special" day came. I believe we were all brought up in a society that enstilled in us that sports were something that we all were either a participant or a spectator of. I mean everyone I know is in some way or form is/was a sports fan and football was always the sport that seemed to bring most of us together. The day of the Super Bowl was a day that class, race, religion or economic standing meant absolutely nothing and that we were all "equal." But as I have gotten older and matured I have realized that's never been the case. Now I am not saying that the Super Bowl is bad, because I too love the spectacle as much as anyone because I love the game, but I do feel that the event as a whole has many flaws in it. My biggest problem is all of the commercials and advertisements that come along with the game annoy me tremendously. I know that many viewers are going to be tuned in so this would be a great way to promote one's product but I fail to see how soft drinks, or Mr. Potato riding down the road advertising tires, or even cash for gold all have to do with the game of football. In that aspect I believe that capitalism has definitely taken over everything completely. Now I know most people would ask me where have I been in the sense that I get frustrated about capitalism in sports. I know it's still a business, but I guess I still look at sports as being an "escape" from my everyday problems and issues that arise. I still look at the game of football as a did when I a little boy, as just being fun. So now when you get to the biggest game of the season and I get bombarded with all of these commercials and adverstisements it tends to bother me. I just feel that I wish we as a society could go back and view things at their most genuine form and that's fun. I too am not the only one that has even asked this question either, David Harvey also said; "As Polanyi might have put it, neoliberalism confers rights and freedoms on those 'whose income, leisure, and security need no enhancing', leaving a pittance for the rest of us. How is it, then, that 'the rest of us' have so easily acquiesced in this state of affairs?"

The Super bowl has become an enormous event in our society. It is no longer just another championship game. It has basically become an American holiday. People all over the country sit down with their family and friends and tune into the game. It has gotten to the point where watching the Super bowl is almost part of being American. Almost every year now someone is honored before the game to show how patriotic the event is. Every year now there is a flyover of some sort to show the power and strength of our country. An American celebrity often sings the National Anthem while troops of some sort hold a flag, or a massive flag is draped across the field. All of these events are used to show how great the United States is as a country. I think that it helps get people’s minds off of what is really going on.
I think that the same thing happens with the Super bowl commercials. Super bowl commercials are perfect examples of David Harvey’s neoliberal state. Harvey says, “The freedoms it embodies reflect the interests of private property owners, businesses, multinational corporations and financial capital.” Everyone knows that companies pay a lot of money to advertise during the big game. However, everyone looks forward to seeing how unique and funny each commercial is. It doesn’t really matter what class you are in, if you are watching a funny commercial you are going to laugh at it. So, instead of someone criticizing a company or an owner the day after the big game, they are talking about how funny the Doritos commercial was or how many Budweiser commercials there were.
-Josh McGrath

2. Encouraged to uncritically view the United States as the ‘greatest country in the world’

Before the Superbowl began, there were a few acknowledgements of American patriotism and acts of good deeds. There was an acknowledgement of the flight crew that saved its crew by doing an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York City, the recognition of a child who won a contest just for doing community service, the Walter Patton “Man of the Year Award” was issued for the NFL player whom had served his community best for the prior year and/or season, and the General, whom led troops in the war in the Middle East, was present to toss the coin at the 50-yard line. It is obvious to those watching in America and outside the country, that Americans are good people and should be recognized for their good moments in life. Some things do not need to be shown during the Superbowl. The Pro Bowl is one week after the Superbowl in which all these moments could have be recognized then. Maybe the fact the 98 million people watched the Superbowl this year, alone, give purpose to those in charge (financially and those who they pay) to use the Superbowl to “show off” those fine Americans who live up the view of the ideal American. It is also hard to think badly of people who saved someone else’s life or that Kurt Warner help to give $1.6 million to habitat for humanity. So then we’re stuck viewing this when we only want to see the Steelers and Cardinals play football. Then again, it is also hard to criticize a general in the US military because then it would seem unpatriotic and wrong to do during Americans greatest pastime, the Superbowl.
In David Harvey's work he quoted President George W. Bush to have said, " 'Freedom is the Almighty's gift to every man and woman in this world... As the GREATEST POWER on Earth, we have the obligation to help the spread of freedom.' "

The American public can almost unanimously agree that they watch the Super Bowl for whatever reason they choose whether for the game, the commercials or the pure entertainment value, ratings prove that point because an estimated 98.7 million viewers according the Nielson polls (almost one third of the United States’ population). So it is safe to say that many people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, racial groups and both genders watched the Super Bowl this year more than any other event on television.
The cost to buy a commercial spot during the actual game is at a premium, it let’s the company’s reach a large audience all at once, they can use “special, one time only” type commercials (think the 1984 Apple computer commercial), or use a high profile celebrity who may not agree to promote a product in the United States in any other situation (Brad Pitt’s Heineken beer commercial). Both examples of the types of commercials bring in more money to those people involved, either the company or the celebrity (I do not think Brad Pitt got paid minimum wage for his endorsement). This brings about the “disproportionate influence over the media and the political process this class…has both incentive and power to persuade [the people]…” (38) because the people in control of the media are few and they know their target groups so they do not need to reach too far beyond they focus groups, yet the Super Bowl brings everyone together, a time to broaden the reach without losing their core.
~Cory Joiner

I have watched the super bowl every year for as long as I can remember. However, this year was the first time I ever put this American event under the microscope. Beginning with the pre game show starting six hours before kick off, to the interview with the president, and the super bowl itself with its infamous commercials there is privatization and capitalization built into the whole event. Ever since the 1984 bowl the event has become a showcase for high concept advertising due to Apple’s pioneering commercial. On super bowl Sunday the American people engage in a tradition of consuming, getting together with friends and family, and of course watching the game. This is something that you are expected to do as an American even if there is a war going on, the economy is terrible, and money is tight. I realize that the super bowl is an American tradition, but really even more than that it is just one big event ran by big businesses to benefit mass privatization. The TV ratings, supporting the teams, and consuming products you saw on the commercials during the game all help to fuel mass privatization since all of these are ran by big businesses. The media covering the event also help to fuel that fire. In addition, the super bowl helps to put the United States of America on this pedestal of greatness and superiority. This is due to the way the media covers the event and portrays the country. Also, it is as if the world has its eyes on the United States since football is “our” game. The media makes the citizens of the U.S. feel this way even though I do not believe it to be quite like this. The super bowl epitomizes patriotism from the national anthem, to the fighter pilot fly over either before the game or at half time, and even the presidential interview which concluded moments before the official pre game began.
While the super bowl is the same all around the country it is viewed and enjoyed many different ways depending on the “class” of the people watching it. I know for me personally being a college student with money as an object I attended a more low key type party. My friend had a couple of people over everyone brought a little something and we enjoyed the game. This is just one way some might have watched the game. For example, some may have had to work with no choice in the matter since it is either work to make money or not survive. Super bowl parties come in all different sizes and styles it just depends on your “class” or social status on how you celebrate it. Harvey stated, “While the slogan was often advanced in the 1960’s that what was good for General Motors was good for the US, this had changed by the 1990’s into the slogan that what is good for Wall Street is all that matters,” the super bowl is a great example of this. With all that is going on in the country and even the world economically speaking these big businesses still did not see the need to curtail spending for the commercials in the super bowl this year. For a 30 second commercial this year it set these companies back three million dollars. With all the money that was spent on commercials and everything else for this event these big businesses should of spent their money differently. This is something I had never even thought about until this year’s game. Everyone that is benefiting most monetarily from the super bowl already have more money than they need. Still these big businesses rely on us the consumer to spend money that we do not have to help their products. I feel that this should be the other way around. All in all, I still love the super bowl even though I can now see these different flaws in capitalization of sport.
-Jason Montagna

I always find it unbelievable to learn the costs of the commercials during the Super Bowl. The numbers are incredible every year, but they are especially unbelievable this year with the poor state of the economy. According to MSNBC.com, a thirty-second spot for this year’s Super Bowl costs $3.3 million. With our economy in the poor position it is I find it kind of excessive to spend that much money on commercials. It really is a celebration of capitalism. The Super Bowl and all of it’s festivities including the commercials shown are in addition to providing entertainment used as a way to distract the public from the ongoing problems in the country. No one in the media however mentions how even though the economy is suffering, the wealthy like NBC still benefit. NBC gains amazing amounts of revenue from broadcasting and showing the many expensive commercials during the Super Bowl. The media instead shows the immense history and tradition of the Super Bowl and the NFL. The NFL and the Super Bowl are used as examples of thriving and powerful American businesses thus reinforcing America’s power and or stature. The Super Bowl shows how the wealthy aid the wealthy. Sponsors of the Super Bowl and its festivities such as Budweiser or Pepsi buy the rights from NBC to broadcast their commercials. Budweiser aids NBC with buying a spot on their channel and NBC aids Budweiser with broadcasting ads for their products to millions of people around the world. Small businesses such as RC Cola can not come close to NBC’s price for advertising during the Super Bowl and thereby can not gain the exposure they need to really compete with their competitors such as Pepsi. The Super Bowl is a reflection of the neoliberal state. As David Harvey says,” the freedom the neoliberal state embodies reflects the interests of private property owners, businesses, multinational corporations, and financial capital.”

Travis Macklin

As I watched the super bowl for the first time since the Raven’s won I realized and understood the symbolism of the whole game. In the beginning of the game they had athletes being recognized for all of the community service performed during the year. For example there is The Walter Payton Foundation which gives back to the community in Chicago. Then there was Kirt Warner who raised millions of dollars for the Habitat for Humanity. Yes these accomplishments are great, but should these accomplishments be spoken out loud? I believe that the best deeds are those that we do not know about. These accomplishments were put on television to show the world how thoughtful the American athletes were to the community around them. Next you had the song God bless America sung by the very talented Faith Hill. What else says the United States is the greatest country in the world, especially when the first stanza says:
God bless America,
Land that I love
Then the next song that was sung was the Star spangled Banner which was sung by Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer did a perfect job singing this song but why is it necessary to play this song before every game. It shows are dominance over the other countries. For example in the Olympics when Michael Phelphs won a gold medal they played the National Anthem to show how much greater one country was over the other countries that competed in the same event. Another reason they showed that America was great was the amount of military men shown during the game. For example, they invited the general who was in charge of the war in Iraq to watch the coin toss. This is showing the world how powerful and great our military men are because during the playing of the national anthem men were being shown with their hands over their hearts looking at the America flag. There were so many innuendos in these few hours which honored America and its greatness. So, why do people love this country? Mainly because of freedom. People want to believe that they have control over their lives. In the article Freedom’s Just Another Word by D. Harvey it says “…freedoms of speech and personal choice…these ideals appeal to anyone who values the ability to make decisions for themselves”. Without freedom the United States would not be great. The appeal for immigrants to come to America is because it is free. It’s a new beginning for most people because their own country is unable to offer the same luxuries. Watching the super bowl you are able to see the thousands of people who came to the game for their own free will. The super bowl is a great game and without it we wouldn’t know how great America really is.
Alise McDonald

David Harvey says it best when he talks about a “conceptual apparatus” that has to appeal to our senses, our wants and our instincts in our “social world”. He states that “If successful, this conceptual apparatus becomes so embedded in common sense as to be taken for granted and not open to question”. This is a perfect description of why we don’t seem to criticize those who benefit most from the Super Bowl or any major sporting event for that matter. Over the years, the general theme has been to jump all over the players who make all this money and then turn around and complain that they aren’t making enough. If you really think about it though, the owners and sponsoring corporations are constantly doing that, even more than the players. They are frequently buying and selling different areas of the stadium or different promotions in order to make more money. Everything has a sponsor now. Unfortunately, everybody criticizes those few players a year who ask for a new contract instead of criticizing the owners who are probably turning a 700% profit of the hot dog you just bought and then asking for more money from a corporation in order to sponsor that hot dog. You hardly ever see Around the Horn or PTI talking about how ticket or concession prices are rising; it’s just not the social norm. Everybody has gotten so used to criticizing the players that you’re probably not going to see a change until it gets to the point where you don’t want to watch the three half time shows sponsored by Nike, Target and E-trade so you go to the bathroom sponsored by Home Depot.

I watched the super bowl this year as I do every year but this is the first time I watched it from a different perspective. Knowing that there was going to be some questions related to this class I paid more attention to the other things surrounding the game such as commercials and advertising and who was being honored. I realized that people could watch the super bowl even if they do not like football because what it all comes down to is politics. There are messages being spread throughout the whole super bowl weekend basically classifying people by how much money they have. If you have a lot of money then you could afford to go to the game and not think anything of it but if you do not have that type of money, the 2000 dollars the one person spent just to go watch a game, the person with less money has to use that 2000 dollars to pay bills and live. Also there were messages through out the weekend that the USA is the best because no other country has a super bowl for football and we look at it as we have something no one else has. Harvey said “The idea of freedom, long embedded in the US tradition, has played a conspicuous role in the US in recent years.” During the super bowl we had air fighter jets fly over the stadium while an American flag was spread across the field. By doing that we are showing our freedom that we basically have all the money in the world to do whatever we want, even though in reality our country is so far in debt it is not even funny. There are always a bunch of important people like movie stars and people in government that show up to this game and I think that says something about how people in this country are suppose to be. With these people showing up to these events, it is basically setting the norm that people in this country should enjoy this if you want to be considered a true American. The super bowl is just one big advertisement and people and companies make millions of dollars off this one event and people just need to realize that’s how it is in America. Wee need to stop complaining about all the money that is being paid to these people because you would be doing the same thing if you were in their position and try to make as much money as you can. Corey Cline

Every time we watch a sporting event on television, we see countless numbers of sponsors, but don’t pay any attention to it. Literally everything has a sponsor attached to it and these are the people who are benefiting monetarily from us watching the sporting event. The biggest stage for these companies to reach the largest possible audience is the Super Bowl and this year didn’t fail to follow that trend. In response to his discussion on a neoliberal state, Harvey states that “the freedom it embodies reflect the interests of private property owners, businesses, multinational corporations, and financial capital”. All of these sponsorships, ads, commercials, etc all reflect what is in the best interest of those huge businesses and corporations. It is all a way for them to benefit monetarily from the Super Bowl without us criticizing or questioning them. Whether it’s the First Half Stats presented by Verizon Wireless or the FedEx Air and Ground stats we hear about every week, it’s all a distraction to keep us occupied in what’s happening on the television. Every time we see the cute baby on the E-Trade commercial all we can think about is how funny the commercial is and what a good idea the commercial was, and how maybe we will invest in some stock through this website, etc, etc. It’s all a way to distract us from thinking about how much money that company is going to gain from that ad. Every commercial serves that purpose, yet we continue to watch and enjoy Super Bowl commercials year in and year out. When most of us would normally change the channel until the commercial break was over, we watch these ads and our attention is diverted to how funny or cute they are, not how much that company just profited from that commercial.

On February 1, 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals played in Super Bowl XLIII. The game was dubbed “The Recession Bowl”, because of the current economic situation that had a noticeable economic effect on the game. According to Richard Luscombe, a journalist for The Guardian, ticket prices were down, many parties were canceled, and 200 fewer journalists covered the game compared to a year ago. In this way the Super Bowl was reflective of the tough economic times our country is facing. Despite all of this negativity the opportunity was not missed to reinforce the idea that the United States is the greatest country in the world.
Harvey reports this idea of the US’s feeling of superiority with his quote from the US National Defense Strategy document that states “Freedom is the Almighty’s gift to every man and woman in this world, and as the greatest power on earth we have an obligation to help the spread of freedom”. The first example of us being encouraged to uncritically view the United States as the “greatest country in the world”, was with Faith Hill’s performance of “America the Beautiful”. During her performance they showed soldiers in Iraq watching the Super Bowl. Then they recognized the crew of US Airways 1549, the aircraft that emergency land in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, who according to the commentator their “courage and bravery represent the best of our country’s value”. Following that they had an all-service US Special Operation Command color guard present the nation’s colors during the national anthem, performed by Jennifer Hudson. Of course the national anthem was immediately followed by a flyover by a squadron of Air Force Thunderbirds. To finish off all the “military” festivities, they had Gen. David Petraeus perform the coin toss.

Topic: Encouraged to uncritically view the United States as the ‘greatest country in the world’.

As stated in the opening to Harvey’s work, “For any way of thought to become dominant, a conceptual apparatus has to be advanced that appeals to our intuitions and instincts, to our values and our desires, as well as to the possibilities inherent in the social world we inhabit.” This conceptual apparatus was embodied in the depiction of America through the Budweiser commercials. The use of the Clydesdale represents the power, size and legacy of the American nation. It is a physical presence just as the United States is displayed in terms of real world involvement. In one specific commercial, I found it quite comedic how there was an interaction between the Budweiser horse (America) and another horse of a different stable (another country). As the two met, there was immediate conflict because of how the Budweiser horse wanted to be with the other, yet the stable owner refused, only to have his wishes trampled as the Budweiser horse ran away with his. This is a perfect representation of the U.S. in foreign affairs. We see ourselves as the powerful and almighty and choose to overlook the resistance of other countries regarding personal involvement and interest. Harvey goes into further detail with this discussion of Paul Bremer’s neoliberal make-over of Iraq. Through the “privatization of public enterprises, full ownership rights by foreign firms of Iraqi businesses, full repatriation of foreign profits… the opening of Iraq’s banks to foreign control, national treatment for foreign companies and… the elimination of nearly all trade barriers,” the U.S. launched a full-fledged attack on the Iraqi economy by means of selling off their very roots of it.