You may have heard the old show-biz adage “Always leave them wanting more.” Well, the NFL did that to me last month. Super Bowl XLVI ended on a breathtaking Hail Mary pass, and I’ve been craving football ever since. Right now, I’d welcome the sight of guys in striped shirts holding a momentum-deadening instant replay conference. I’d even settle for the Pro Bowl, which left us wondering if football was still a contact sport.
I’ve got it bad.
So in recent weeks I’ve done what any fan going through major gridiron withdrawal would do: I’ve been re-watching my team’s classic Super Bowls, which I’ve recorded through the years. And let me tell you, the contents were shocking.
For example, it had been a long time since I’d watched Super Bowl XXI between my beloved New York Giants and the Denver Broncos. As much as I enjoyed revisiting that first championship, what surprised me most about the telecast were the commercials. They were gentle, patriotic, optimistic and unironic. Sentimental, even. Here are a few examples of Super Bowl spots from 1987 that might earn a roll of the eyes from most viewers today (synthesized music, big hair and dated fashions notwithstanding):
• A retired gentleman gets a kiss from his wife as he heads off to start a new job. The girls working at McDonald’s look forward to meeting the cute new guy, and this warm spot follows him during his first day at work. It’s a sweet reminder that the elderly deserve respect, and still have a lot to contribute if given a chance.
• Thanks to Dow’s research, a teenager has overcome her hay fever and is ready for the big dance. Accompanied by Mom, she glides downstairs looking modest and innocent, and presents herself to her adoring father. The doorbell rings, and a clean-cut kid in a tux steps in for a pre-prom photo. On the front porch, Dad asks his princess to save him a dance, and she gives him a kiss on the cheek.
• The Merrill Lynch bull stands on a picturesque mountainside as dozens of children frolic in fields that would make the Von Trapp’s homesick. To the tune of Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only,” singers point to an upbeat financial future with the slogan, “To know no boundaries…”
• A boy and his dad drive around town, desperately searching for their lost dog. It’s pouring rain. Then they see Barney, sad and soaked, and the boy rushes to his pup’s side. It’s a good thing they had reliable Goodyear Vector radials and an earnest pop/rock jingle (“No matter how far I roam, Goodyear, take me home”).
Sweet stuff. No snarky twists or cynical, self-aware humor. Even the beer commercials showed restraint (gotta love those Clydesdales). And those are just a few examples. For a dad who, this year, had to distract my kids from sexualized spots for everything from GoDaddy and M&Ms to Teleflora and Fiat, this trip down memory lane reminded me how much has changed in 25 years. Frankly, the most scandalous campaign that aired during Super Bowl XXI featured leggy models sporting men’s Van Heusen dress shirts (“For a man to wear and a woman to borrow”).
But in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you about something else that surprised me from Super Bowl XXI. During the pre-game player introductions, CBS learned how dangerous it can be to have a live mic on the field. The network failed to censor an f-word directed at an intrusive cameraman by linebacker Andy Headen. You probably don’t remember that. Neither did I. In fact, I can’t recall the media ever commenting on it. That’s because 25 years ago there were no 24/7 sports-talk radio stations, no Facebook or Twitter, no blogs. Headen got away with something an athlete would get hammered for today.
The stark contrast between that spontaneously profane moment and the conscientious commercials surrounding it really got me thinking. Since time began, individuals have been known to get raw, rude and edgy. That’s not new. Yet when CBS and its advertisers had time to think about the messages going over the air—even in 1987—they seemed accountable to an agreed-upon standard of decency and propriety. One that has continued to erode.
So after further review, most of the sponsors in Super Bowl XXI stayed in bounds, even though one player did not. And the game clock keeps ticking. Can we rally, or is the moral deficit just too much to overcome? I’ll be the first to admit that it’s pointless to live in the past. But we can learn a thing or two by taking time out to replay it once in a while.
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