Subtitled; "Operation: Saxon Needles; Month 5, Week 1, Day 5."
Funnily enough. Chronology dictates that this should be read as a direction continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2024/02/taylor-swift-vs-gays.html
The game turned out not to be the complete subjugation I was expecting. Based on all the previous times they met you would have thought Taylor Swift would completely enslave The Gays, to the tune of about a billion points.
In fact it ended up being a very low-scoring affair. It almost turned out to be a completely pointless exercise. At the end of regular time the game was tied, 19-19 forcing the game into overtime. Possibly because someone's victory lap had taken them off-script.
Taylor Swift ended up only enslaving The Gays 25-22. A massive improvement on the part of The Gays.
The Half-Time Show was performed by Usher (Raymond) with a, frankly, excessive amount of guests. When one person telling everyone to quietly take their seats was really all that was needed.
Starting at the age of just 16 Usher has had a 30 year career in the music industry. He was really at the height of his fame in the 2000's, the so-called; "Noughties." Unfortunately during that time I was doing, let's go with; "Other Things." So while I know Usher is a Popstar I couldn't name you any of his songs. The only thing I know about his career is that he once made a guest appearance in an episode of the TV Show; "CSI: New York."
So despite his legions of fans and his millions of record sales. This Half-Time Show was really me experiencing Usher for the very first time.
This is something which has become a growing phenomenon within popular culture. Classic but long forgotten songs from yesteryear suddenly being discovered by a whole new audience. Just type the name of any famous song - such as "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins - into YouTube, along with the word; "Reaction." You'll be presented with lots of videos of people reacting to hearing the song for the very first time.
This phenomenon has really been driven by Online Music Streaming. Something which is hugely important for the Half-Time Show's main sponsor, the Online Music Streaming service Apple Music.
If a TV Show uses a classic or otherwise obscure song. Then viewers who have never heard it before can quickly search for it online and stream it. Pushing it back into the music charts. The TV Show; "Stranger Things" use of the Kate Bush song; "Running Up That Hill" being, probably the most famous example.
If people are watching on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service it's even easier than that. Prime Video has it's "X-Ray" function whereby if you pause the TV Show or Movie an information box will pop up telling you the details of the actors and any music being used in that scene. If you like the song then, with a single click, you can stream it on Amazon Music.
Another way that Online Music Streaming is exposing classic or obscure songs to a new audience is through their suggested Playlists. Where you can select a genre such as; "Relaxing" then the algorithm will play your hours of new, to you, songs that the algorithm deems to be relaxing.
So if you want your song to be a chart hit these days you not only need to make sure it's included on all the Online Music Streaming services. You also have to make sure it is included on as many of those streaming service's suggested playlists as possible.
In September 2023 the actor David McCallum died. For many people the news of his death might have been their first exposure to him. However I think a lot of people would have recognised him as the; "Dr Ducky Mallard" character from the TV Show; "NCIS." In which he spent 10 years appearing alongside the Israeli Jewish character; "Ziva David." Played by the non-Jewish Chilean actress Cote de Pablo.
Ziva David/Cote de Pablo being almost a mirror image of my bisexual Israeli Jewish ex-girlfriend. She was perfectly happy to let people keep on assuming that she was some sort of non-specific South American Hispanic. Rather than correcting them. As that's when the Anti-Semitic abuse would start.
No-one would wait for her to explain that she was only in the UK to avoid serving in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) Border Police. In The Gaza Strip, during the Second Intifada (2000-2005). Unlike Itamar Ben-Gvir she would actually have passed her security vetting. Despite her best efforts.
Even people who'd recognise David McCallum from NCIS might not have realised just what a massive career he'd already had by that point. Back when military service was compulsory in the UK he served as an Army Officer. He then returned to acting securing the role of Russian agent; "Ilya Kuryakin" in the TV Show; "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
The role of Ilya Kuryakin gave David McCallum huge fame. Beatlemania level fame. The sort of fame that Taylor Swift can still only dream of. Alongside his acting David McCallum also enjoyed a music career, releasing four albums. Including the 1966 song; "The Edge." Dr Dre sampled The Edge for his 2000 song; "The Next Episode."
Obviously the people who cleared the publishing rights for Dr Dre's song know that it samples the David McCallum song. While other people may have worked it out for themselves. After hearing the David McCallum song in the 2008 Video Game; "Grand Theft Auto IV" or the 2017 Movie; "Baby Driver." On might simply have been introduced to it via an Online Music Streaming playlist.
The Half-Time Show lasts for, really, a maximum of 15 minutes. So if you've had a 30 year career then it can be really difficult to fit in all of the fan's favourite songs. Taylor Swift's current "Eras" tour is supposed to be something of a retrospective of her 20 year career. Each show lasts for about 3 hours.
So during the Half-Time Show artists tend not to actually play any of their songs. So much as a medley or; "Overture" featuring little snippets or samples of their greatest hits. Providing for a good opportunity for discussion of the role of sampling within the music industry. All the issues of copyright and royalty payments that entails.
Meaning that, on reflection. My observation that the Andra Day song; "Rise Up" contains significant musical similarities to the earlier Ani DiFranco song; "Subdivision." While the TLC song; "Unpretty" is just a reworking of the earlier Ani DiFranco song; "As Is." Maybe that wasn't such a lonely tangent I'd launched off into.
The first guest Usher brought out was Alicia Key's. Their 2004 duet; "My Boo" being one of his biggest hits. Unfortunately Alicia Keys was a hugely provocative, incredibly poor choice of guest.
Apparently not being soothed by Taylor Swift. When the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) launched its genocidal assault against Israel it seemed to believe that it was starting the war that would, finally, wipe Israel and the Jews from existence. So it attempted to make itself appear that it was much bigger than it actually was.
This involved Hamas claiming they'd attacked Israel from; "Air, Land and Sea." "Per Spiritus, Per Terram, Per Mare" - for those of us who still have Latin. In reality Hamas' naval forces involved a dozen guys in a small boat. While Hamas' air forces didn't even have any aeroplanes. It was just a dozen or so guys on Paragliders. Most of whom couldn't even manage to get that right.
However this image of a Paraglider was quickly adopted amongst the idiot community. As a way to express support for Hamas and Genocide.
About 10 days into the hysteria Alicia Keys took to Social Media. Expressing an interest in taking up Paragliding. Which was, reasonably, interpreted by many as a gesture of support for Hamas and Genocide.
Apparently not realising that her mere presence was a bad idea. In her performance Alicia Keys really played up this controversy. She first appeared with a red, parachute-like cloth billowing behind her. She then unfastened that revealing a red, parachute-like cape. Finally Alicia Keys unfastened the cape revealing herself to be wearing a red jumpsuit.
This entire provocation being an attempt to get me to speak in Alicia Key's defence. Act as a sort of character witness if you will.
2023 saw the celebration of the birth of Hip-Hop. So around the time of the 2023 Super Bowl, around the time when the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest should have taken place I was messing around with Hip-Hop music. Particularly the song; "Fire Ina Hole" by Method Man and Redman. This involves Redman using Parachuting/Paragliding as a metaphor. Toggling this way and that to keep his lyrical flow on track. It's a metaphor he seems to like. He uses it a lot.
So rather than expressing support for Hamas and Genocide. Alicia Keys was actually trying to ask me a question. As to whether I thought that song was a factor in the Hamas' Genocidal declaration of war. I suppose it speaks to her character that there was at least one person in America who thought it might be a good idea to hear from the guy who was doing all this on October 6th.
Alicia Keys and I have something of a history, going back over a decade. Alongside Shakira Alicia Keys was one of many people trying to shove the then Chris Brown dating Rihanna in my direction. Such as through her 2013 song; "Girl On Fire." The red that Alicia Keys was wearing was the Menstrual Red that Shakira wore during her 2020 Super Bowl Half-Time Show performance.
The next female guest Usher brought out was H.E.R. A woman who does bear something of a passing resemblance to Rihanna. Something she really played up by including snippets of the 2004 Usher song; "Bad Girl." Well, she pretty much just repeated the words; "Bad Girl!" over and over again. Almost as if she was waiting for the response; "Rih-Rih!"
If you only watch American Football then your first exposure to H.E.R would be her appearance at that infamous 2021 Super Bowl where she sung; "America The Beautiful." Rather than forcing me to summarise it for you here, you can just re-read yourselves.
Here; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2021/02/super-bowl-lv-pt1.html
Here; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2021/02/super-bowl-lv-pt2_26.html
And Here; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2021/02/super-bowl-lv-pt3_26.html
A big theme of that Super Bowl were the similarities between Hip-Hip music and Country music. As a metaphor for America's racial divide. In the commercial that dropped immediately after the Half-Time Show ended Beyonce revealed that she's following in Rihanna's footsteps and releasing a Country music album.
Beyonce continues to be married to Jay Z. Who continues to be the artistic director for the Super Bowl. Dare I suggest that the couple looked a little glum during the in-game footage. Before the big secret was revealed.
At around 18:20 on 14/2/24 (UK date) we'll have to see when the war will allow me to continue to slog through this guest-list.
Edited at around 18:00 on 20/2/24 (UK date) to tidy the above and copy & paste;
Operation: Saxon Needles; Month 5, Week 2, Day 4.
The Super Bowl was being played in Las Vegas. Usher recently completed a residency at the MGM Park hotel in Las Vegas. So the tone of the Half-Time show was very much a celebration of all things Las Vegas. So you had a massive cast of Vegas showgirls, Cirque du Soleil style acrobats and stilt-walkers. Alongside a Marching Band which is very much a feature of High School and College American Football.
This very large Circus style production certainly invoked memories of the 2017 movie; "The Greatest Showman." Allowing for discussion of that movie, its cast, its crew, anyone who has ever seen it. Zendaya (Coleman) is certainly an example of an actress we've watched grow-up onscreen.
However I think Usher was simply trying to portray Las Vegas and the Super Bowl as; "The Greatest Show On Earth!" and himself as the greatest showman.
Over the summer of 2023 one of Usher's Las Vegas performances was attended by the actress Keke Palmer who Usher brought up on stage to dance with him. This prompted Keke Palmer's partner and father of her child, Darius Jackson, to publicly condemn Keke Palmer's actions of Twitter. Chastising her for wearing such revealing clothes now that she's a mother.
This ended up exposing to the World what turned out to be a very abusive relationship between Palmer and Jackson. Keke Palmer went on to file protective (restraining) orders against Jackson supported by videoes showing him assaulting her in the home they shared. A further little nod to Alicia Key's efforts to shove a then Chris Brown dating Rihanna in my direction. While Taylor Swift's relationship with her fans, particularly the gay ones, could certainly be charactised as abusive.
Although it ultimately didn't come to pass. There was certainly a rumour that Justin Bieber would join the Usher's already expansive list of guests. Apparently Usher was something of a mentor to Justin Bieber.
Justin Bieber is someone else who sort of came into my orbit back in 2013. Following our forced marriage at the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Sumer Para-Olympic Games I realised that, whether either of us liked it or not. Rihanna and I were going to completely dominate each other's lives for the next year. So I thought it would be a good idea for us to meet up. Just to get a sense of each other and, ideally, exchange contact information.
So while Rihanna was staying in London I went to her hotel and asked the frontdesk to call her room and ask if she wanted to meet up. They said she said no so I left. One alternative is that she said yes. Something which would probably make her deeply unpopular amongst her fellow celebrities. Showing stalkers the World over that they simply need to turn up at the object of their fixation's hotel. Another alternative is that I got into some dispute, hauled away by the police and committed to a psychiatric facility for the rest of my life on the grounds I'm a stalker.
Later in 2013 Justin Bieber made reference to this. Getting into some sort of dispute outside the same hotel which involved him being dragged off by security in front of lots of photographers.
As I've said. I would have avoided any reference to myself, Rihanna or anyone in our respective orbits. Maybe it's my extremely delicate leftwing sensibilities. However if someone's spent the last year or so laying in the gutter, weeping along to Taylor Swift. Even attempts at constructive criticism just feel like bullying.
Following Alicia Key's appearance Usher took to a smaller, circular stage. Around the edges of this stage was projected an animation of flames, while Usher stood in a gap in the middle. So it wasn't "Fire Ina Hole." It was him in the; "Hole Ina Fire."
During this sequence, and frankly his career, Usher really played up his similarities to Michael Jackson. The single white glove, the "Moonwalking" etc. Michael Jackson's 1993 Super Bowl Half-Time Show is seen as the first big Half-Time Show. Prior to that they were dominated by anonymous High School and College Marching Bands and watched by no-one. There is also a Michael Jackson biopic in production. Which raises questions of why America and particularly Black America is still celebrating a paedophile.
Appearing to get hot and sweaty standing in the hole in the fire. Usher removed his shirt and vest. 2024 is the 20th anniversary of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's infamous 2004 Half-Time Show. In which part of Janet Jackson's nipple was momentarily exposed. In violation of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) delightfully absurd; "No (female) Nipples!" rule. Causing a national scandal which eventually ended up in the US Supreme Court.
Yet here we are with a man appearing with both nipples exposed, for the best part of five minutes, and no-one really noticed. The FCC certainly didn't have a problem with it. As it mustn't have any problem with a whole host of gay (male) porn.
Again though. I would have thought the US would have wanted to avoid any reference to the 2013 movie; "Free The Nipple." Directed by Lina Esco and soundtrack including one song by Miley Cyrus. Particularly within the context of a Super Bowl.
The sequence was introduced by another guest, Jermaine Dupri. A Black rapper so confident that White America wouldn't recognise him. He came dressed as another Black rapper, CeeLo Green.
H.E.R's guitar solo was really just a cover. Allowing Usher to change into a new costume and roller skates. From TV shows like; "Modern Family," "The Big Bang Theory, "The Goldbergs" and; "Snowfall" I know that roller rinks and roller discos are a big part of American culture. If I had to guess why then I would say it's because you're not really legally allowed into nightclubs in the US until you're 21 years old. While you can go to a roller disco at any age. Usher is certainly very into roller rink culture. Also roller skating during his Las Vegas residency.
This sequence had a futuristic aesthetic. By which I mean they were all wearing clothes with light strips on them. In the style of the 1982 movie; "Tron." It's somewhat interesting that our vision of the future is actually over 40 years old by this point. Attempting to squeeze in yet another guest Usher was joined by Will.I.Am. Someone who is very into technology and futurism.
In 2023 the US entertainment industry was dominated by strikes by the Writers Guild Of America (WGAW) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Primarily these twin strike actions were over prosaic things like pay, particularly residual royalty payments, and minimum staffing levels. However these days it seems you have to throw the buzzword/phrase; "Artificial Intelligence (AI) into every discussion. Just as how a few years ago you had to throw the buzzword; "Crypto-Currency" into every discussion. "Quantum Computing" before that.
So, particularly with the SAG-AFTRA strike, there was an element of whether AI can be used to enhance the creation of computerised versions of actors. Something which is of particular concern to motion capture video game and voice actors.
Video game actors concerns are shared by those in the music industry. It's already been proved that using just a small vocal sample AI can help produce a computerised version of a song without a human singer being involved at all. Obviously something which is more of a concern for artists whose vocal performances already have to go through extensive AI assisted computerised autotuning.
By way of apology for her mistake in appearing to support Hamas and Genocide Alicia Keys began her performance with a mistake. Missing the opening note of her song. In the version released by Apple Music on the Internet afterwards this 'mistake' had been corrected using AI assisted computerised autotune. Alicia Keys is just that good.
This sequence also gives me something of an opportunity to discuss what I think has to be the dumbest fashion trend of late. Clothes which offer no ballistic nor stab protection made in the style of body armour. Rather like the suits of armour of old, in my experience body armour is hot, sweaty, heavy and annoying. There is only one reason why I'm going to wear my body armour. Convincing people you're wearing body armour when you're not seems like the sort of bluff you can only lose.
The closing sequence of the Half-Time hinted at the other side of Las Vegas. Las Vegas after dark. So the Vegas showgirls became strippers on poles. However as they were women the FCC wouldn't let them show their nipples.
This sequence featured a further two guests, Lil Jon and Ludacris. Performing the song; "Turn Down For What" that Lil Jon did with DJ Snake. You are probably familiar with this song. A snippet of it seems to be used in every US TV Show and Movie over a montage of people partying. Shorthand to signify that it's a really wild party.
If you're watching one of those many TV Shows and Movies on Amazon Prime Video. Then you could use the X-Ray function to find out the name of the song then stream it on Amazon Music. At which point you would discover that computer generated snippet is the entire song. They just loop it round for three to five minutes.
However please don't judge the entire Hip-Hop subgenre of; "Crunk" on that one, appalling example. Crunk is a much wider subgenre originating in America's southern states. Such as Florida, Tennessee and Georgia. Where Usher and most of the guests in this gruelling Half-Time Show hail from.
18:37 on 20/2/24 (UK date).
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