Columnist offers opinion on best and worst Super Bowl commercials

By Matt Szczerbienski
Collegian Reporter
February 7, 2007

As the time for the Super Bowl neared, I had a realization that a slew of entertainment would come in the form of commercials. This year I was fairly pleased overall. Considering all that I saw, my favorite has to be Budweiser’s “Rock Paper Scissors,” and my least favorite was a Frito-Lay spot.

As the time for the Super Bowl neared, I had a realization that a slew of entertainment would come in the form of commercials. This year I was fairly pleased overall. Considering all that I saw, my favorite has to be Budweiser’s “Rock Paper Scissors,” and my least favorite was a Frito-Lay spot.

The Budweiser commercial showed two guys grab the last Bud at a backyard barbecue. They decide to settle their dispute by playing rock, paper, scissors. Upon choosing their item, one decides to literally throw a rock, hitting the other in the head. As the victorious one walks away with his prize, the fallen player proclaims, “I threw paper.” In response, the victor simply states: “I threw rock.”

I like this particular commercial for two reasons. The first being I will always laugh at commercials when people fall down or have crazy laughing monkeys. That’s just my humor, I guess. The other reason is that I never understood how paper can possibly beat rock. As a once ever-so-wise Kramer said: “No, rock goes right through paper. Nothing can beat rock”

The commercial I found least enjoyable was a Frito-Lay commercial. This ad showed African-American people and families enjoying the game. What bothers me about this commercial is what it focuses on. The announcer says, “We got more than a game here. We got history. Not just getting here, but what getting here is all about.” Under the announcer, text comes up saying, “Who’s winning? We’re all winning. Enjoy the game.”

I am all for celebrating heritage and honoring those, especially in the last century, who have dedicating themselves to the bringing about of equality. What I do not like is when it is the focus between the two teams’ coaches. I have heard more spoken about the ethnicity of the two coaches who played each other in this year’s Super Bowl than I have about any admirable characteristic they have.

Little has been said about their ability to coach. Lovie Smith was hired in 2004. That year his team went 5-11. In 2006, he brought The Bears to a respectable 13-3. Just this year, Tony Dungy lead the Colts to victory in the largest comeback in conference title history. His team trailed the New England Patriots 21-3 only to come from behind to win. During the Super Bowl these points took a backseat to the issue of race.

I realize that, historically, this is the first time both coaches of the Super Bowl are of African-American descent. I feel that many people, especially the makers of the Frito-Lay commercial, overlooked their qualities as coaches and people and focused on less important traits. I think it was selfish of them to play on this aspect to sell a bag of chips.

szczerbienskim1@lasalle.edu