Superbowl National Anthem

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Jordin Sparks just sang a really great rendition of the national anthem.

But why, whenever someone sings the national anthem during the Superbowl broadcast, do we have to see soldiers overseas? And why does the song always have to end with a flyby of Air Force jets? Why do they have to make it all so goddamn militaristic? Yes, the song narrates events that took place during a war, and yes, our nation was founded on the blood of soldiers, but the military isn’t the be-all and end-all of our nation.

I have as much respect for the U.S. military as any American, but doing all this stuff during our national anthem just reinforces the idea that our country is jingoistic and bloodthirsty and arrogant.

And it’s not like there isn’t enough testosterone in the game already.

2 thoughts on “Superbowl National Anthem”

  1. Jordin Sparks did NOT sing a great rendition of the national anthem. It was a tired, uncreative, and a sad cover-like version of Whitney Houston’s fabulous over-the-top version:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q5GSxSmYvME

    Whitney’s verion , sung in the midst of the first Gulf War, is the cultural reference point for all post-1991 National Anthems at major events. The National Anthem during the Superbowl says nothing about jingoism or arrogance in our culture. Instead, it simply shows that American culture is all about unoriginal recycling. This year it was all about FOX recycling a once-but-no-longer American idol, Whitney, in the form of last year’s “American Idol”.

    (Oh, and both Whitney and Jordin weren’t singing anything. Lip sync all the way.)

  2. Neither Jordin Sparks NOR Whitney Houston presented the Anthem properly, respectfully, decently. It’s the National Anthem, not some overblown, ego-driven, sing-the entire-scale-on-each-syllable-to-demonstrate-the-boudaries-of-your-talent vocal gymnastic routine (which most Americans seem to equate with “talent”). Whitney Houston has a lovely voice, but she couldn’t sing “Three Blind Mice” without making me ill. It’s our Anthem, show some respect, sing it – with passion, preferrably, but leave the ego and R & B coolness to R & B numbers, please.

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