NBC is great at vertical marketing. The fledgling fourth-place network came out strong tonight, showcasing Madonna alongside Voice judge Cee Lo Green in the halftime show, and Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, Voice judge and guest adviser, in the pregame show. Since the Super Bowl 2012 telecast is expected to draw record numbers of viewers, NBC could see a huge payoff in its lead-out to the season two premiere of The Voice, which airs directly following the game.
Madonna also did herself a great service by offering a fun, uptempo halftime performance, complete with a remix of fan favorites, her newest single, and a nice mashup with LAMFAO. Her latest record, "Give Me All Your Luvin,'" was released on Clear Channel Monday, February 3, 2012 to lukewarm reviews, with some saying the 53-year-old has lost her edge. Both Billboard and Rolling Stone slammed the single featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Such press has hurt the director-singer-entertainer struggling to stay relevant to a younger generation and an industry used to playing her music across all platforms.
Tonight, Madonna may have lip-synced, but she did not let the camera catch her. Possibly most importantly, she stayed well within her comfort zone. The consummate professional fresh off her Golden Globe win for Best Original Song, "Masterpiece," for the Madonna directed Weinstein Company film W.E., let Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., Cee Lo Green, and LMFAO have the floor during their respective solos, even kneeling and moving upstage when Cee Lo let loose with the backup choir on "Like A Prayer." Of all the hats she wears,Madge is foremost a great pop entertainer. So it should come as no surprise that she serves up both high-energy, theatre-quality dance moves and phenomenal graphics throughout her 12-minute halftime show.
Despite her minor slip during "Music," her performance should make Elton John eat crow. Madonna 1- Elton John 0. But let's hope their feud doesn't end there, for watching entertainers who seemingly "have it all" spar in the media is such great fun. And it makes for great TV, as well.
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Ashley Elaine York
Int’l Film/TV Correspondent and Corus Entertainment PhD Fellow in Television Studies at the University of Alberta, Ashley Elaine York. Contact her at: TalkFilmandTVwithAshleyYork@gmail.com. All photophraphs and words are the creation of Miss York. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED c. 2010.
