As we all recover from the virtually non-stop coverage and pre- and post-commentary surrounding the Super Bowl, I thought I would share an interesting article with all of you. By the way, I missed most of the game as I went to see an excellent film "Brazos Rotos"(Broken Embraces) by Pedro Almodóvar (el maestro). I really did not feel like watching a stream of inane commercials interrupted by an American football game between the Colts and the Saints. Besides, how could I resist the chance to see the alluring Penélope Cruz on the big screen.
Back to my initial point. The NFL and US cable networks often claim that the Super Bowl is watched by billions of people around the world (Tea Bag Party members have even claimed that denizens of Sarah Palin's home planet also watch this spectacle. So far no proof has been offered to confirm this). A recent study suggests that the figures provided by the NFL and the networks are not what they seem. In a sport that has astronomical budgets, hyperbolic personalities and bloated salaries, is it really surprising that some world-wide audience figures might also be suggested? Check out "The Whole World Isn't Watching (But We Thought They Were): The Superbowl and U.S. Solipism" by Christopher R. Martin and Jimmie L. Reeves. It is an excellent read.
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