Tom Petty & the DATs

No they didn't use DATs but you have to wonder if anything else was genuine.

Get It Try It

150 million viewers. That in the US alone. Millions more around the globe. So you'd almost understand (if not forgive) the arrangers if they went with DATs. And even though DATs are really hard to detect they probably didn't.

But how much else in the twelve minute half time show was 'genuine'? Probably very little.

The row of amps: that much power isn't necessary as most of it's piped through the venue PA. 50 watts is all you need. OTOH there were no monitors to be seen in front of the stage.

Perhaps they piped everything - including the mics - from the amps behind them. After all you have to be able to hear what you're singing - even if you're Tom Petty. And yes he could have had an earpiece or two under that Jesus hairdo but somehow that too seems unlikely.

Things are dark out there on the field. There are a few people hanging about there but not a lot. Anyone could see things if they wanted to. So then there's these F/X on the field itself - a guitar approaches a red heart like a Cupid arrow or spermatozoa - and suddenly the heart explodes in a ring of fireworks. And right on cue thousands of ripe young babes rush the stage. It could happen; it could be genuine.

According to NFL.com Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers formed in the year 19776. [Translation for Safari users provided.]

And there are cameramen already in the crowd. And bodyguards too. Their task: shoot the hottest looking babes with the smoothest foundation and the biggest boobs and make sure the crowd keep their distance so they get all that great dancing on screen. Swimming in the current of love.

Some of those songs were thirty years old yet everyone in that crowd knew the words to them all and on camera were demonstrably singing along. It could happen; it could be genuine.

And then on song three they break into their Jerry Maguire. And suddenly the thousands of moshers all pull out identical pocket lights and wave them back and forth to the music. You can check the clips at YouTube - they all seem to be identical. It could happen; it could be genuine.

On the other hand there's too much at risk to leave to chance. What would happen if you left the stage storming to the crowd and didn't employ thousands to do it 'spontaneously' for you? And there was no huge crowd hugging the rim of the stage? It'd look pretty shitty for 150 million US viewers and countless more around the globe. Talk about a bummer.

And the moshers spontaneously rushing the stage just happen to have penlights handy? And the cameramen in front of the stage just happen to be able to find the only really hot girls and not the other 99.9% of them that are downright ugly pigs?

It could happen; it could be genuine. On the other hand in the soulless US it's hardly likely. And what really hurts is everyone knows by now they can never be sure.