Super Bowl: An American Holiday

This post might be a little different from the Super Bowl post one would expect. This is an analysis of how society and media portrays the Super Bowl and why this could be an issue. This is a call to action and challenge to think about issues beyond the big game this weekend. Don’t get us wrong, please enjoy the game. This is just a post of opinion and critical analysis surrounding an American tradition. 

The importance of Super Bowl Sunday

As Americans, we place such value on Super Bowl Sunday. People spend weeks preparing for the big event. We make special food, plan parties, and wait in anticipation for one football game to commence. Churches cancel Sunday night services, Sunday night family meals are rescheduled, and some employers even close work on the Monday after Super Bowl.

Lets think about this

All of this for a football game?

This truly shows how much value we, as Americans, and our society places on football, but not only football, but athletics as a whole. We take one football game and declare this a “holiday” for the entire country. For weeks ahead of the big event, news and media is overflowing with information about the Super Bowl. From what to eat during the event to scandals such as “Inflategate” we are bombarded with information, whether we want to learn about it or not.

To be honest, there are so many more important things the news could be discussing. Maybe foreign affair crises going on overseas? Maybe the anniversary of the tragedy of the Holocaust? Maybe the increase in terrorism in this world?

Agenda Setting Theory

In 1972, communication/political scholars McCombs and Shaw, introduced the agenda setting theory. This theory suggests whatever the news views as important, the public views as important. In other words, media chooses what to report on. Every day, we watch the news and hear about issues within our world. As viewers, we view these issues as important because they must be important if the news is reporting on them, right?

Maybe not.

Media reflects what they want to. They filter information and mold it into whatever they deem necessary.

*click on “agenda” to view official research article*

Here’s the issue

Today, being the beginning of “Super Bowl Weekend,” the news is full of reports about the Super Bowl. But, we challenge you to consider the other events happening around our country and world today. Should football really be the focus of our attention as a society? Capitalism has truly impacted the importance of issues on our society.

We challenge you to enjoy the game, but never lose sight of what’s beyond the final score, the commercials, the tailgate.