New York (AFP) – Philadelphia’s 40-22 Super Bowl victory on Sunday was marked by the presence of President Donald Trump, crowds booing Taylor Swift, and Kansas City’s crushing loss. Here are some highlights from the 59th Super Bowl.
– **Donald Trump in the house**
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The first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl took a small lap of the field before settling into his box to watch the game. Although First Lady Melania was absent, he was accompanied by other members of the Trump clan — including his daughter Ivanka and son Eric. His appearance on the giant screens during the national anthem was met with applause, but he left before the end of the game.
– **Boo Taylor Swift**
The queen of pop was booed when she appeared on the Caesars Superdome screens during a break in play. The singer turned her head to face the camera with a slightly embarrassed smile. Swift, who is from Pennsylvania, home of the Eagles, had come to support her partner Travis Kelce, playing for Kansas City.
– **Hip-hop touchdown**
Kendrick Lamar becomes the first hip-hop artist to solo the halftime concert. Basking in the 15 minutes of glory, he performed his classic hits “Humble” and “DNA”, as well as tracks from his latest album “GNX”, such as “Peekaboo” or “Squabble Up”. Some were expecting a rant against Trump. He may have touched upon the topic when he said: “The revolution will be televised, you chose the right time, but not the right guy”.
– **A Palestinian flag**
During Lamar’s performance an individual dressed like one of the show’s dancers climbed onto the rapper’s car and waved a banner with intertwined Sudanese and Palestinian flags. He ran across the field for a few seconds before being caught. In a statement, the NFL said the activist was hired as an extra for the show and hid the flag on him until the choreography began.
– **Adverts steal the show**
The Super Bowl adverts were once again teaming with stars, from Meg Ryan — who re-enacted the famous restaurant scene in “When Harry Met Sally” for a mayonnaise brand — to Matt Damon, who pretended to be David Beckham’s brother in a beer commercial. Companies shelled out $8 million for 30 seconds of air time on Fox, which is owned by the Murdoch family. The message of unity was a noticeable theme in adverts featuring rap legend Snoop Dogg and football star Tom Brady — as well as Harrison Ford, who explained “our differences can be our strength” in a commercial for Jeep.
– **Artificial Intelligence**
AI start-up star OpenAI also purchased a spot during the broadcast. The minimalist clip was focused on aesthetic rather than content, attracting a lot of comments on social media, not all positive. Google, on the other hand, tugged on people’s heartstrings, showing a stay-at-home dad preparing for a job interview with the help of the AI assistant Gemini.
© 2024 AFP
