So, I was talking to my buddy the other day, and we got on the topic of the Super Bowl. Not the game itself, but the halftime shows. You know, those big, flashy performances they put on in the middle of the game? We started debating which ones were the absolute worst. I mean, some of them are legendary, but others? Total train wrecks.
I decided to dig a little deeper. I started by making a list of all the halftime shows I could remember. Then, I went online and started looking up what other people thought. I wanted to see if my opinions matched up with the general public’s. Let me tell you, I found a lot of strong opinions out there.
One that kept popping up was the whole “Nipplegate” thing with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. People were still talking about it! Apparently, that wardrobe malfunction caused a huge stir back in the day. I watched some clips of it, and yeah, I can see why it was a big deal.
- Watched old footage of “Nipplegate.”
- Compared my list with online forums and articles.
- Noted recurring mentions of particularly bad performances.
Then there was Michael Jackson’s performance in ’93. Everyone seems to agree that was one of the best, if not THE best, halftime show ever. I watched that one too, and it’s pretty incredible. He just had this energy and stage presence that was unmatched.
And man, Maroon 5 in 2019. People were just ripping that performance to shreds. “Boring,” “uninspired,” “low-energy” – those were some of the nicer comments I saw. I personally didn’t think it was THAT bad, but hey, everyone’s got their own taste.
I also stumbled across some mentions of Fergie’s performance with the Black Eyed Peas. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly well-received. And who could forget Left Shark from Katy Perry’s show? That dancing shark became an instant meme, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
After spending hours going down this rabbit hole, I compiled my own list of what I considered to be the worst halftime shows. It was a mix of my personal opinions and what I gathered from my research.
My Personal List of Shame
- Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake (2004): Not because it was bad, but because of the controversy.
- Maroon 5 (2019): Seemed to be universally panned.
- The Black Eyed Peas (2011): Fergie’s vocals… yeah.
- Katy Perry (2015): Left Shark overshadows the actual performance.
It’s funny how these halftime shows can spark so much debate. It’s just a 15-minute performance in the middle of a football game, but people get really passionate about it. Anyway, it was a fun little project, and it gave me a new appreciation for the good halftime shows and a good laugh at the bad ones. I’m thinking about making it an annual tradition. Every Super Bowl, I’ll revisit my list and see if any new performances deserve a spot on the “worst” list.
Alright, that’s my deep dive into the world of terrible Super Bowl halftime shows. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! Peace out.