Role of the Media Critic

 Super Bowl halftime shows have made their claim to fame in American media after Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking performance in 1993. In an article on highsnobiety.com, writer Jake Indiana, critiques Super Bowl halftime shows throughout the years from worst to best. 

Indiana’s honesty and sincerity within his critique often starts with the stereotype and purpose of the Super Bowl halftime show in general, which is to create a show of a lifetime for both performers and the audience in general. A good example of this would be the worst ranking on the list which would be the performance of Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Toni Braxton. Rather than playing their own hits, Indiana describes this Super Bowl performance as “Disney produced.” This also plays into the writing and production of this particular performance, because artists Phil Collins and Christina Aguilera both have history recording songs for Disney. Jake Indiana also mentions the importance of dignity and responsibility to the public for some celebrities such as Beyonce and Lady Gaga when referencing the Black Lives Matter statement Beyonce made in her 2016 performance, as well as the public outcry for Gaga’s lack of voice for the LGBTQ+ community in her performance the following year.

Indiana’s critique is one of the very few examples that utilize the six value clusters utilized within media criticism, and is a very good example of just that. It creates an easier and more relatable understanding in which readers are able to apply these clusters to critiques they read daily.