Homemade Infographic: What Were The Gayest (And Straightest) Super Bowl Halftime Shows?

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Last week, one of Madonna's backup dancers was overheard (presumably on purpose) by the Daily News, saying the pop star would be " bringing gay to the Super Bowl" in her upcoming halftime show. Typical Madge: carrying coals to Newcastle and calling it an innovative energy policy.

In fact, a survey of Super Bowl halftime history reveals that, pace Madonna, these splashy, highly choreographed song-and-dance theatrical routines have often owed a debt to gay culture. The early shows may have featured old-fashioned university marching bands, but by Super Bowl V, Carol Channing was headlining. By Super Bowl XXVI, Brian Boitano was figure-skating onstage, with music by Gloria Estefan.

Like humanity itself, the Super Bowl halftime show falls on a continuum between straight and gay—and sometimes goes off the continuum entirely. Here's a breakdown of all XLV halftime programs according to Alfred Kinsey's scale of human sexuality, from 0 for exclusively heterosexual (Paul McCartney, 2005) to 6 for exclusively homosexual (Gloria Estefan with figure skaters, 1992). (And here's a video collection of notable ones through the years.)

See also: The Gayest (And Straightest) Super Bowl Halftime Shows