Lady Gaga is going to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show this year. This led the Deadspin staff down a rabbithole. We’ve been Remembering Some Shows, and figured we’d open it up to everyone.
The first Super Bowl halftime show I really recall was the Janet Jackson one, but I have vague memories of the 2001 show. Upon a full viewing, I’m not sure if there’s a better document of that particular moment in American culture. Derek Zoolander sent *NSYNC and Aerosmith out with a pep talk; someone amended a “KICK ME” sign to his back; Nelly, Mary J. Blige, and Britney Spears joined everyone on stage for a rendition of “Walk This Way”; Justin Timberlake sang a song with flamethrower gloves; Spears wore her famous arm sock; E! News called it “The Most Iconic Moment Of All Time.”
The staff elders have memories of extremely bad Super Bowl shows; apparently there was once one involving Bob Costas and an Elvis impersonator doing 3D magic tricks. Our Tom Scocca made a homemade infographic a few years back charting the progress of the halftime show on the Kinsey Scale, and I have several questions. 3-D Coke Spectacular? Big Bad Voodoo Daddy???
What are the shows you remember?