Sometimes, two things that ordinarily, wouldn’t draw a second thought come together in a way that approaches the surreal. I had that experience today.
I was watching the pre-game show before the Buffalo Bills game at Indianapolis. They played a commercial, maybe you’ve seen it, that features a number of Bills fans in full game-day paraphernalia against a black background expressing their love of the Bills. It’s supposed to make you want to run out and buy tickets, I suppose. [dewplayer:http://gritzmacher.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/anthony-casuccio-joe-dzialak-bills-fan-tribute.mp3]
Two of the people featured, made me sort of laugh. Not enough to laugh out loud, but enough to make me comment that I’d be embarrassed to be seen in public like that.
One had full face paint in red and blue with a frizzy, finger-in-the-socket-electric-shock-look blue wig. The other guy had a plastic Bills helmet made out of some soft-looking plastic. It was way too small for him and sat perched on the top of his head with the ear-flap sides hanging down.
That was mildly amusing, but here comes the juxtaposition that makes the whole thing seem weird.
Next up comes some talking head for Channel 7 Sports. He’s not a big name. I never heard of him. (Shawn Stepner) He’s young, like they dragged him straight out of a college media arts course. He’s sitting there with a straight face reciting all the sports talk wearing a full suit and tie. He looks like he stepped out of a Men’s Warehouse commercial.
It just then struck me odd that after they try to sell us on the football experience by showing us a bunch of fans that look like they’re dressed for Halloween, they then make the announcer wear a suit that probably cost him a week’s pay to talk about that same sport.