Meme of the Decade

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The Super Bowl’s primary purpose may be to crown the top team in professional football (and prop up the American chicken wing industry). But artists who perform at halftime are the biggest winners. In a fragmented cultural landscape, they’re granted the single-largest advertising stage in the world — for free. For a couple years, Steeg says, prominent artists didn’t want to follow Jackson because they worried about living up to his standard. But Diana Ross’ performance in 1996 elevated the halftime show again, giving the NFL influence to consistently book A-list music acts. Artists who originally declined, such as Bruce Springsteen, eventually signed up for the gig. “They knew… there was nothing they could ever do that could get more eyeballs on them than doing the Super Bowl,” Steeg says. Especially these days. Eyeballs are a scarce resource now, if you want them in one place at the same time. The mass audiences that once flocked to television have fragmented because of streaming, YouTube, and TikTok. The decline has raised an ages-old philosophical question: If a commercial airs at 8:30pm ET and fewer than 3m people bother to watch, is it even capitalism? Fortunately, there’s an exception to the rule of television decline: professional football. Of the top 100 highest-rated television broadcasts last year, 93 were NFL games, according to Nielsen. The league averaged 17.9m viewers per broadcast — its second-highest number since 1995. That’s more than 2x the average audience for NCIS and more than 10x the average audience for Hallmark’s When Calls The Heart, the most popular series on cable. And then there’s the Super Bowl, which is in a class of its own. The 2023 game averaged an audience of 113m and a 40 rating. Brands paid ~$7m for 30-second advertisements, nearly 100x the going rate for an ad during The Masked Singer, a popular prime-time show. While brands must splurge at the Super Bowl, halftime artists don’t have to pay anything (although some, like the Weeknd, have contributed money to enhance production). Jackson’s halftime show, combined with appearances at the Grammys and American Music Awards, helped push Dangerous, an album he released two years earlier, from barely inside the Billboard top 100 into the top 10. It was the start of a trend: U2 saw sales of three albums more than double after a halftime performance, according to Billboard, and albums by Dr. Dre and Eminem entered the top 10 for the first time in more than a decade when they performed in 2022. But the shows do more than move albums and inflate streaming numbers. In 2023, through her de facto commercial, Rihanna built on her reputation as a bona fide entrepreneur. With so much clout at stake, the slot has become highly coveted. Although record labels and agents pitch their artists and halftime producers make suggestions, the NFL always gets the final say, Kirshner says, and favors acts with lengthy music catalogs and fans across multiple generations. There’s no better example for that than Prince. The pop star performed at the 2007 Super Bowl. When an NFL representative visited his Minneapolis house to gauge interest, Prince played DVDs of previous Super Bowl halftime shows, critiquing them and explaining what he would’ve done differently. At the Big Game in Miami, he played in the pouring rain, delivering an iconic performance. He spent nearly a quarter of his set playing a medley of Bob Dylan and the Foo Fighters — a song he certainly wasn’t promoting because it didn’t appear on his albums. After the set, Kirshner saw Prince in the stadium suites. “I said, ‘That was amazing. I wish I could hug you,’” Kirshner recalls. “And he said, ‘Of course, you can hug me.’ And so I hugged Prince.” Source: GetPocket

Donald Trump signs a slew of executive actions hours after he was sworn in as president. A winter storm is expected to drop snow from Texas to Florida. And controversy is brewing around the use of artificial intelligence in “The Brutalist.” When Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States yesterday, he declared that the “golden age of America begins right now.” By the end of his first day in office, Trump had signed a flurry of executive orders that would deliver on promises he made on the campaign trail to push his agenda on immigration, climate change and more. Among the biggest actions on his first day back in office: ✔️ Trump issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when thousands stormed the building amid his false claims about the 2020 election. In speeches yesterday, Trump repeated claims that the election four years ago was “rigged” and referred to criminal defendants as “J6 hostages.” ✔️ On immigration, Trump signed: a directive to end birthright citizenship, which has been understood to be required under the 14th Amendment; an order designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations; and an order declaring a national emergency at the southern border, among others. But the issue of birthright citizenship, as well as border wall funding and other immigration-related actions, will almost surely be challenged in court, senior Supreme Court reporter Lawrence Hurley explains. ✔️ Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok a 75-day extension during which the U.S. will not enforce the law meant to force the app’s owner to sell the company, continuing the Biden administration’s approach of not enforcing the law that got bipartisan support when it passed last year. The extension does not overturn the law because Trump has no such authority. TikTok must either find a U.S. company to take an 80% stake in it or it will be banned under the law. ✔️ Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, a pledge by participating nations to work together to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. In recent years, the U.S. pledged billions of dollars to funds that assist developing nations with climate adaptation and mitigation, which Trump objected to in the executive order. ✔️ Other executive orders call for: the federal recognition of only two sexes; requiring all federal workers to return to in-office work, revoking Joe Biden’s landmark executive order on AI safety, creating the Department of Government Efficiency and withdrawing from the World Health Organization. The orders were part of a day of pomp and circumstance in Washington, D.C., that included past presidents, all nine Supreme Court justices, lawmakers, CEOs and family members witnessing Trump taking his oath of office, his supporters packing the Capital One Arena for an indoor parade and an inaugural ball where he and first lady Melania Trump shared the first dance. Source: NBC News

Reiterating his resolve to 'Make America Great Again', Donald Trump, after being sworn in as the 47th US President, declared that the golden age of America has begun and today marks the 'Liberation Day' for the country. Recalling the assassination attempt on him during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year, Trump asserted that "God saved" his life. "The Golden age of America begins right now," Trump said after taking oath. He added that after him taking over the White House, America has the chance to seize this opportunity "like never before". "America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before. I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world. and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before," he said. "But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America," he added. Trump further said that from today onwards, the United States will flourish and be respected again globally, adding that their first priority will be to create a nation that is "proud, prosperous, and free." "From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free," he said. Speaking on the assassination attempt on him, Trump added, "Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again." Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States as during the 60th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. US Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Trump.Prior to Trump's swearing-in, JD Vance was sworn-in as US Vice-President. Trump's cabinet nominees took seats ahead of his inauguration. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and tech billionaire Elon Musk, the co-chairs of the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, also attended the ceremony. Former US Presidents and First ladies, including Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, George Bush and Laura Bush attended Trump's inauguration. Former US President Barack Obama was also present during the ceremony. Donald Trump's children -- Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump and Baron Trump were present in US Capitol to attend his inauguration. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai also attended the ceremony. Source: The Tribune

President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term in office, signaling a significant transformation in the U.S. government that is anticipated to have far-reaching effects on American society and the global community. "I, Donald John Trump do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," Trump said in brief remarks at the U.S. Capitol. Following the inauguration, the president is slated to depart the Capitol and head to the nearby Capital One Arena, where he will address his supporters during a rally that will also feature a presidential parade. It remains unclear how the parade, which would normally run from the Capitol up Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House, will be featured within the venue. Trump announced Friday that his inaugural events would move indoors due to frigid temperatures across the capital region. Source: DS

With just hours remaining in office, President Joe Biden issued a slew of pardons Monday morning to pre-emptively protect people President-elect Donald Trump had threatened. Biden pardoned former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, members and staff of the committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before that committee. The panel’s members included Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who was then a House member; former Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.; and current Reps. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. The police officers who testified before the committee included Harry Dunn, Aquilino Gonell, Michael Fanone and Daniel Hodges. Trump reacted to the pardons in a text message to NBC News Monday, “It is disgraceful," he wrote, claiming without evidence, "Many are guilty of MAJOR CRIMES!” In a statement, Biden said that some of the people he pre-emptively pardoned were “threatened with criminal prosecutions” and that he “cannot in good conscience do nothing.” “These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions,” he wrote. The president said Milley served the U.S. for more than 40 years and “guided our Armed Forces through complex global security threats and strengthened our existing alliances while forging new ones.” Fauci, he said, saved lives managing responses to HIV/AIDS and the Ebola and Zika viruses and then he helped the country “tackle a once-in-a-century pandemic,” referring to Covid. Biden defended the members of the Jan. 6 committee and slammed people — though he didn’t name Trump — who have attacked and threatened them. The president-elect has said members of the Jan. 6 committee should be investigated and jailed. “Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions,” Biden wrote. Biden said “baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.” “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances,” he said. The pardons, the president said, shouldn’t be misinterpreted as an acknowledgment that these people engaged in wrongdoing. The recipients thanked Biden for the action. In a statement, Milley said he and his family are "deeply grateful for the President’s action today." After 43 years of service in uniform to the country, protecting and defending the Constitution, Milley said, "I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights. I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety." Fauci said in a statement that he appreciated the action by Biden, who was one of seven presidents, from both parties, he had advised. He said he's been "the subject of politically motivated threats of investigation and prosecution." "There is absolutely no basis for these threats," he said. "I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me. The fact is, however, that the mere articulation of these baseless threats, and the potential that they will be acted upon, create immeasurable and intolerable distress for me and my family." Thompson and Cheney, who served as chair and vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee respectively, said in a joint statement on behalf of all panel members that they were pardoned "not for breaking the law but for upholding it." "We are not deterred, we have never been deterred, and we will never be deterred by threats of criminal violence or criminal prosecution, and we are encouraged greatly for the future of the rule of law by the existence of the Constitution’s sweeping Speech and Debate Clause as well as this general pardon by President Biden of our Committee and its excellent staff." Dunn said he wished the pardon "weren’t necessary, but unfortunately, the political climate we are in now has made the need for one somewhat of a reality. I, like all of the other public servants, was just doing my job and upholding my oath, and I will always honor that.” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, criticized Biden's pre-emptive pardon of Fauci, with whom he has repeatedly clashed over the pandemic response. "If there was ever any doubt as to who bears responsibility for the COVID pandemic, Biden’s pardon of Fauci forever seals the deal," Paul wrote in a post on X. He suggested he would investigate Fauci, saying, "I will not rest until the entire truth of the coverup is exposed. Fauci’s pardon will only serve as an accelerant to pierce the veil of deception. Source: NBC News

TikTok restored service to users in the United States on Sunday just hours after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a federal ban, which President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office. Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the ban takes full effect. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform. But by Sunday afternoon, a message greeted those who signed on thanking them — and the president-elect — for their support. “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! Source: AP News

Trump announced he will sign an executive order Monday delaying the TikTok ban and called for the platform to be taken over by a joint venture with U.S. and current owners, also urging companies to prevent TikTok from “going dark” and vowing “no liability” for any tech firms that act before Monday (the law gives Trump the power to extend the ban for up to 90 days if ByteDance is making progress toward a sale). Source: Forbes