Practicing Safe Superbowl

After last year's "wardrobe malfunction", all eyes were on this year's Super Bowl half-time show. Instead of a medley of flavor-of-the-day type artists as is usually the case, the promoters went with 62 year old Paul McCartney who put on a brief but energetic concert. No clothing malfunctioned and the crowd was with Sir Paul throughout the program.

I have to chuckle a little that the Super Bowl organizers considered McCartney the "safe" choice. I'm old enough to remember when Paul was one of the Fab Four who were considered to be the greatest threat in history to the youth of the nation. The mop-haired quartet took the world by storm, and for a few years, were the undisputed kings of pop music. They were also know for drug use and all kinds of weird religious experiences (anybody remember when they were chasing after some weirdo swami in India?).

Now Paul is mainstream enough to be knighted by the Queen, and safe enough to be televised live to billions of people. It's funny how the years mellow the individual and their reputation.

Just out of curiousity - weren't there any American artists that could have handled the half-time show? After the big patriotic buildup during the pre-show, it's a little peculiar that the organizers had to go outside the U.S. for the featured spot.