Let’s be honest: if you had a Crock-Pot of some kind of cheesy dip simmering on the counter yesterday and were in charge of the charcuterie board, you probably weren’t really tuned into the big football game for the actual football.
You were totally there for the halftime show. You know, the one featuring the megastars of your teenage years. The one all the moms in the car pick-up line were squealing about for the past two weeks as they dusted off their burned CDs from the late ’90s and early 2000s and relived the magic of their youth.
Because that’s what this year’s halftime show was actually about—nostalgia.
And in a time when we’ve all suddenly realized we’re the grow-ups in the room, music like the old jams from Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dog, and 50 Cent is like a breath of fresh air reminding us hey, we used to be kind of fun.
All you have to do is take a spin through the internet today to figure out we Gen Xers/Millenials/Xennials (honestly, just choose your favorite!) have all the feelings about what we witnessed on our TV screens for 15 glorious minutes on Sunday evening.
It was a fleeting reincarnation of our youth. A throwback to simpler times. A tiny little respite from adulting and parenting and being responsible for all the things—and it was so, so good.
Have a look for yourself, first up, from Emily Solberg:
That one just hit different.
That one felt special for us millennials/Gen Xers.
Maybe that’s because it brought us back to a time that felt simpler and safer and way more fun.
Maybe that’s because even though we haven’t heard those lyrics or danced like that in literal DECADES, we didn’t skip a beat.
Maybe that’s because here I am, a mid-30s mom of two—a far cry from the girl who broke it down to “In Da Club” in an actual club—struggling through one of the hardest and most isolating times of my life.
But when they all came together up on the stage like that at the end . . . it felt like seeing a group of old friends.
Maybe that’s because it felt like home.
Leslie Means sparked an entire trip down nostalgic memory lane with her post about the show (raise your hand if you or your BFF had that haircut!).
The comments section here is a literal treasure trove of happiness:
The Super Bowl halftime show is for you if you . . .
Had this haircut (or knew someone who did)
Died from dysentery on the Oregon Trail
Your first email address was with Hotmail
You’re thankful social media wasn’t around until after college
You know what it’s like to sit through commercials
You rented a VCR from the grocery store
You recorded the top 9 at 9 on a cassette tape
You watched Titanic in the theatre (5 times)
You have a lower back tattoo (or know someone who does—looking at you, sister!)
Your first “cell phone” came in a bag and the antenna stuck to the outside of your car
You smelled like exclamationAdd yours
Whitney Fleming addressed the surprising controversy that surfaced in the aftermath of the show—namely which generation can claim these artists as the soundtrack of their youth—and brought us all back to reality:
…music is for everyone and what made this show so special was how it transcended generations. Just making some light-hearted commentary. I watched these artists come up before they were huge, and I’m grateful for that. And I saw a few of them get interviewed this week and talk about their age, and I certainly can relate to that as well (I just scheduled my colonoscopy a few weeks back.)
Social media is filled today with hot takes and hilarious memes about the show that gave us all a few minutes of fun, and we have to say, we are here for it all.
This halftime show was made in a lab for elder millennials and I love it
— Ashley Gold (@ashleyrgold) February 14, 2022
Boomers taking all the money. Millennials taking all the credit. #GenXLife
— Seton O’Connor (@HiMyNameIsSeton) February 14, 2022
Boomers taking all the money. Millennials taking all the credit. #GenXLife
— Seton O’Connor (@HiMyNameIsSeton) February 14, 2022