The Superbowl Stage…er, Map of Compton
I’m not a huge fan of the Super Bowl, and definitely not in an Olympic year. So, it should come as no surprise that I did not watch it. Not one minute. The part that I was interested in – halftime – I knew I could catch on YouTube this morning (yes, I love Eminem and Snoop).
After pouring myself a cup of fresh joe - I hit play. The first moments were like every other year…a graphic of the Pepsi world spins, lights up and the main event starts (yawn, literally, not enough coffee yet). And then, my inner love of planning was jolted awake. The stage was a HOUSE set in front of a large-scale aerial of the Compton neighborhood. BRILLIANT! The performers were each in a different room of the house and performing on the roof top. Sure, the house was cool, but the best part was how it was set into the map. A map that showed the homes, buildings, and the network of streets and how put together it created the neighborhood…The neighborhood that set the stage for Dre and all of these amazing artists.
Most of the time the work that we do as planners is an after thought for the general population. In fact, not one review of the halftime show I’ve read so far mentions the significance of that map. Of the streets. Of the neighborhood. Of its impact on the genre of music as a whole. But if you follow the work of these amazing artists their neighborhoods, their homes, and their streets are what make them sing, write and perform. Perhaps it’s not the main story line, but as a planner I could not help but think about where Dre would be if he had grown up in Des Moines. Or if Em wasn’t from Detroit. Community and neighborhood, good or bad, has such a direct impact on our experience. It was so cool to see that, even subtly, as part of the show. Well done.
-Jennifer
Here’s an up-close look at the stage: