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In Memory of the Super Bowl Shuffle
This is the time of year when I always feel like a total freak of nature for not liking football. Come Sunday afternoon, I'll be gearing up to go to a concert, not the least bit concerned about the big TV event I'll be missing. Especially now that I can see all the ads online the next day. The only regret I'd have is if Prince somehow had a wardrobe malfunction. Anyway, all the hype always reminds me of the Super Bowl parties I was forced to attend as a kid, in particular that one in 1985, when I happened to take a break from trying on all of my friend's mother's makeup just in time to catch "The Super Bowl Shuffle." Even then I knew it was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen grown men do (probably because those were the days before reality TV). But it wasn't until I decided to rewatch it today that I realized how much effort must have gone into making this silly spectacle, which actually made it to No. 41 on the Billboard charts that year and earned a Grammy nod. Apparently, football does not require rhythm, 'cause the players frequently fail to shuffle together on the beat. More than the team's hilarious pelvic thrusts or primitive rap skills, I'm most amused by the redundancy of the lyrics. For those of you who never committed them to memory, here's part of the chorus:
"We are the Bears' Shufflin' Crew.
Shufflin' on down, doin' it for you.
We're so bad, we know we're good.
Blowing your mind like we knew we would.
We're not here to start no trouble.
We're just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle."
Anyway, I believe we all need to watch this today. Not that I'm rooting for the Bears over the Saints or anything — oh, wait, someone just pointed out it's the Colts... see what I mean? — but because this kind of spectacular mediocrity puts American Idol auditions to shame. I can't guarantee this link will still work by the time you read this — apparently the Bears (or someone) are still trying to make money by selling DVDs of it, and they keep taking down the low-res videos that find their way to Google and YouTube.
And here's a list of some of the best parodies of the Shuffle I've found:
1) A self-proclaimed "lame comedy troup" does a perfectly nerdy take on it.
2) "The Super Bowl Mumble," featuring beat-boxer Yuri Lane, calls the current team boring.
3) And then there's this. Actually, it has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. It's Estelle Getty's 1993 workout video set to Beyoncé's "Check on It." I have no other reason for putting it here but that it's brilliant.
Now, please share your favorite sports-related silliness here.
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Feb 1, 2007 6:24 PM
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Thanks for the link to that Estelle Getty video; a friend pointed me to it the other day and it is awesome.
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Feb 1, 2007 6:28 PM
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> Anyway, I believe we all need to watch this today.
> Not that I'm rooting for the Bears over the Saints or
> anything (god, I'm proud of myself for knowing who's
> playing)
I'm sorry to have to tell you, but it isn't the Saints, but the Colts who the Bears are playing.
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Feb 1, 2007 7:20 PM
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HA! Thanks for the correction, Maric. It's fixed. Sports are hard; let's go to the mall.
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Feb 2, 2007 12:29 AM
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I lived in Chicago in 1985 - so I have the Shuffle on VHS and on a record album (Seriously)! Anyway, I never realized how many people still despised the Bears because of the Super Bowl Shuffle, until this year. For those who thought they were just bragging, all proceeds went to charity. ("Were not doing this because we're greedy, the Bears are doing it to feed the needy"...part of Walter Payton's Lyrics). Anyway, I agree with you regarding how much work was put into the video. Actually on the VHS - it gives you a 10 minute or so "making of" prior to showing the Shuffle. Thanks for the Blog!
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Feb 2, 2007 1:13 PM
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HA! Thanks for the correction, Maric. It's fixed. Sports are hard; let's go to the mall.
Yeah, the only reason I knew that was because my sister lives in Indiana... I'm definitely more up for the mall.
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Feb 2, 2007 5:23 PM
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Hi. I am King Paul. I was born in a squall. I'm 6 feet tall. I'm a Bears fan. The Super Bowl Shuffle was all in fun. Don't deride it. It added to a magical 1985/86. Someone always has to mock something, don't they? Good-natured things like this should be left alone. Thank you. Thank you very much.
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Feb 4, 2007 7:15 AM
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